****
8 OCTOBER 2019
South Asia region Al Qaeda chief Asim Omar killed in Afghanistan
Afghan intelligence agency has confirmed Asim Omar, leader of al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS), was killed in a joint US-Afghan raid on a Taliban compound in Musa Qala district of Helmand province, while several others captured, including Pakistani citizens
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/al-qaedas-south-asia-chief-killed/
https://www.indiatoday.in/world/story/south-asia-al-qaeda-chief-asim-umar-killed-afghanistan-us-airstrike-1607284-2019-10-08
5 OCTOBER 2019
Taliban meet US peace envoy for first time since ‘dead’ deal
The Taliban met U.S. peace envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in the Pakistan capital for the first time since President Donald Trump declared a seemingly imminent peace deal to end Afghanistan’s 18-year war ‘dead’ a month ago, a Taliban official said early Saturday
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/taliban-meet-us-peace-envoy-for-first-time-since-dead-deal/
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/taliban-meet-us-peace-envoy-for-first-time-since-dead-deal-1.919441
28 SEPTEMBER 2019
Afghanistan presidential election: polls close as large-scale violence avoided
Polls have closed in Afghanistan’s presidential election amid widespread complaints of irregularities and pockets of violence from Taliban insurgents, mostly in the south and north of the country
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/afghan-polls-close-amid-complaints-violence-30179
http://elections.tolonews.com/afghan-polls-end-vote-counting-gets-underway
17 SEPTEMBER 2019
Blast at Rally for President Ashraf Ghani Kills 24; Ghani Unharmed
Taliban suicide attackers killed at least 24 people in Afghanistan on Sept. 17, their deadliest bombing taking place near an election rally by President Ashraf Ghani, although he was unhurt
https://www.theepochtimes.com/blast-at-rally-for-president-ashraf-ghani-kills-24-ghani-unharmed_3084754.html
https://www.france24.com/en/20190917-afghanistan-election-blast-kills-dozens-afghan-president-ghani-campaign-rally
15 SEPTEMBER 2019
Afghan Taliban revoke months-long ban on Red Cross
The Taliban on Sunday lifted their ban on the International Committee for Red Cross (ICRC) that was imposed in April this year, saying in a statement issued by the militant group that they were “granting ICRC permission” to resume their activities
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/afghan-taliban-revoke-months-long-ban-on-red-cross-1.910476
https://www.dw.com/en/taliban-lifts-ban-on-red-cross-in-afghanistan/a-50437550
8 SEPTEMBER 2019
Afghan peace talks dead, U.S. to keep pressure on Taliban: Pompeo
Talks on bringing peace to Afghanistan are on hold and the United States will keep pressuring Taliban militants for significant commitments while providing military support to Afghan troops, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Sunday
https://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-afghanistan-pompeo/afghan-peace-talks-dead-u-s-to-keep-pressure-on-taliban-pompeo-idUSKCN1VT0GU?rpc=401&
https://ariananews.af/taliban-believes-us-returns-to-negotiation-table/
2 SEPTEMBER 2019
US to start Afghan withdrawal with 5,000 troops out in 20 weeks
America has agreed in principle to withdraw 5,000 troops from five military bases in 20 weeks, in a deal with the Taliban to kick start talks with the Afghan government
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/09/02/us-start-afghan-withdrawal-5000-troops-20-weeks/
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/us-to-pull-troops-from-5-afghan-bases-in-135-days-after-taliban-deal-passes-29461
31 AUGUST 2019
Taliban launches major attack on key Afghan city of Kunduz
The Taliban launched a major assault on one of Afghanistan’s largest cities, Kunduz, and intense battles were ongoing on Saturday
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/08/taliban-launch-major-attack-key-afghan-city-kunduz-190831061438917.html
https://www.khaama.com/video-heavy-firefight-in-kunduz-city-as-afghan-forces-respond-to-taliban-offensive-03907/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-49536374
17 AUGUST 2019
Islamic State bomber kills 63 at Afghan wedding in worst attack in months
A suicide bomber killed at least 63 people and wounded 182 in an attack on a wedding reception in the Afghan capital on Saturday night, the interior ministry said
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/08/17/suicide-bomb-rips-wedding-blast-kabul-dozens-feared-dead/
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/at-least-63-killed-182-wounded-in-kabul-wedding-blast-29075
29 JULY 2019
Afghan V-P candidate injured as Kabul blast kills two, wounds 25
A powerful explosion hit central Kabul on Sunday (July 28), wounding Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s running mate on the first day of official campaigning for a presidential election and killing at least two others, officials said
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/afghan-vp-candidate-injured-as-kabul-blast-kills-two-wounds-25
https://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/death-toll-rises-20-attack-saleh%E2%80%99s-office
26 APRIL 2019
Afghan president inaugurates newly-elected parliament
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the newly-elected parliament on Friday after troubled elections last year in the war-ravaged country
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/ashraf-ghani-opens-afghan-parliament-six-months-after-troubled-elections-1.854035
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/afghan-president-inaugurates-newly-elected-parliament-26183
21 APRIL 2019
Afghan supreme court extends Ghani’s term until delayed elections
Afghanistan’s supreme court on Sunday said it had extended the term of President Ashraf Ghani until delayed elections take place – resolving for now the question of what would happen after his term expires on May 22
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/afghan-supreme-court-extends-ghani-s-term-until-delayed-elections-26049
https://ariananews.af/supreme-court-confirms-ghanis-service-term-until-elections/
12 APRIL 2019
ICC rejects Afghanistan war crimes probe
The International Criminal Court said that despite “a reasonable basis” to consider war crimes commited in Afghanistan there was little chance of a successful procecution. Rights group Amnesty criticized the decision
https://www.dw.com/en/icc-rejects-afghanistan-war-crimes-probe/a-48308608
https://www.theguardian.com/law/2019/apr/12/icc-rejects-request-to-investigate-war-crimes-in-afghanistan
30 MARCH 2019
Afghan vice-president Abdul Rashid Dostum survives Taleban attack
Taleban fighters on Saturday (March 30) attacked a convoy carrying Afghanistan’s vice-president Abdul Rashid Dostum, in an assault that left the former warlord unscathed but killed one of his bodyguards
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/afghan-vice-president-abdul-rashid-dostum-survives-taleban-attack
https://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/dostum-unhurt-his-convoy-attacked-taliban
20 MARCH 2019
Afghan presidential election delayed again
