Dozens of Civilians Killed in Taliban, Government Attacks
Air strikes by Afghan forces that were meant to target militants from the Islamic State instead hit farmland in the country’s east, killing an estimated thirty civilians and wounding forty others. A car bombing in the south that was claimed by the Taliban killed at least twenty people, local officials said (Al Jazeera)
Scores Killed in Taliban Attacks
The Taliban claimed responsibility for suicide bombings in Kabul and north of the capital yesterday that killed at least forty-eight people and wounded dozens. The first attack targeted a campaign rally for President Ashraf Ghani (New York Times)
Dozens Killed in Bombing at Afghan Rally
A suicide bombing at a campaign rally for Afghan President Ashraf Ghani today killed at least twenty-six people and wounded more than forty others. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack (TOLO)
Afghan Officials: Peace Talks to Resume After Election
President Ashraf Ghani’s government said it is suspending peace efforts with the Taliban until after the country’s September 28 election (TOLO)
Afghan Government Security Forces Retake Districts
Government forces have retaken a district in the country’s northeast Badakhshan province from the Taliban, the Defense Ministry said, after regaining control of two other nearby districts in the past week (TOLO)
U.S. to Ramp Up Combat Against Taliban in Afghanistan
The head of U.S. Central Command in Afghanistan said the United States may accelerate its military campaign against the Taliban after President Trump said peace talks were “dead” (Reuters)
Meanwhile Taliban commanders said they would continue fighting U.S. forces (Al Jazeera)
Afghan president Ashraf Ghani called for a continuation of peace talks, which he said first require a ceasefire (TOLO)
Trump Cancels Peace Talks with Taliban
President Donald J. Trump cancelled a planned meeting with the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani set for yesterday at Camp David; Trump tweeted that he called off the meeting after a U.S. soldier died in a Taliban strike. A Taliban spokesperson said Washington’s freeze of peace talks over the weekend will lead to more U.S. deaths in Afghanistan (Guardian)
Analysts warn that the cancellation could lead to elevated violence ahead of Afghan elections set for September 28 (New York Times)
Afghan Officials Warn About Taliban Deal
A top Afghan official expressed concern that a draft U.S.-Taliban deal for the withdrawal of U.S. forces is not contingent on peace progress between the militant group and the Afghan government (New York Times)
Taliban fighters launched several attacks in the western province of Farah today, following a suicide bombing in Kabul that killed ten civilians and two NATO soldiers (Reuters)
Taliban Car Bombing Kills U.S., Romanian Service Member in Afghanistan
U.S. and Romanian service members along with ten civilians were killed and more than forty others wounded in a car bombing in Kabul today claimed by the Taliban; four U.S. service members have been killed in Afghanistan in the past two weeks (Associated Press)
Former U.S. Envoys Warn Against Hasty Afghan Drawdown
Nine former U.S. ambassadors, in an open letter, called for a limited drawdown of U.S. forces in Afghanistan and warned that pulling out a substantial number of troops too soon could lead to “total civil war.” The group wrote that a major troop withdrawal “must be contingent on a final peace” (Atlantic Council)
Taliban Attacks Continue as U.S. Looks to Finalize Deal
U.S. special envoy Zalmay Khalilzad and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani discussed details of a proposed agreement between the United States and the Taliban, even as the militant group continued attacks in the country over the weekend (Associated Press)
Khalilzad said that under the deal, which has been agreed to in principle, the United States would withdraw five thousand troops from Afghanistan within 135 days of signing it (TOLO)
Taliban attacks over the past three days targeted the cities of Pul-e Khumri, Kunduz, and Kabul (Al Jazeera)
U.S. Presents Plan to Pull Out Some Afghanistan Troops
President Donald J. Trump said the United States plans to reduce its military presence in Afghanistan from 14,000 to 8,600 troops. In recent peace negotiations, the Taliban has called for a full withdrawal of U.S. and NATO troops (Voice of America)
Taliban Kills Fourteen Afghan Militia Fighters
Taliban fighters killed fourteen members of a pro-government militia today in Herat province (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the Taliban said today that a deal with the United States is close to being finalized (Reuters)
Nearly Two Thousand Polling Centers to Remain Closed During Afghan Election
