Afghanistan

Taliban Maintain Ties to Al-Qaeda Affiliate: Pentagon

The Pentagon said the Taliban maintain ties to an Al Qaeda affiliate in Afghanistan, undermining regional security, despite attempts at going ahead with much-delayed peace talks with the Afghan government.

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UN Blames Afghan Forces for Deadly Market Shelling

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan blamed Afghan forces for firing mortar shells that struck a busy market in a southern province and killed at least 23 civilians.

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Blasts at Afghan Market in Helmand Kill 23 Civilians, Wound 15: Officials

Multiple explosions tore through a busy market in southern Afghanistan on Monday, killing at least 23 civilians, officials said, blaming the Taliban for the carnage.

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Taliban Killed 291 Afghan Security Personnel in Past Week: Govt

The Taliban killed at least 291 Afghan security personnel over the past week, a top government official said Monday, accusing the insurgents of unleashing a wave of violence ahead of potential talks.

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Taliban Raids on Afghan Security Posts Kill 18

Taliban fighters killed at least 18 Afghan security personnel Wednesday in two attacks on checkpoints in the north.

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Four Killed in Kabul Mosque Blast: Government

At least four people were killed after a blast ripped through a crowd during Friday prayers at a mosque in Kabul, Afghan officials said.

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Freed Taliban Prisoners Eye Return to the Battlefield

Afghan authorities are opening prison doors for thousands of Taliban inmates in a high-risk gambit to ensure the insurgent group begins peace talks with Kabul.

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US Launches First Taliban Air Strikes Since Afghan Ceasefire End

The US launched its first air strikes against the Taliban since a rare ceasefire between the insurgents and Afghan forces ended more than a week ago.

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Pompeo Presses Nations to Fund IS Fight Despite Budget Crunch

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo on Thursday urged allies to make up a shortfall in funding to defeat the Islamic State movement despite a budget crunch after the devastation of the coronavirus pandemic. The United States and Italy led a meeting of 31 nations on fighting the extremists, held virtually due to precautions to stop the virus. A US raid last year killed the group’s leader, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, shortly after President Donald Trump declared the group that once ruled vast swathes of Syria and Iraq had been defeated on the battlefield. “That said, our fight against ISIS continues, and will for the foreseeable future. We cannot rest,” Pompeo told the conference. “We must continue to root out ISIS cells and networks and provide stabilization assistance to liberated areas in Iraq and Syria,” he said. “It’s true that the pandemic is putting enormous pressure on all of our budgets, but we urge your nations to pledge toward our goal of more than $700 million for 2020.” The funding drive by the coalition, which seeks to bring stability to Iraq and Syria, has raised only $200 million this year as of May 26, a State Department spokesperson said. The United States has pledged …

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Roadside Bomb Kills 7 Civilians in Afghanistan

Seven civilians were killed by a roadside bomb linked to the Taliban in northern Afghanistan, officials said Tuesday, even as authorities pressed for peace talks with the militants. Overall violence across much of Afghanistan has dropped, however, since May 24 when the Taliban announced a surprise three-day ceasefire to mark the Eid al-Fitr holiday. The latest blast struck a small truck carrying a group of laborers late Monday in the volatile district of Khan Abad, in the province of Kunduz. No group claimed responsibility, but Kunduz provincial spokesman Esmatullah Muradi pointed the finger at the Taliban. “The Taliban usually plant roadside bombs to target security forces, but their bombs usually kill civilians,” he told AFP. Two of six others wounded in the blast were in critical condition, said district chief Hayatullah Amiri. President Ashraf Ghani had welcomed the Taliban ceasefire offer and authorities responded by announcing around 2,000 Taliban prisoners would be released in a “goodwill gesture” with a view to kickstarting peace talks. Afghanistan’s former chief executive Abdullah Abdullah, who has been appointed to lead the talks, said his team was ready to begin negotiations “at any moment.” Late on Monday, US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, who has been …

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