Following the controversial parliamentary elections and the amendment of the election law, the Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday announced September 28 as the new date for the polls
https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20190321_02/
https://www.tolonews.com/elections-2019/iec-announces-new-election-date-september-28
19 MARCH 2019
US cuts off Afghan president’s security adviser as tension over peace talks simmer
Diplomatic sources said that US cut relations with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s national security adviser after he launched a blistering public attack on the chief US negotiator, Special Representative Zalmay Khalilzad
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/us-freezes-out-top-afghan-official-in-peace-talks-feud-sources-25063
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/will-not-deal-with-mohib-in-kabul-or-in-d-c-u-s/
https://www.thenational.ae/world/the-americas/us-cuts-off-afghan-president-s-security-adviser-as-tension-over-peace-talks-simmer-1.838998
24 FEBRUARY 2019
Afghanistan: UN says record number of civilians killed in 2018
In its annual report published on Sunday, the UN assistance mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said 3,804 civilians were killed in 2018, the highest toll since it began compiling figures in 2009. Another 7,189 were wounded
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/feb/24/afghanistan-un-says-record-number-of-civilians-killed-in-2018
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47347958
12 FEBRUARY 2019
Afghan mujahideen fighter-turned-president Mojaddedi dies, aged 93
Afghanistan’s first president following the withdrawal of Soviet troops from the country and the collapse in 1992 of Kabul’s pro-communist government, Sibghatullah Mujadidi, has died. He was 93
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/anti-communist-guerrilla-who-became-afghan-president-dies/
https://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/former-interim-president-sibghatullah-mujaddedi%C2%A0passes-away
6 FEBRUARY 2019
US downplays Taliban claims they will withdraw half of Afghan troops by April
The US Department of State dampened the group’s claims, saying it had not agreed to any timeline of a possible withdrawal of troops from Afghanistan
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/us-downplays-taliban-claims-they-will-withdraw-half-of-afghan-troops-by-april-1.822574
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/us-vowed-to-withdraw-half-of-troops-in-afghanistan-by-april-taliban-23928
30 JANUARY 2019
Taliban not seeking to rule Afghanistan alone – spokesman
Taliban members want to live with other Afghans and “tolerate one another and start life like brothers,” Shaheen Suhail, spokesman for the group’s political office in Qatar says
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/taliban-not-seeking-to-rule-afghanistan-alone-spokesman-23736
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/taliban-says-not-seeking-monopoly-on-power-in-afghanistan/
28 JANUARY 2019
US and Taliban agree to framework peace deal, envoy says
US and Taliban negotiators have agreed on a draft framework for a peace deal seeking to put an end to the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan, Washington’s top negotiator has said
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/jan/28/us-and-taliban-reach-framework-peace-deal-reports
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-47028177
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2019/01/foreign-forces-leave-afghanistan-president-ghani-190128105831423.html
21 JANUARY 2019
Taliban kill ‘more than 100 people’ in attack on Afghan military base
Afghan defence ministry sources said a suicide car bomber struck a military base, followed by an assault by Taliban militants who opened fire on Afghan forces at the army post in eastern Maidan Wardak province, killing over 100 security personnel
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/asia/afghanistan-attack-today-security-military-base-death-toll-taliban-terror-maidan-wardak-a8738671.html
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/more-than-100-killed-in-taliban-attack-in-east-afghanistan-source-23479
19 JANUARY 2019
Former Afghan warlord Hekmatyar enters presidential race
A former warlord accused of historic war crimes entered Afghanistan’s presidential race on Saturday in a new challenge to President Ashraf Gani who allowed him to return from exile two decades he was forced out by the Taliban
https://gulfnews.com/world/asia/former-afghan-warlord-hekmatyar-enters-presidential-race-1.61540440
https://www.khaama.com/gulbuddin-hekmatyar-to-run-for-president-in-july-elections-03146/
13 JANUARY 2019
Human Rights Watch calls for sanctions against new Afghan defence minister Asadullah Khalid
International rights group Human Rights Watch (HRW) has urged major donors to impose sanctions on Afghanistan’s newly appointed acting defence minister over alleged war crimes and human rights abuses
https://in.reuters.com/article/afghanistan-rights/human-rights-watch-calls-for-sanctions-against-new-afghan-defence-minister-idINKCN1P70G4?rpc=401&
http://www.arabnews.pk/node/1434426/world
30 DECEMBER 2018
Taliban dismisses Afghanistan’s peace talk offer
The Taliban have rejected Kabul’s offer of talks next month in Saudi Arabia where the militants, fighting to restore strict Islamic law in Afghanistan, will meet U.S. officials to further peace efforts, a Taliban leader said on Sunday
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/taliban-dismisses-afghanistan-peace-talk-offer-181230082443475.html
26 DECEMBER 2018
Afghanistan postpones next year’s presidential election
The Afghan election commission says the delay in holding the presidential election will allow time to fix technical problems that surfaced during October’s parliamentary elections
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/afghanistan-postpones-next-year-s-presidential-election-22830
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/12/afghanistan-postpones-presidential-election-181226104721451.html
2 DECEMBER 2018
Senior Taliban commander Mullah Abdul Manan killed by US airstrike in Afghanistan
Abdul Manan, the Taliban “shadow governor” in the southern Helmand province, died of wounds sustained late on Saturday. Manan’s death was confirmed by the Taliban as a “big loss”. The group vowed it would not affect military operations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/dec/02/us-airstrike-kill-senior-taliban-commander-afghanistan
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-calls-mullah-manans-death-a-major-loss-02862/
18 NOVEMBER 2018
Taliban hold talks with US envoy in Qatar
The Taliban have held three days of talks with U.S. envoy Zalmay Khalilzad in the Gulf state of Qatar, where the Afghan insurgent group has a political office, a Taliban official and another individual close to the group said Sunday
https://www.foxnews.com/world/taliban-hold-talks-with-us-envoy-in-qatar
http://www.afghanistantimes.af/u-s-taliban-negotiate-possibility-of-election-delay/
9 NOVEMBER 2018
Kabul delegation, Taliban attend Afghan peace talks in Russia
Members of Afghanistan’s High Peace Council, a body overseeing peace efforts, met Taliban officials at a conference in Moscow on Friday and repeated President Ashraf Ghani’s offer of peace talks without pre-conditions
