Afghanistan
Afghan govt has to use advantagesto exert leadership: Pentagon
Taliban forces have taken at least five provincial capitals in the country and others are threatened, Kirby said, adding that the fighting in the country "is clearly not going in the right direction". He said Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin shares the concerns of other nations about the situation. Still, he believes "that the Afghan forces have the capability, they have the capacity to make a big difference on the battlefield," Kirby said.
Irresponsible forces' withdrawal will lead to unrest in Afghanistan: Pakistan Foreign Minister
Addressing a press conference here on Monday, Qureshi called for a responsible and orderly withdrawal of the troops without leaving a vacuum for the militant element to play havoc and create a chaotic situation for the region, reports Xinhua news agency. He also expressed concern over the rising cases of violence in Afghanistan during the withdrawal process.
UN humanitarian chief extremely concerned over Afghanistan
In a statement on Monday, the UN humanitarian chief said that he is "extremely concerned by the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan where more than 1,000 people have been killed or injured due to indiscriminate attacks against civilians in Hilmand, Kandahar and Hirat provinces in the last month alone", reports Xinhua news agency
US to press Taliban to stop military offensive
US Special Representative for Afghan Reconciliation Zalmay Khalilzad left for Doha on Sunday, where he help formulate a joint international response to the rapidly deteriorating situation in the war-torn counyru. A negotiated peace is the only path to ending the war, and the US will continue to work with all parties and with regional and international stakeholders to advance a consensus on a political settlement.
US to continue to support Afghan forces
Addressing a briefing here on Monday, Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said that the security situation in Afghanistan "is clearly not going in the right direction". "We will continue to support them with the authorities we have, where and when feasible, understanding that it's not always going to be feasible," he said. "But where and when feasible, we will continue to support them with airstrikes, for instance."
Pak planning to host Foreign Ministers of region to discuss Afghanistan
"We are planning to host foreign ministers of the key regional countries on the Afghan situation," a senior Pakistani official told The Express Tribune requesting anonymity. The official added that they could not provide the list of invitees. However, sources said foreign ministers of the neighbours of Afghanistan including Russia, China, Iran and other stakeholders including Turkey would attend the conference.
Journalist taken hostage by Taliban in Helmand province
As per media reports, provincial in charge of Nai (Open Media Advocate in Afghanistan), Abul Sami Ghairatmal said that Hemat was taken out of his home in Nawa district on Monday. The Taliban are now controlling all the districts of Helmand province and have been fighting the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces in the provincial capital, Lashkargah.
Attacks in Europe could be outcome of terror groups from Afghanistan
As the Taliban continued to make sweeping territorial gains, Gen Sir Richard Barrons warned that attacks in Europe could be the outcome of groups re-establishing themselves in the country. "I don't believe it's in our own interest – in making that decision to leave we've not only, I think, sold the future of Afghanistan into a very difficult place, we've also sent a really unfortunate message to the west's allies in the Gulf and Africa and Asia," he told BBC Radio.
Taliban kidnap, forcibly marry teenage girls
The Mail newspaper on Sunday reported that whenever the extremists capture a new town or district, they issue orders through the speakers of local mosques for the names of wives and widows of all local government and police personnel to be handed over. The group has rounded up hundreds of young women to be married off to their militants as a "war booty", local residents told the newspaper.
Taliban displaced thousands including women & children in Ghazni
According to the Afghanistan Human Rights Commission's findings, the Taliban killed civilians after capturing the center and parts of Malistan district. In addition to violence and inhumane treatment of people, looting of citizens' property, destruction of houses and shops, and creating an atmosphere of fear the Taliban displaced thousands of families, including women and children, from this district to other nearby and distant areas.
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