SECURITY
27 Insurgents Killed in Helmand Operation
Helmand: At least 27 insurgents were killed in an Afghan police force operation in southern Helmand province. The operation was conducted in Garemsir district of the province to clear the area of insurgents. Tolonews
MoI Confirms Eight Dead in Kabul Bombing
Kabul: At least eight civilians were killed in an explosion in Kabul city that targeted a convoy of foreign troops while 24 people were wounded along with three foreign troops. The incident occurred in the Macroyan area. Daesh claimed responsibility of the attack. Tolonews
Taliban’s Shadow District Chief among Eleven Killed in Takhar Airstrikes
Takhar: At least eleven Taliban insurgents, including the shadow district chief of the group, were killed in airstrikes in northeastern Takhar province. The airstrikes were carried out in the vicinity of Khwajah Bahauddin district of Takhar. The shadow district chief of the group identified as Mawlavi Ansarullah was killed in the airstrikes, while at least six insurgents were also wounded in the airstrikes conducted by the security forces. Khaama
Three Policemen Killed, Five Wounded in Kandahar Clashes
Kandahar: At least three policemen have been killed and five others wounded in Maiwand district of southern Kandahar province. The incident took place during a clash between Afghan Local Police and Taliban insurgents in the locality. Pajhwok
Taliban Militant Killed while Planting Roadside Bomb in Balkh
Balkh: A Taliban militant was killed as he was planting an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) in northern Balkh province of Afghanistan. The incident took place in Chamtal district. Khaama
POLITICAL
HIA Admits Thirteen of its Prisoners had Plotted Suicide Bombings
Hizb-e-Islami of Afghanistan (HIA) has acknowledged that 13 controversial prisoners, who were not released as part of the group of 55, had been involved in plotting suicide bombings. Abdul Hadi Zolhekmat, Deputy Head of the Hizb-e-Islami commission, in response to a question on whether the 13 prisoners had been involved in suicide attacks, said: “Against foreigners; yes, we accept this.” Tolonews
FOREIGN AFFAIRS
NATO SG Vows Continued Fight against Terrorism after Kabul Suicide Attack
Jens Stoltenberg, the Secretary General of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), strongly reacted at the suicide attack in capital Kabul. He said that fight against terrorism would continue in order to build peace and stability in Afghanistan. Khaama
Rein in Terrorists for Trust Building: Ghani to ISI chief
President Ashraf Ghani has categorically told the Pakistan’s spymaster that Afghanistan would not trust the neighbor until it takes action against the Taliban and other terrorist groups. Pajhwok
New US Policy Opposes Arbitrary Timelines
A new American policy on Afghanistan, pledging at least $23 billion a year to sustain the government in Kabul, rules out arbitrary withdrawal timelines. The Trump team supports the deployment of more US and NATO troops to defeat insurgents and IS inside Afghanistan. Pajhwok