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/kabul-delegation-taliban-attend-afghan-peace-talks-in-russia-21534
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46155189
25 OCTOBER 2018
Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Baradar set free in Pakistan
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar was the Taliban’s number two and ran their insurgency until he was seized in a joint raid by the CIA and Pakistani intelligence officers in 2010
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/afghan-taliban-leader-mullah-baradar-set-free-in-pakistan-1.784297
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45971366
https://tribune.com.pk/story/1833921/1-pakistan-releases-two-senior-afghan-taliban-commanders-say-sources/
20 OCTOBER 2018
Afghanistan votes amid polling chaos and Taliban attacks
Afghan voters faced shambolic polling arrangements and Taliban violence as the country turned out for its third parliamentary elections since the extremist regime was ousted in 2001
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/20/afghanistan-votes-amid-polling-chaos-taliban-intimidation/
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/at-least-130-casualties-in-chaotic-afghanistan-election-21006
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45919057
18 OCTOBER 2018
Key Afghan police chief killed in shooting at governor’s compound after meeting with US general
Gen Abdul Razik was shot dead alongside the Kandahar spy chief and provincial governor shortly after a meeting with the top US military commander in the country
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/10/18/top-afghan-official-killed-shooting-governors-compound-meeting/
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-45899845
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/top-afghan-official-killed-in-shooting-in-kandahar-us-general-unhurt-20968
13 OCTOBER 2018
Taliban say ‘general’ discussion held with US special envoy
The Taliban held talks with the U.S. special envoy tasked with finding a negotiated end to Afghanistan’s protracted and increasingly bloody war, a Taliban official said Saturday
https://www.foxnews.com/world/taliban-say-general-discussion-held-with-us-special-envoy
https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/taleban-confirm-meeting-with-us-peace-envoy-in-qatar
4 SEPTEMBER 2018
Founder of Afghan militant Haqqani network dies – Taliban
Jalaluddin Haqqani, founder of the militant Haqqani network, one of the most powerful groups in the Afghan insurgency, has died after a long illness, the Taliban announced on Tuesday
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/founder-of-afghan-militant-haqqani-network-dies-taliban-19986
https://www.afp.com/en/news/205/afghan-taliban-announce-death-haqqani-network-founder-doc-18u1354
26 AUGUST 2018
Head of Islamic State in Afghanistan killed, says government
The head of Islamic State in Afghanistan, Abu Saad Erhabi, was killed in a strike on the group’s hideouts in Nangarhar province on Saturday night, authorities said on Sunday
https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/isis-leader-in-afghanistan-killed-in-strike-spy-agency-says-1.763750
https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/08/isil-leader-afghanistan-killed-air-strikes-180826134946305.html
https://www.khaama.com/emir-of-isis-khurasan-killed-in-nangarhar-province-05827/
24 AUGUST 2018
Why are Kabul and Washington not participating in Moscow-led Taliban talks?
In an interview with DW, South Asia expert Michael Kugelman explains why Kabul and Washington turned down Moscow’s invitation to participate in an Afghanistan peace conference next month
https://www.dw.com/en/why-are-kabul-and-washington-not-participating-in-moscow-led-taliban-talks/a-45212728
2 AUGUST 2018
Three foreigners kidnapped and murdered in Kabul
Three foreigners were kidnapped in Kabul and found shot dead in a car on Thursday in the latest sign of the capital’s declining security
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/world/malaysian-among-3-foreign-workers-kidnapped-and-killed-in-afghan-10583392
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/three-foreigners-kidnapped-and-murdered-in-kabul/2018/08/02/916f643a-9644-11e8-a679-b09212fb69c2_story.html?utm_term=.f92a294f10c2
22 JULY 2018
ISIS claims suicide bombing targeting returning Afghan vice president
A suicide bomb blast has rocked Kabul airport shortly after Afghan Vice-President Abdul Rashid Dostum returned from self-imposed exile
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-44917583
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/isis-claims-suicide-bombing-targeting-returning-afghan-vice-president-1.752918
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/suicide-attack-near-kabul-airport-leaves-several-dead-officials-19076
11 JULY 2018
Britain to almost double troops in Afghanistan after US request
Prime Minister Theresa May announced the government will send an extra 440 troops, which would bring Britain’s total to about 1,100, to help Afghan troops fighting Taliban and Islamic State insurgents
https://www.newdelhitimes.com/britain-to-almost-double-troops-in-afghanistan-after-us-request/
30 JUNE 2018
Afghan government resumes Taliban offensive after ceasefire ends
Afghan security forces resumed offensive operations on Saturday after President Ashraf Ghani declared an end to the government’s unilateral ceasefire with the Taliban
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/06/30/afghan-government-resumes-taliban-offensive-ceasefire-ends/
https://edition.cnn.com/2018/06/30/asia/afghanistan-taliban-ceasefire-ends-intl/index.html
7 JUNE 2018
Afghan goverment Announces Ceasefire With Taliban
President Ashraf Ghani says the ceasefire starts from the 27th of Ramadan (June 12) to the fifth day of Eid-ul-Fitr (June 19)
https://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/afghan-govt-announces-ceasefire-taliban
https://ariananews.af/president-ghani-announced-ceasefire-with-taliban/
https://www.khaama.com/nato-sg-welcomes-president-ghanis-announcement-for-ceasefire-with-taliban-05330/
30 APRIL 2018
Twin blasts kill dozens in Afghan capital, including nine journalists
Daesh said two of its suicide bombers had targeted the Kabul headquarters of Afghanistan’s intelligence services, while in a separate blast 11 children were killed in Kandahar
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/deadly-attacks-in-afghanistan-leave-42-dead-including-10-journalists-17087
https://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/nine-journalists-killed-while-covering-kabul-explosion
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-04-30/afghanistan-bombing-kills-25-including-veteran-photographer/9711770?section=world
22 APRIL 2018
Blast at voter centre kills dozens in Afghanistan’s Kabul
A suicide bomber detonated his explosives outside the building in Kabul, killing at least 63 and injuring more than 100 others. Daesh has claimed responsibility for the attack
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/blast-at-voter-centre-kills-dozens-in-afghanistan-s-kabul-16921
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2018-04-22/islamic-state-claims-responsibility-for-attack-in-kabul-killing-more-than-50/1751308
11 APRIL 2018
What does Russia Want with the Taliban?
