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Afghan forces need US assistance to combat Taliban: Special Ops General
General Richard Clarke, chief of US Special Operations Command, said on Thursday that the Afghan security forces need US assistance to successfully counter the Taliban and other threats Afghanistan faces.
Addressing the Senate Armed Services Committee, Clarke said: “The capabilities that the US provides for the Afghans to be able to combat the Taliban and other threats that reside in Afghanistan are critical to their success.
According to Military Times, Clarke declined to provide any details of possible options he has outlined to Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on how he could provide needed counterterrorism troops or capabilities if special operations forces are not physically in Afghanistan.
Clarke noted that no decision has been made about the withdrawal, adding that “we will always provide options” to deter or defeat al-Qaeda, Daesh or other terrorism threats.
Referring to his recent visit to Afghanistan, Clarke said: “Progress has been made and I found a very capable commander.”
Violence by the Taliban and other insurgent groups like al-Qaeda has remained high in the country despite peace efforts, which include the signing of the US-Taliban deal in Doha in February last year and the September start of peace talks between the Afghan Republic’s team and the Taliban. .
After coming into power, the new Biden administration announced it was reviewing the deal signed by former president Donald Trump’s administration.
Biden has stated despite the looming May 1 troop withdrawal deadline that this agreement is still under review.
With only five weeks to go before the deadline, speculation has been mounting that Biden will seek to extend the troop presence and to leave counterterrorism troops in the country.
On Thursday, Biden said it will be hard to meet the May 1 deadline for getting all troops out of Afghanistan for “tactical reasons.”
“We will leave–the question is when we leave,” he said.
Asked if he envisioned US troops in Afghanistan a year from now, Biden said, “I can’t picture that being the case.”
According to a Reuters report the US Secretary of State Tony Blinken is meeting with NATO allies in Brussels this week. Biden also referred to the Afghanistan visit of US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin.
There’s an UN-led process that’s beginning shortly on how to end this war, he said.
“It is not my intention to stay there for a long time. But the question is how and on what circumstances do we meet that agreement that was made by President Trump, But we are not staying a long time,” Biden said.
Reuters also reported that Germany has decided to extend its military mission in Afghanistan beyond the May 1 deadline. .
According to Reuters, German lawmakers approved late on Thursday a new mandate which allows the German military to keep up to 1,300 troops in Afghanistan as part of a NATO mission until Jan 31, 2022.
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IEA: Special circle in Pakistan has launched mission to destabilize region
The spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, Zabihullah Mujahid, says that a special circle in Pakistan has launched a mission to destabilize the region following the recent escalation of conflicts between the two countries.
Speaking at a press conference in Kandahar province on Friday, Mujahid urged regional countries to put a stop to the “troublemakers.”
Mujahid stated that Afghan air forces had precisely targeted Pakistani military centers.
In response to a question about what position the Islamic Emirate would take if regional countries called for a halt to the war, he said that the Islamic Emirate seeks a peaceful resolution of issues and that they have previously held several rounds of negotiations and discussed the matters; however, the Pakistani side has not been prepared to resolve the issues through peaceful dialogue.
The spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate emphasized that the Pakistani side consistently attempts to fabricate pretexts for war and links its internal issues to Afghanistan.
Mujahid further stated that Pakistani aircraft are still patrolling Afghanistan’s airspace.
Last night, following retaliatory attacks by Afghan forces on Pakistani military facilities across the Durand Line, Pakistan’s military regime carried out airstrikes on locations in three Afghan provinces.
Mujahid confirmed that Pakistani forces bombed certain areas in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia.
He added that during the fighting that began Friday night, 13 Afghan soldiers were “martyred” and 22 others were wounded.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan described the operation as retaliation for Pakistan’s previous attacks in Nangarhar and Paktika earlier this week.
The Afghan Ministry of National Defense also announced that in these clashes, Afghan forces killed 55 Pakistani soldiers, captured several others, and seized two military headquarters along with 19 security posts.
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Turkey launches initiative to diffuse Afghanistan-Pakistan tension
Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan on Friday exchanged phone conversations with both Afghan and Pakistani top diplomats as well as other regional prominent actors amid growing tension between the two neighboring countries.
Fidan spoke on the phone with Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and Pakistani Foreign Minister Mohammed Ishaq Dar, Turkish media reported citing sources.
The initiative came after the two countries attacked each other.
Turkish media reported that Fidan also spoke with Qatari Foreign Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdurrahman Al Thani and Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan to discuss the recent developments between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Afghan Air Force conducts airstrikes in Islamabad, other cities
Afghan Air Force conducted airstrikes against Pakistani military targets in Islamabad and other cities on Friday, Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said.
The strikes were carried out at 11:00a.m. near Faizabad in Islamabad, targeting a military camp, the Nowshera Cantt, Jamrud Military Colony, and Abottabad.
According to the Ministry, the operations successfully hit key military sites, centers, and facilities. The strikes were conducted in response to Pakistani military air raids carried out last night in Kabul, Kandahar, and Paktia.
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