SECURITY
Parwan Public Health Advisor Kidnapped by Gunmen
Parwan: An advisor to the Public Health Department in central Parwan province has been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen, an official said on Friday. “The doctor, who also ran a private clinic, was seized by unknown armed individuals on Thursday evening,” the administrative chief for Jabalus Saraj district said. Pajhwok
53 Insurgents Eliminated in past 24 Hours, Claims MoD
Kabul: At least 53 insurgents were killed and 30 others injured in different provinces during the past 24 hours, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Friday. The militants suffered casualties during operations in Nangarhar, Kapisa, Paktia, Paktika, Uruzgan, Zabul, Kandahar, Farah, Kunduz, Baghlan, Balkh and Helmand provinces. Pajhwok
Minors Dead in Bomb Attack by Farah Policeman
Farah: Two children have been killed and another wounded in a bomb attack by a policeman in the capital of northwestern Farah province, an official alleged on Friday. Abdul Rauf, father of the wounded minor, said, “The 11-year-old injured boy is my son. The two dead were my nephews.” Pajhwok
Anti- Taliban Commander among Three Dead in Balkh Blast
Balkh: A militia commander was among three people killed when an explosive device went off in northern Balkh province on Friday, police said. The explosive device went off as people left at the end of a buzkashi match in Khulm district. Besides, five people were wounded in the blast. Pajhwok
Dozens of Rebels, Police Suffer Casualties in Maiwand Attack
Kandahar: Dozens of Taliban and police personnel have suffered casualties during a fierce clash in the Maiwand district of southern Kandahar province. In the ensuing exchange of gunfire, 27 militants were killed and 17 others wounded. Khpalwak said five policemen also lost their lives while 11 others sustained injuries. Pajhwok
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Ghani Seeks Haq,s Support for Peace Negotiations
President Ashraf Ghani has asked a top Pakistani cleric to help convince the Taliban into resuming peace parleys with his administration. Ghani made the request in a telephone call to Maulana Samiul Haq, chief of his own faction of the Jamiat ulema-i-Islam (JUI-S) who is widely branded as the father of Taliban. Pajhwok
UN Commends Pakistan for Hosting Afghan Refugees
United Nations (UN) Secretary General, Antonio Guterres, has commended Pakistan’s hospitality in hosting millions of Afghan refugees for decades. Guterres conveyed Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif his appreciation of Pakistan’s contribution to the world body and its peacemaking operations. Pajhwok
Trump Pledges to Defeat Radical Islamic Terrorism
Donald Trump, the 45th President of the United States, Friday vowed to “unite the world” against radical Islamic terrorism and said the US would not impose its way of life on others. “We will seek friendship and goodwill with the nations of the world, but we do so with the understanding that it is the right of all nations to put their own interests first.” Trump said in his inaugural address moments after he was sworn in as the new President of the United States by the US Chief Justice. Pajhwok