14 FEBRUARY 2018
Taliban publish letter calling on US to start Afghan peace talks
In an unexpected overture at a time of increasing bloodshed in Afghanistan, the Taliban have published an open letter expressing a desire for peace talks and calling on the “American people” and “peace-loving congressmen” to pressurise the Donald Trump administration into negotiations
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/feb/14/taliban-publish-letter-calling-us-start-afghan-peace-talks
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/02/13/552224/Afghanistan-government-Taliban-secret-talks-AP
2 FEBRUARY 2018
China in talks to help build base in Afghanistan’
China has been in talks with neighboring Afghanistan to help build a military base there, amid concerns about militants slipping into Chinese territory from the war-torn country, Afghan officials say
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/02/02/550987/China-Afghanistan-military-base-Wakhan-Corridor
27 JANUARY 2018
Kabul suicide attack: At least 95 killed by ambulance bomb claimed by Taliban
An ambulance packed with explosives blew up in a crowded area of Kabul on Saturday, killing at least 95 people and wounding 158 others, a health ministry official said, in an attack claimed by the Taliban
https://www.trtworld.com/asia/at-least-95-killed-158-wounded-in-kabul-car-bombing-14650
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42843897
24 JANUARY 2018
Afghanistan attack: Save the Children suspends programmes
The UK charity Save the Children has temporarily suspended its programmes in Afghanistan after an attack on its offices in the city of Jalalabad
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42808342
http://www.euronews.com/2018/01/24/bomb-blast-near-save-the-children-office-in-afghanistan
21 JANUARY 2018
Kabul attack: 14 foreign nationals and four Afghans dead after Taliban assault on Intercontinental Hotel
18 people have been killed in an attack on a luxury hotel in Kabul, Afghanistan. Gunmen, who were reportedly wearing suicide vests, entered the hotel on Saturday evening and began shooting before taking a number of staff and guests hostage. The Taliban have claimed responsibility for the attack
http://www.euronews.com/2018/01/21/afghan-armed-forces-end-deadly-siege
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42766623
https://www.khaama.com/taliban-finally-claims-kabul-hotel-attack-as-all-5-assailants-killed-04309
11 JANUARY 2018
Afghan president pardons 75 prisoners loyal to former warlord Hekmatyar
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has granted clemency to 75 prisoners loyal to former warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar who reached a landmark peace deal with the government in Kabul in 2016
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2018/01/11/548579/Afghanistan-Ashraf-Ghani-Gulbuddin-Hekmatyar-prisoners-PuleCharkhi
http://ariananews.af/government-frees-75-prisoners-of-hezb-e-islami-from-prisons/
28 DECEMBER 2017
Afghanistan suicide bomb attack: Dozens killed in Kabul
A Shia cultural organisation was the target but the Afghan Voice news agency was also hit. So-called Islamic State said it was behind the attack
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-42500769
http://www.dw.com/en/why-is-islamic-state-targeting-shiites-in-afghanistan/a-41958793
10 DECEMBER 2017
These are Afghanistan’s best troops. The U.S. is backing a plan to create many more of them
The Crisis Response Unit, also known as the 222, is often the first to arrive and neutralize high-profile attacks — such as in March, when militants dressed in lab coats opened fire inside Kabul’s main military hospital, killing 50 people
http://www.latimes.com/world/asia/la-fg-afghanistan-special-operations-20171209-htmlstory.html
30 NOVEMBER 2017
Afghan Hindus and Sikhs Still Struggling
The tiny Hindu and Sikh community in the northern Afghan province of Baghlan say that growing discrimination is making their life increasingly hard
https://iwpr.net/global-voices/afghan-hindus-and-sikhs-still-struggling
16 NOVEMBER 2017
3,000 more US troops deployed to Afghanistan: Pentagon
The US Department of Defense has announced about 3,000 additional American troops have been deployed to Afghanistan under President Donald Trump’s new war strategy for the country
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/11/16/542465/3000-more-US-troops-deployed-to-Afghanistan
17 OCTOBER 2017
Suicide bombers, gunmen kill 71 in attacks on Afghan security forces
Two separate suicide and gun attacks on police and soldiers in Afghanistan left at least 71 dead and nearly 170 wounded on Tuesday (Oct 17) in the latest devastating assaults on beleaguered security forces
http://www.straitstimes.com/asia/south-asia/suicide-bombers-gunmen-kill-32-in-attack-on-afghan-police
http://www.presstv.com/Detail/2017/10/17/538895/Afghanistan-Taliban-Paktia-Ghazni-Farah
12 OCTOBER 2017
Kidnapped Canadian-American family freed in gun battle after 5 years of captivity in Afghanistan
Canadian Joshua Boyle, his American wife Caitlan Coleman and their children are finally free after five years held hostage in Pakistan by the Taliban-linked Haqqani network
https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2017/10/12/kidnapped-canadian-family-released-after-5-years-of-being-held-hostage.html
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/10/12/557326885/u-s-woman-and-family-freed-after-5-years-in-captivity-in-afghanistan
31 AUGUST 2017
US defence secretary orders new troops to Afghanistan
The Pentagon has ordered new troops to Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Jim Mattis said on Thursday (Aug 31), 10 days after President Donald Trump announced a surge in US forces to battle advances by the Taliban
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/us-defence-secretary-orders-new-troops-to-afghanistan-9176362
http://ariananews.af/pentagon-reveals-real-number-of-troops-in-afghanistan/
22 AUGUST 2017
US President Unveils New Afghanistan, South Asia Strategy
President Donald J. Trump tonight unveiled an expansive new strategy for South Asia aimed at bolstering American security.The new strategy encompasses Afghanistan, Pakistan, India, the Central Asian nations and extends into Southeast Asia. He stressed the strategy will not have artificial timelines built into it
https://www.defense.gov/News/Article/Article/1284964/president-unveils-new-afghanistan-south-asia-strategy/
https://www.defense.gov/Videos/videoid/544991/
https://www.voanews.com/a/world-reacts-to-trumps-speech-on-new-afghanistan-strategy-/3995547.html
11 AUGUST 2017
ISIL lures jobless Afghans and Taliban with big salaries
The extremist group has made significant headway in Afghanistan and is recruiting villagers as well as its enemy, the Taliban, to paid jobs in order to expand its influence across the north, according to local Afghan officials
https://www.thenational.ae/world/asia/isil-lures-jobless-afghans-and-taliban-with-big-salaries-1.618823
22 JULY 2017
US airstrike kills 16 Afghan policemen in Helmand as Taliban leader’s son believed dead in suicide Attack
US airstrike has killed 16 policemen in Afghanistan, officials said Saturday, the latest setback to Washington’s efforts to bring peace to the war-torn country
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2017/07/22/us-kills-16-soldiers-helmand-airstrike-taliban-leaders-son-believed/
http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-16-afghan-police-killed-in-us-strike-in-helmand-province-2510659
14 JULY 2017
ISIL leader in Afghanistan ‘killed in US raid’
The head of ISIL in Afghanistan, Abu Sayed, was killed in an attack on his headquarters in Kunar province earlier this week, the Pentagon said on Friday