Roughly 2,000 of 7,385 prospective voting centers in the country will be closed during the upcoming presidential election due to security concerns, according to the national election commission (TOLO)
U.S. Service Members Killed in Afghanistan
Two U.S. service members in the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan were killed in action yesterday, NATO announced (CNN)
U.S.-Taliban Talks Set to Resume
U.S. Special Representative for Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will soon resume negotiations with the Taliban for a peace agreement (Associated Press)
Separately, the United States announced nearly $125 million in new humanitarian assistance for Afghanistan, bringing U.S. aid to the country up to $190 million this fiscal year (TOLO)
Scores Killed and Wounded in Afghanistan Bombings
Ten bombings in Jalalabad today wounded at least sixty-six people. The bombings coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of Afghanistan’s independence (Reuters)
Separately, the Islamic State claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing at a wedding in the Afghan capital that killed sixty-three people and wounded nearly two hundred others (CNN)
Afghan officials said that a deal between the Taliban and the United States that involves the withdrawal of U.S. troops would only strengthen the Islamic State (Reuters)
United Nations Concerned About Afghan Civilian Deaths
The United Nations today urged Afghanistan’s warring parties to prevent civilian deaths, following a report that eleven civilians were killed in a recent government operation in Paktia province targeting the Taliban (Reuters)
U.S.-Taliban Talks End Without Deal
U.S.-Taliban peace talks ended today without a deal, with both sides saying they will continue consultations on next steps (Reuters)
Meanwhile, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani warned against foreign interference in Afghan politics (Associated Press)
Separately, former Afghan national security adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar suspended his presidential campaign despite strong polling, citing security issues (Voice of America)
Taliban Bombing in Afghanistan Kills Fourteen, Wounds More Than One Hundred
A suicide bombing on a Kabul police station today killed fourteen people and injured at least 145 others. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack (Reuters)
Taliban Threaten Afghan Election
The Taliban announced today that its militants intend to block next month’s presidential election, including attacking rallies (Reuters)
Separately, the United States and the United Nations condemned a recent bombing on a bus carrying media professionals. The attack was claimed by the Islamic State (Voice of America)
Finally, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg reported that prospects for a peace deal in Afghanistan are more hopeful than ever before (Reuters)
United States Prepares Afghanistan Troop Reductions
The United States is reportedly preparing to withdraw between five thousand and six thousand troops from Afghanistan should the Taliban agree to certain concessions (Washington Post)
This coincides with renewed U.S.-Taliban peace talks in Qatar (Reuters)
Separately, the United Nations reported that more than 1,500 Afghan civilians were killed amid an escalation in violence last month. July was the deadliest month for civilians since May 2017 (UNAMA)
Roadside Bomb in Afghanistan Kills Thirty-Five
A roadside bomb in Farah province killed thirty-five people and injured twenty-seven others. Afghanistan’s government accused the Taliban of planting the bomb (Reuters)
Separately, U.S. Special Representative to Afghanistan Zalmay Khalilzad will soon resume peace talks with the Taliban (Reuters)
United States Plans for Afghanistan Troop Drawdown
U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said U.S. President Donald Trump directed him to reduce troop levels in Afghanistan by next year’s U.S. presidential election. His statement came as two U.S. service members were killed by an Afghan soldier in Kandahar Province yesterday, according to local police (BBC)
Separately, the United Nations reported that at least 3,812 Afghan civilians were killed or wounded in the first half of 2019 (Reuters)
The United Nations also reported that Afghan forces and their allies killed more civilians this year than the Taliban and other militants (Associated Press)
Death Toll Rises in Attack on Afghan Political Office
At least twenty people were killed and fifty others wounded in an attack at the Kabul office of vice presidential candidate Amrullah Saleh yesterday. No group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack, in which Saleh was safely evacuated (Associated Press)
Separately, top U.S. generals, including Chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff General Joseph Dunford, expressed optimism over peace talks with the Taliban (Reuters)