Russia Hinders Removal of Afghan Warlord From Sanctions List
Afghan and Western officials accused Russia of hindering the removal of warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar from a UN sanctions (Wall Street Journal) list. Hekmatyar’s removal is part of a peace deal reached last year between the Afghan government and the political and militant group, Hezb-e Islami
Afghan President Urges Pakistan to Fight Terrorism
President Ashraf Ghani said at an international conference that Pakistan should spend the funding allocated for Afghan reconstruction instead on fighting terror networks (RFE/EL)
Taliban Offers to Protect Government Projects
The Taliban in Afghanistan have offered to provide security for major government projects, reportedly to assist development and infrastructure efforts (Al Jazeera)
Taliban Reportedly Faces Cash Shortage
Former Taliban diplomat Mullah Rahmatullah Kakazada said the militant group is facing a cash shortage as donors react to “bad publicity” over civilian casualties (Guardian)
Taliban Ambush Kills Four Police Officers
Taliban militants killed four border police on a foot patrol in the southern province of Zabul, according to Bismullah Afghanmal, the provincial governor (AP)
Shia Mosque Attacked in Kabul
A suicide attack on a Shia mosque in Kabul killed at least twenty-seven people, police said. The self-proclaimed Islamic State claimed responsibility for the bombing (Al Jazeera)
President Ghani Asks UN to Sanction Taliban Leader
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani asked the UN to add the new leader of the Taliban, Mullah Haibatullah Akhundzada, to its sanctions list (Reuters)
Bomber Kills Four Americans at Afghan NATO Base
A suicide bomber killed two U.S. servicemen and two U.S. contractors at the Bagram base north of Kabul (Al Jazeera)
Afghan officials identified the attacker as a former Taliban militant (Washington Post)
UN to Investigate US Air Raid That Killed Civilians
The United Nations said it was investigating an incident in which more than thirty civilians were killed in U.S. air strikes on suspected Taliban fighters in northern Afghanistan. The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said at least thirty-two people had been killed and nineteen wounded in the strikes near Kunduz, the vast majority being women and children (Al Jazeera)
Two U.S. Soldiers Killed in Taliban Battle
Two U.S. military personnel were killed in a battle with Taliban militants in Kunduz, Afghanistan, along with more than thirty civilians who were killed by airstrikes, according to local sources (New York Times)
Taliban Envoy Urges Peace Talks
Taliban envoy Sayed Muhammad Tayeb Agha, until recently the group’s chief negotiator and head of its political commission, urged the group’s new leader to position the Taliban as a political movement independent of Pakistan and participate in peace talks (New York Times)
Growing Numbers of Afghans Seek to Reach U.S. Through Southern Border
Since the start of 2022, more than 3,600 Afghans have crossed the jungle border between Colombia and Panama on their journey north, the New York Times reported; many had partnered with Western forces in Afghanistan before fleeing the country after the Taliban took over in 2021 (NYT)