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/07/isil-leader-afghanistan-killed-raid-170714192512285.html
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/07/14/528477/US-Daesh-Afghanistan-isil-
29 JUNE 2017
US-led military alliance NATO agrees to boost troops in Afghanistan
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg says the US-led Western military alliance will increase the number of troops in war-ravaged Afghanistan
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/06/29/526894/NATO-US-Jens-Stoltenberg–Afghanistan-Taliban
http://www.aljazeera.com/video/news/2017/06/afghans-doubt-increasing-foreign-troops-bring-real-change-170629075018693.html
16 JUNE 2017
US to send 4,000 more troops to Afghanistan
A White House official has confirmed that the US will deploy an additional 4,000 troops to Afghanistan. The move follows concerns from top commanders that the Afghan army is being pushed back by a resurgent Taliban
http://www.dw.com/en/us-to-send-4000-more-troops-to-afghanistan/a-39271721
13 JUNE 2017
Mattis admits that ‘we are not winning in Afghanistan right now’
The United States is not winning in Afghanistan. That’s according to U.S. Defense Secretary Jim Mattis, who testified before lawmakers during a Defense Department budget hearing
http://www.presstv.ir/Detail/2017/06/13/525207/US-not-winning-in-Afghanistan-Mattis
https://www.voanews.com/a/3899681.html
http://www.dw.com/en/trump-gives-pentagon-freedom-to-set-troop-numbers-in-afghanistan/a-39243374
31 MAY 2017
At least 80 killed, hundreds injured in Kabul diplomatic quarter blast
At least 80 people were killed and hundreds wounded Wednesday when a massive truck bomb ripped through Kabul’s diplomatic quarter, shattering the morning rush hour and bringing carnage to the streets of the Afghan capital
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-40102903
http://www.dw.com/en/huge-explosion-in-kabul-extensive-damage-to-german-embassy/a-39056329
8 MAY 2017
Afghanistan IS head killed in raid – US and Afghan officials
The head of so-called Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan, Abdul Hasib, has been killed in a military raid, US and Afghan officials have said
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39839339
http://www.dw.com/en/us-and-afghan-officials-is-leader-in-afghanistan-killed-in-military-raid/a-38747180
7 MAY 2017
50 Afghan soldiers killed, over 100 injured in retaliatory fire: Pakistan
Inspector General FC (IGFC) Major General Nadeem Ahmad on Sunday said that at least 50 Afghan soldiers were killed and over 100 injured when Pakistan responded to the firing by Afghan border police
https://www.thenews.com.pk/latest/203046-50-Afghan-soldiers-killed-over-100-injured-in-retaliatory-fire-Pakistan
http://www.dw.com/en/worst-border-clashes-in-years-are-afghanistan-and-pakistan-at-war/a-38743051
4 MAY 2017
Afghan warlord Hekmatyar returns to Kabul after peace deal
Veteran warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has returned to the Afghan capital, eight months after signing a peace deal with the government
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39802833
https://www.dawn.com/news/1331049/kabul-uneasy-as-former-warlord-hekmatyar-returns-after-20-years
http://www.dw.com/en/can-warlord-hekmatyar-help-stabilize-afghanistan/a-38692319
2 MAY 2017
Trump’s Afghanistan policy will face big limitations
US President Trump has completed 100 days in office, yet his Afghanistan policy is vague and ambiguous. Expert Michael Kugelman tells DW the Trump administration is likely to come up with an Afghanistan policy soon
http://www.dw.com/en/trumps-afghanistan-policy-will-face-big-limitations/a-38661290
28 APRIL 2017
Taliban’s annual spring offensive under way
The Afghan Taliban announced Friday the start of their “spring offensive,” saying they would target foreign forces in the country and heralding a fresh round of fighting in the drawn-out conflict
http://www.atimes.com/article/talibans-annual-spring-offensive-way/
http://zeenews.india.com/world/taliban-announce-spring-offensive-vow-to-build-institutions-2000177.html
24 APRIL 2017
Afghan defense minister, army chief resign after deadly Taliban Attack
The Afghan minister of defense and army chief of staff have resigned over a major Taliban assault on an army base, the president’s office says. The news came as US Secretary of State Jim Mattis arrived in the country
http://www.dw.com/en/afghan-defense-minister-army-chief-resign-after-deadly-taliban-attack/a-38556314
https://www.dawn.com/news/1328928/afghan-defence-minister-army-chief-resign-after-taliban-attack
21 APRIL 2017
140 Afghan soldiers killed in Taliban Attack
Attackers talked their way onto the base disguised in Afghan army uniforms and driving military veichles before opening fire on soldiers eating dinner and leaving a mosque after Friday prayers
http://www.atimes.com/article/afghan/
http://www.euronews.com/2017/04/21/taliban-kill-dozens-at-afghan-army-hq
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39672357
17 APRIL 2017
Ex-Afghan president calls US bomb drop an ‘atrocity’: report
Hamid Karzai has spoken out against the US decision to drop the MOAB bomb on Afghanistan. His interview comes the same day a top Trump official tours South Asia to speak with regional leaders
http://www.dw.com/en/ex-afghan-president-calls-us-bomb-drop-an-atrocity-report/a-38455632
26 MARCH 2017
US air strike in Afghanistan kills senior al Qaeda leader Qari Yasin: Pentagon
A US drone strike in eastern Afghanistan on March 19 killed the senior al Qaeda military commander Qari Yasin, who has been linked to numerous attacks in Pakistan, the US military confirmed
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/03/26/us-air-strike-in-afghanistan-kills-senior-al-qaeda-leader-qari-yasin-pentagon/
http://www.asiapacificstar.com/news/252555762/taliban-militant-who-hatched-the-plan-for-deadly-2008-islamabad-bombing-killed-in-us-drone-strike
http://www.tolonews.com/afghanistan/al-qaeda-‘leader’-killed-us-strike-afghanistan-pentagon
23 MARCH 2017
Afghan Taliban capture crucial town of Sangin
The Taliban have captured the crucial south Afghan district of Sangin after a year-long battle
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-39365330
http://www.voanews.com/a/taliban-capture-key-southern-afghan-district/3778722.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/03/taliban-capture-key-afghan-district-9-police-killed-170323142927112.html
9 MARCH 2017
Pakistan indefinitely closes border with Afghanistan amid rising tension
Pakistan has indefinitely closed two border crossings with Afghanistan after opening them for two days to let through Afghans with visas, officials said on Thursday
http://zeenews.india.com/asia/pakistan-indefinitely-closes-border-with-afghanistan-amid-rising-tension_1984961.html
http://www.pakistantoday.com.pk/2017/03/09/pak-afghan-border-closes-for-indefinite-period/
4 FEBRUARY 2017
Afghan warlord Hekmatyar sanctions dropped by UN
The UN has dropped sanctions against former Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, paving the way for him to return to the country
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-38867280
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/afghanistan/un-lifts-sanctions-on-notorious-afghan-warlord-1.1972844
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2017-02/04/c_136031737.htm
27 JANUARY 2017
Afghan Taliban’s new chief replaces 24 “shadow” officials
The leader of the Afghan Taliban recently replaced “shadow” governors in 16 of the country’s 34 provinces, as he sought to consolidate his influence over the insurgency, senior figures in the movement said this week
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/afghan-taliban-s-new-chief-replaces-24-shadow-officials/3472966.html
23 JANUARY 2017
Can Afghanistan’s Economy Rebound in 2017?
