SECURITY
20 Dead, 45 Injured in Suicide Blast outside SC
Kabul: At least 20 people were killed and 45 others wounded in a suicide explosion outside the Supreme Court (SC) in capital Kabul late on Tuesday, an official said. Col. Faridon Obaidi, the 101 Asmai police zone crime branch chief, told reporters that 20 people had been killed and 45 wounded in the explosion. SC employees and common people were among the dead and wounded. The suicide bomber was on foot and detonated his explosive devise at around 4:00pm. Pajhwok
Foreigners among 11 Rebels Killed in Zabul Airstrike
Zabul: At least eleven insurgents, including foreigners, have been killed and another twelve wounded in an airstrike in southern Zabul province, an official said on Tuesday. Governor’s spokesman, Gul Islam Siyal, told that air strike conducted by Afghan forces targeted militant hideouts on the outskirts of Khak-e-Afghan district on Monday night. Pajhwok
Khak-i-Safaid District Chief Killed in Farah Province
Farah: The administrative chief for the Khak-i-Safaid district of western Farah province was killed in a roadside bombing on Tuesday, an official said. Police spokesman Iqbal Baheer confirmed the killing of Abdul Khaliq Noorzai in what he called a remote-controlled blast. Taliban claimed responsibility for the killing of Noorzai. Pajhwok
POLITICAL
Hekmatyar to Appear in Kabul in a Month: Aide
Kabul: A senior Hizb-i-Islami Afghanistan (HIA) member on Tuesday hoped the US, Canada and the United Kingdom (UK) would also lift sanctions over the party and its leader former jihadi commander Gulbadin Hekmatyar. Eng. Amin Karim, the Gulbadin Hekmatyar-led HIA’s top peace negotiator, expressed hope at a gathering organized by Milli Musharikat Party in the honour of Hekmatyar and to show preparedness for his reception. Pajhwok
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Afghans without Visas Barred from Entry into Afghanistan
Pakistan government on Tuesday approved a draft regarding repatriation and management policy for Afghan refugees living in the country. The policy was endorsed at a federal cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, according to the state-controlled Associated Press of Pakistan (APP). Unnamed officials were quoted as saying that the meeting accorded approval to the policy after detailed discussions. Pajhwok
Mattis Hails US-Canada Partnership in Afghanistan
Kabul: America and Canada have been strong allies since the World War II, a bond that is evident in Afghanistan as well, US Defence Secretary James Mattis says. After assuming office, the secretary said during a meeting at the Pentagon, his first phone call was to Canada’s Defence Minister Harjit Sajjan. The Canadian Press quoted Mattis as saying that he wanted to embrace and kiss every Canadian soldier he saw during his tour of duty in Afghanistan’s southern Kandahar province. Pajhwok
Restart Taliban Talks, be Tough on Pakistan, Trump Asked
A group of eminent South Asian experts from top US think tanks on Monday urged the White House to restart talks with Taliban and send a strong signal to Islamabad that it would not be business as usual. “Washington should remain open to attempts to restart Taliban talks with the Afghan government, but should not plan its strategy around this long-shot scenario.” Pajhwok
