SECURITY
23 Insurgents Killed in Afghan Airstrike in Uruzgan
Uruzgan: At least 23 insurgents were killed during an airstrike by Afghan security forces in Uruzgan province. According to the statement the insurgents were targeted in Sang and Kotwal villages of Trinkot city of the province. During the strike, a large cache of weapons was also destroyed. Tolonews
Two Haqqani Network Members Killed, Large Cache of Weapons Seized in Logar
Logar: At least two operatives of the Haqqani terrorist network were killed and five others were arrested during an operation in central Logar province of Afghanistan. The two militants were killed during a special operation conducted by the intelligence operatives that also led to the apprehension of five others. Khaama
Seven Militants Killed in Zabul
Zabul: At least seven militants have been killed in two separate incidents of violence in southern Zabul province. They were killed in counter-terrorism operation. Pajhwok
Former Jihadi Commander Gunned Down in Nangarhar
Nangarhar: Unidentified gunmen shot dead former Jihadi commander in the Khewai district of eastern Nangarhar province. Pajhwok
Policemen among 15 Dead in Takhar Clash
Takhar: At least seven policemen and eight Taliban have been killed during a clash in the Khawaja Bahawuddin district of northern Takhar province. Pajhwok
Four Militants Killed, Five Detained in Kunduz Raids
Kunduz: Four militants have been killed and five others arrested in northern Kunduz province. The militants were killed during a military operation. Pajhwok
POLITICAL
Government ‘Covering Up’ actual Death Toll in Army Base Attack
While Afghans continue to reel from the Taliban’s deadly attack on 209 Shaheen Corps in the northern province of Balkh, the Afghan government has been accused of hiding the truth about Friday’s bloodbath. According to local sources the number of casualties was much higher than the figure announced by government. The identity of 256 soldiers from ten provinces has been confirmed. According to sources, government decided to withhold the actual death toll. Tolonews
Complex War of Intelligence Underway in Afghanistan: Habibi
According to the former Minister of Defense General, Abdullah Habibi, a complex war of intelligence is underway in Afghanistan. He further said that he considered stepping down so that the way was paved for others to come. Emphasizing that the youths of the country was strong and could tackle the threats posed by the insurgents and terrorist groups. Khaama
Wardak Takes Charge as Parliamentary Affairs Minister
Second Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish introduced Ghulam Farooq Wardak as state minister for parliamentary affairs. According to Danish, a ceremony aimed at introducing Wardak and the acting defense minister and army chief, handling relations and coordination between the three pillars of the state –executive, judiciary and legislature was part of duty of the State Ministry of Parliamentary Affairs. Pajhwok
Senators Welcome Hekmatyar Home after Decades
Some Mesharano Jirga members welcomed Gulbadin Hekmatyar’s arrival in eastern Nangarhar province and asked the government to implement the peace deal with the Hezb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) in its true spirit. Pajhwok
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
U.S to Review Afghanistan Strategy Following Army Base Attack
According to James Mattis, U.S Defense Secretary, the U.S will review its strategy on Afghanistan, days after Taliban insurgents stormed the 209 Shaheen Army Corps base in northern Balkh province. One of the reasons of his visit to Afghanistan was to assess the situation and report back to U.S President Donald Trump about the situation in the country. He reiterated that the U.S will continue its support to the Afghan forces. Tolonews
UN Welcomes Kabul’s Progress in Fighting Corruption
According to the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) although Afghan authorities have made headway in their fight against corruption enormous challenges linger. Tadamichi Yamamoto, the UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, said that for the sake of the country’s future, corruption in Afghanistan must be addressed and eliminated. Tolonews
The Politics behind Dropping the Mother of all Bombs in Afghanistan
According to CNN, as tensions in the Korean peninsula have heightened, the airstrike was carried out to send North Korea a clear message. The use of the MOAB in the battlefield was a display of America’s power and Trump’s willingness to use force to display that power. Furthermore, the bomb was dropped a day before Moscow’s conference on Afghanistan. The United States did not participate in the conference as Moscow seeks to undermine the U.S.-led efforts in Afghanistan. The bomb sent a strong message to America’s adversaries in the region. It deters adversaries from going against U.S. interests in the region. Khaama
MOAB bombing in Achin sent a very clear message to ISIS: Gen Nicholson
According to the commander of the US forces based in Afghanistan Gen. John Nicholson, the strike in Achin was to send a very clear message to ISIS. If they come to Afghanistan they will be destroyed. He further said that we are going to keep going until ISIS-K is defeated in 2017. There is no space for ISIS-K in Afghanistan. Khaama
China Urges Afghan Warring Sides to Start Peace Talks
China has voiced grave concern at the escalation of the conflict in Afghanistan, urging all warring sides to start talks on defusing the situation. The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also condemned Friday’s attack on a base of armed forces at Balkh. Pajhwok
US to Engage with Russia on Arms Supply to Taliban
Russia is providing weapons to Taliban insurgents, alleged commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan. Earlier in the week, the Russian ambassador to Afghanistan said that their contacts were limited to boosting security and to establish peace and security in Afghanistan. Pajhwok