There’s no reason to think 2017 will be any better for Afghanistan than 2016
http://thediplomat.com/2017/01/can-afghanistans-economy-rebound-in-2017/
3 JANUARY 2017
Why is Russia so interested in Afghanistan all of a sudden?
An increased Russian involvement in Afghanistan has surprised many observers. What does Moscow want to achieve in the war-torn country? After Syria, is another US-Russia conflict being played out in a different arena?http://www.dw.com/en/why-is-russia-so-interested-in-afghanistan-all-of-a-sudden/a-36989680
24 DECEMBER 2016
Iran, Russia See Opportunity to Encircle the US in Afghanistan
Moscow and Tehran see an opportunity to fatal distract the United States in Afghanistan
http://thediplomat.com/2016/12/iran-russia-see-opportunity-to-encircle-the-us-in-afghanistan/
16 DECEMBER 2016
The Tangled History of the Afghanistan-India-Pakistan Triangle
Kabul’s foreign policy approach has shifted between favoring India and Pakistan since the partition
http://thediplomat.com/2016/12/the-tangled-history-of-the-afghanistan-india-pakistan-triangle/
23 OCTOBER 2016
Afghanistan opium production up 43% – UN drugs watchdog
United Nations report says poppy cultivation in the war-torn country has risen to its highest level in more than 20 years
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37743433
http://www.atimes.com/article/opium-crops-spread-afghanistan-taliban-gains-ground/
18 OCTOBER 2016
More than 350,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their war-torn homeland from Pakistan this year
More than 350,000 Afghan refugees have returned to their war-torn homeland from Pakistan this year, UN data show, with the torrent of people crossing the border expected to continue
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/pakistan/350-000-afghan-refugees-return-from-pakistan-un-1.1914860
5 OCTOBER 2016
Afghanistan aid: Donors promise $15.2bn in Brussels
International donors have pledged $15.2bn (€13.5bn ; £11.9bn) in aid to help Afghanistan until 2020
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37560704
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2016-10/05/content_15506325.html
29 SEPTEMBER 2016
Afghanistan: Ghani, Hekmatyar formalise peace deal
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has formalised a peace treaty with Hezb-i-Islami, an armed group led by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, a deal the government hopes will lead to more agreements with other fighters
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/09/afghanistan-ghani-hekmatyar-sign-peace-deal-160929092524754.html
22 SEPTEMBER 2016
Afghanistan signs deal with militant Hekmatyar
The Afghan government has signed a peace agreement with Hezb-e-Islami, the country’s second largest militant group
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37438674
http://www.euronews.com/2016/09/22/peace-in-afghanistan-but-at-what-price
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/27405-govt-hizb-e-islami-peace-deal-draws-mixed-reaction
18 AUGUST 2016
Discord between Afghan unity government leaders intensifies
Calls for fresh elections have intensified in Afghanistan as the unity government leaders fail to resolve their dispute over power sharing. President Ghani and CEO Abdullah have yet to find a way to work in tandem
http://www.dw.com/en/discord-between-afghan-unity-government-leaders-intensifies/a-19485299
12 AUGUST 2016
IS leader in Afghanistan killed, US believes
Hafiz Saeed, leader of so-called Islamic State (IS) in Afghanistan and Pakistan, died in a US drone strike last month, the US believes
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-37063654
http://atimes.com/2016/08/is-chief-for-afghanistan-pakistan-killed-by-us-drone/
31 JULY 2016
Kabul Slams China Over Reported Taliban Visit
The Afghan government has shown its displeasure over reports that a Taliban delegation visited China, saying Beijing should not provide “a platform” to groups that are involved in the killing of Afghans
http://www.voanews.com/content/afghan-government-shows-displeasure-over-reported-taliban-china-visit/3442971.html
http://zeenews.india.com/news/asia/afghan-taliban-delegation-visits-china-to-discuss-unrest-sources_1913283.html
29 JULY 2016
Will WTO membership help improve Afghanistan’s economy?
