Ashraf Ghani

Afghanistan to Free 900 More Taliban Prisoners

Afghan authorities plan to release 900 more Taliban prisoners Tuesday, as a rare ceasefire by the insurgents entered its third and last day.

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Afghan Govt Frees Taliban Prisoners as Truce Holds for Second Day

Afghan authorities released 100 Taliban prisoners Monday as part of the government's response to a surprise, three-day ceasefire the insurgents called to mark the Eid al-Fitr festival.

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Afghan Forces Repel Taliban Attack on Key City: Officials

Afghan security forces on Tuesday repelled a fierce Taliban attack on Kunduz, officials said, a strategic city in northern Afghanistan that had briefly fallen to the militants twice in the past. Taliban fighters attacked several outposts of Afghan forces on the outskirts of the city at around 1:00 am, triggering fierce fighting, a defense ministry statement said. “With the support of air force their attack was repelled. Eleven Taliban were killed and eight wounded,” it said, adding that the fighting lasted for several hours. Both sides have repeatedly clashed in rural areas in recent months, but an attempt to enter a city like Kunduz is seen as a serious escalation. It follows a declaration by President Ashraf Ghani last week to resume offensive strikes against the insurgents, after a string of brutal attacks. The Taliban responded to the order by vowing to increase attacks against Afghan security forces. During Tuesday’s fighting, the insurgents managed to briefly capture an Afghan army post, killing one soldier, but it was quickly retaken by security forces, Hadi Jamal, an army spokesman in northern Afghanistan told AFP. The Taliban were not immediately available for comment. The insurgent group briefly captured Kunduz, a strategic city not far …

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Taliban Claims Afghan Bomb Attack, Demands Prisoner Release

The Taliban claimed a deadly attack on an Afghan intelligence agency post Monday, even as they urged the new power-sharing government to accelerate a prisoner swap to pave the way for talks. At least seven intelligence personnel were killed by a car bomb in the eastern province of Ghazni, Wahidullah Jumazada, spokesman for the province’s governor told AFP. “The terrorists have used a Humvee in their attack. They have targeted the National Directorate of Security unit in Ghazni city,” he said, adding that 40 people were wounded. The interior ministry in Kabul and a health official in Ghazni confirmed the car bomb. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said on Twitter that their insurgents had carried out the attack. The bombing comes a day after President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah signed a new power-sharing accord in Kabul, ending their bitter months-long feud. The agreement overcomes one of the hurdles to negotiations with the Taliban, which warned Monday that talks cannot open until a so-far piecemeal prisoner swap is completed. “That which is taking place in Kabul is only a repetition of the past failed experiences,” Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman, said on Twitter in what was the group’s first reaction to the …

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Taliban refuse Afghan government ceasefire offer during Ramadan

The Taliban have dismissed a government call for a Ramadan ceasefire in Afghanistan, saying a truce is "not rational" as they ramp up attacks on government forces

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Taliban reject Ghani’s offer to free 1,500 prisoners before Afghanistan peace talks

The Taliban rejected Afghan President Ashraf Ghani's offer to release 1,500 insurgent prisoners ahead of peace talks, saying it wanted 5,000 captives freed before opening negotiations

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US begins Afghanistan troop withdrawal as ISIS claims rocket attack during presidential inauguration

The Defense Department said the withdrawal of a limited number of US troops from Afghanistan had begun, in accordance with a deal with the Taliban

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US to begin Afghanistan drawdown as Kabul, Taliban deadlock ahead of peace talks

Afghanistan's government and the Taliban are deadlocked on a prisoner swap ahead of peace talks, but the US will start pulling out troops anyway

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Afghanistan presidency ‘concerned’ about US-Taliban peace deal

The Afghan government expressed doubts about a prospective deal between the US and the Taliban, saying officials need more information about the risks

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Afghanistan president replaces defense and interior ministers in surprise shake-up

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani replaced two of the country's top security chiefs with staunch anti-Taliban officials, Amrullah Saleh and Assadullah Khaled

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