On Friday, Afghanistan became the 164th country to join the World Trade Organization (WTO). after its upper house of parliament passed a final handful of laws that were required as preconditions for membership
http://www.dw.com/en/will-wto-membership-help-improve-afghanist
9 JULY 2016
NATO renews Afghanistan mission
NATO countries agreed on Saturday to extend their military mission in Afghanistan amid continuing threats from the Taliban
http://eurasiadiary.com/news/world/52151-nato-renews-afghanistan-mission
http://www.euronews.com/newswires/3217842-nato-allies-commit-around-1-billion-per-year-to-support-afghan-forces/
6 JULY 2016
Obama slows US troop drawdown in Afghanistan
The US will slow its troop drawdown in Afghanistan, leaving a force of 8,400 when President Barack Obama completes his term, the president announced on Wednesday in a blunt acknowledgment that America will remain entangled there despite his aspirations to end the war
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/07/06/obama-slows-us-troop-drawdown-in-afghanistan/
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/07/world/asia/obama-afghanistan-troops.html?ref=asia&_r=0
30 JUNE 2016
Taliban attack on Afghanistan police cadets near Kabul kills dozens
Taliban bombers have attacked an Afghan police convoy outside the capital Kabul, killing at least 30 people and wounding 50 others, officials say
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36671676
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/26044-taliban-suicide-bombers-hit-afghan-police–kill-30-wound-53
15 JUNE 2016
Pakistan and Afghanistan formally agree over ceasefire at Torkham
The border authorities of Pakistan and Afghanistan on Wednesday formally agreed over ceasefire at Torkham and waved white flags on both sides of the border
http://www.dawn.com/news/1265011/pak-afghan-forces-agree-on-ceasefire-at-torkham-border-wave-white-flags
http://nation.com.pk/national/15-Jun-2016/new-ceasefire-enforced-at-torkham-border
14 JUNE 2016
Pakistan, Afghanistan increase troops ar Khyber Pass border after clash
A Pakistani army officer died on Tuesday after being shot by Afghan forces in a border clash, Pakistan’s military said, a development likely to ratchet up tension between the neighbours who sources said were beefing up troop numbers on either side
http://gulfnews.com/news/asia/pakistan/pakistan-afghanistan-increase-troops-at-khyber-pass-border-after-clash-1.1846138
http://www.voanews.com/content/afghanistan-pakistan-border-tensions/3375279.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/06/afghan-soldier-killed-border-clash-pakistan-160613075159320.html
6 JUNE 2016
Taliban ambush kills American photojournalist and translator in Afghanistan
A veteran American photojournalist and a translator working for National Public Radio were killed while accompanying Afghan troops in southern Afghanistan on Sunday 5, according to NPR and military officials.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/05/taliban-ambush-kills-american-journalist-and-translator-in-afgha/
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/25662-two-journalists-killed-in-helmand
5 JUNE 2016
Afghanistan: MP Sher Wali Wardak killed in Kabul bomb blast
Three civilians including an Afghan lawmaker Sher Wali Wardak were killed in Kabul on Sunday evening after an IED was detonated via remote control near the MP’s house
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/25661-kabul-blast-kills-three-including-mp
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36455738
25 MAY 2016
The new Taliban chief elected is Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada
In a statement issued by the Taliban on Wednesday, the group confirmed the death of Mullah Mansour and added that Taliban’s Shura has selected Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada as their new leader
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/25487-haibatullah-named-talibans-new-leader
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/afghan-taliban-appoint-leader-mansours-death-045123915.html?nhp=1
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36377008
http://www.euronews.com/2016/05/25/afghan-taliban-names-haibatullah-akhunzada-as-its-new-chief/
22 MAY 2016
Afghan Taliban sources confirm death of leader in US attack
Taliban supremo Mullah Akhtar Mansour was killed in a US drone attack in Pakistan, senior militant sources told AFP on Sunday (May 22), adding that an insurgent assembly was underway to decide on his successor
http://www.channelnewsasia.com/news/asiapacific/afghan-taliban-sources/2807732.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36352559
21 MAY 2016
Afghan Taliban leader Mullar Akhtar Mansour believed dead after US airstrike
The Pentagon has announced that Afghan Taliban leader Mullar Akhtar Mansour has probably been killed in a drone strike in Pakistan. The raid was specifically targeting the fundamentalist leader, US authorities said.
http://www.dw.com/en/afghan-taliban-leader-mullar-akhtar-mansour-believed-dead-after-us-airstrike/a-19275462
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-36351990
18 MAY 2016
Kabul signs draft peace deal with warlord Hekmatyar
Afghanistan has signed a preliminary agreement with the militant group Hezb-i-Islami. The deal with the anti-foreign forces group is being seen as a sign of success in Kabul’s peace efforts
http://www.dw.com/en/kabul-signs-draft-peace-deal-with-warlord-hekmatyar/a-19265788
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/25298-govt-to-bring-in-hekmatyar-and-members-giving-special-privilèges
16 MARCH 2016
NATO chief predicts another tough year ahead for Afghanistan
The head of NATO on Wednesday predicted a difficult fight ahead for Afghanistan as the government continues to battle the Taliban and other militant factions trying to assert their presence in the war-ravaged country.
http://news.yahoo.com/nato-chief-predicts-another-tough-ahead-afghanistan-112127733.html
5 MARCH 2016
Taliban rejects peace talks with Afghan government
Afghanistan’s Taliban has said it will not take part in peace talks with the government unless foreign troops leave the country. The group also said it wanted detained members of its ranks to be freed
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/afghan-talks-taliban-refuses-participate-160305135801134.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35736434
5 MARCH 2016
Taliban rejects peace talks with Afghan government
Afghanistan’s Taliban has said it will not take part in peace talks with the government unless foreign troops leave the country. The group also said it wanted detained members of its ranks to be freed
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/03/afghan-talks-taliban-refuses-participate-160305135801134.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35736434
2 MARCH 2016
Russia’s new role in Afghanistan
More than two decades after the Soviet withdrawal from Afghanistan, Moscow is once again seeking to play a major role in the country by boosting military and economic cooperation with Kabul
http://www.dw.com/en/russias-new-role-in-afghanistan/a-19087432
25 FEBRUARY 2016
Afghanistan war: Just what was the point?
According to the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghan Reconstruction (SIGAR — the U.S. government’s money watchdog there), the Taliban hold more territory now than at any time since 2001
http://edition.cnn.com/2016/02/25/asia/afghanistan-war-analysis/index.html
14 FEBRUARY 2016
Afghan civilian casualties hit a record 11,000 in 2015
The United Nations said in its annual report released on Sunday there were 3,545 civilian fatalities and 7,457 people wounded with children paying a particularly heavy toll, as Afghan security forces faced a surge in attacks by the Taliban and other armed groups.
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/afghan-civilian-casualties-hit-record-11000-2015-160214071436972.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35572815
10 FEVRIER 2016
U.S. sends more troops to Afghanistan
Hundreds more U.S. troops are headed for Afghanistan’s strife-torn Helmand province to shore up security forces who have struggled in the face of sustained Taliban attacks, officials said.
http://www.thehindu.com/news/international/us-sends-more-troops-to-afghanistan/article8219631.ece?w=alauto
2 FEBRUARY 2016
U.S. airstrikes kill 46 militants, destroy IS radio in Afghanistan
A total of 46 militants were killed and a radio station belonging to the Islamic State (IS) group was destroyed after U.S.-led coalition forces carried out airstrikes in Afghanistan’s Paktika and Nangarhar provinces overnight, government officials said Tuesday
http://english.chinamil.com.cn/news-channels/international-military-news/2016-02/02/content_6885784.htm
29 JANUARY 2016
What does China want from the Afghan peace process?
China is one of four countries directly involved in talks aimed at resuming the stalled peace process between the Afghan government and the Taliban. DW takes a look at what’s driving Beijing’s diplomatic push
http://www.dw.com/en/what-does-china-want-from-the-afghan-peace-process/a-19011501
11 JANUARY 2016
Pakistan hosts four-way Afghanistan peace talks
Representatives from Pakistan, the USA, China and Afghanistan have met in Islamabad to discuss plans for peace negotiations with the Taliban. The Taliban, however, are not participating in the talks for now
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35279283
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/01/afghan-peace-talks-resume-pakistan-160111045824649.html
http://www.rferl.org/content/afghanistan-pakistan-talks-china-us/27480460.html
1 JANUARY 2016
At least two killed in bomb explosion at French restaurant in Kabul; Taliban claims attack
A Taliban suicide car bomber has struck a French restaurant popular with foreigners in Kabul, killing two people in a New Year’s Day attack that marks the latest in a series of brazen insurgent assaults
http://www.france24.com/en/20160101-taliban-kabul-french-restaurant-popular-expats
9 DECEMBER 2015
Afghan Taliban kill dozens at Kandahar airport
Dozens of people have been killed in a Taliban attack on a heavily fortified civilian and military airfield in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-35043938 http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/12/taliban-kills-scores-ongoing-kandahar-airport-attack-151209153246413.html
http://www.dw.com/en/taliban-launch-deadly-attacks-across-afghanistan-amid-peace-conference/a-18908146
11 NOVEMBER 2015
Afghan Hazara killings spur thousands to march in Kabul
Afghan security forces have fired warning shots into the air at a protest in Kabul, injuring seven people, according to officials
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34783511
26 OCTOBER 2015
The Taliban’s days are almost over
To many of us in the country, the Taliban’s recent victory is due to serious weaknesses within the Afghan government rather than their own strength. Despite their recent military achievement, the demise of the movement as an alternative governing force has already begun
http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/opinion/2015/10/taliban-days-afghanistan-kunduz-pakistan-151025075020774.html
15 OCTOBER 2015
Barack Obama to keep US troops in Afghanistan through 2016, says ‘it’s the right thing to do’
US President Barack Obama has broken his promise to end the war in Afghanistan on his watch and will leave thousands of troops in the country when he departs the White House, passing the task of resolving America’s “longest war” on to his successor.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/11933444/Barack-Obama-to-slow-US-troop-withdrawals-from-Afghanistan-says-official.html
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/21903-govt-welcomes-obamas-decision
3 OCTOBER 2015
16 die at Afghan clinic after US airstrike; UN denounces act
An airstrike hit a hospital run by Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) in the Afghan city of Kunduz Saturday, killing at least 16 people in what the US military called possible “collateral damage” in the battle to oust Taliban insurgents
ttp://atimes.com/2015/10/afghan-airstrike-near-kunduz-msf-clinic-kills-3-staff-30-others-missing/
http://edition.cnn.com/2015/10/03/asia/afghanistan-doctors-without-borders-hospital/index.html
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/11909123/Kunduz-Nato-investigates-whether-US-air-strike-hit-hospital-latest.html
1 OCTOBER 2015
Afghan forces retake Taliban-held Kunduz city amid fierce clashes
Afghan troops recaptured the center of the strategic northern city of Kunduz on Thursday amid fierce clashes with Taliban militants, three days after losing the provincial capital in a humbling defeat for Kabul and its U.S. allies
http://www.reuters.com/article/2015/10/01/us-afghanistan-attack-idUSKCN0RU07Y20151001
http://www.bangkokpost.com/news/asia/714540/afghan-forces-retake-control-of-kunduz-from-taliban-govt
29 SEPTEMBER 2015
Afghan forces fight to retake Kunduz from Taliban
Afghan forces have been battling Taliban fighters to retake the city of Kunduz, a day after it fell to the insurgents in their biggest victory since their removal from power in 2001
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-34387914
http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2015-09-29/afghan-forces-launch-operation-to-retake-northern-city-of-kunduz-from-taliban-militants/1498152
14 SEPTEMBER 2015
Taliban raid sees release of hundreds of Afghan prisoners
Among 150 Taliban militants thought to be among those released in pre-dawn attack on jail in Ghazni by insurgents said to be wearing Afghan police uniforms
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/afghanistan/11862939/Taliban-fighters-release-hundreds-of-prisoners-from-Afghan-jail.html
13 AUGUST 2015
Al-Qaeda’s Zawahiri pledges allegiance to Taliban head
The leader of al-Qaeda, Ayman al-Zawahiri, has pledged allegiance to the new head of the Afghan Taliban, Mullah Mohammed Akhtar Mansoor, whose appointment has caused divisions within the Taliban
http://www.euronews.com/2015/08/13/al-qaeda-leader-pledges-allegiance-to-new-taliban-chief/
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/al-qaeda-zawahiri-pledges-allegiance-taliban-mullah-mansoor-150813141523792.html
7 AUGUST 2015
35 dead, hundreds wounded as multiple bombings rock Kabul
Multiple bombings rocked Kabul Friday, killing at least 35 people and wounding hundreds more in the first major attacks in the Afghan capital since the announcement of Taliban leader Mullah Omar’s death
https://sg.news.yahoo.com/suicide-blast-hits-kabul-police-academy-casualties-feared-162156644.html
http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/08/police-academy-kabul-hit-suicide-bomb-150807164338154.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33814737
30 JULY 2015
Mullah Omar: Taliban choose deputy Mansour as successor
The Taliban has appointed Mullah Omar’s deputy to replace him at the helm of the group, according to militant commanders
http://www.euronews.com/2015/07/30/taliban-names-new-leader-to-replace-mullah-omar/
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33721074
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/20673-peace-talks-postponed-at-talibans-request-pakistan
29 JULY 2015
Afghan government said that Mullah Omar: Taliban leader ‘died in Pakistan in 2013‘
“The government … based on credible information, confirms that Mullah Mohammad Omar, leader of the Taliban died in April 2013 in Pakistan,” the Afghan presidential palace said in a statement
http://www.dawn.com/news/1197114/mullah-omar-died-in-karachi-in-april-2013-afghan-govt
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33703097
26 JULY 2015
Taliban take remote Afghan police base after mass surrender
The Taliban took control of a large police base in a remote part of northeastern Afghanistan after some 100 police and border guards joined the insurgents following three days of fighting, security officials said Sunday
http://www.chinadailyasia.com/asia/2015-07/26/content_15295536.html
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-33669344
http://www.tolonews.com/en/afghanistan/20614-taliban-release-142-alp-and-border-police-officials