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B-52 bombers ‘arrived in region’ as withdrawal process begins: Kirby

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US Defense Department spokesman John Kirby said on Friday that measures are being taken to safeguard US troops while they withdraw from Afghanistan and that already two B-52 bombers have arrived in the region for this purpose.

The Pentagon has also approved the deployment of hundreds of maritime, air and land forces to the region to ensure security for American and NATO forces as well as contractors as they withdraw, officials meanwhile told CNN.

According to Kirby, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin approved the extension of the USS Eisenhower aircraft carrier’s mission to “remain in the Central Command area of responsibility for a period of time,” and approved “the addition of some long-range bombers” to the region in preparation for US troops to withdraw from Afghanistan.

Two B-52 bombers have arrived in the region already, Kirby said.

“I think it’s reasonable to assume as I’ve said before that there could be temporary additional force protection measures and enablers that we would require to make sure again that this drawdown goes smoothly and safely,” Kirby said during his Friday press briefing.

Officials meanwhile told CNN that the immediate focus is on continuing to ship out unneeded equipment and supplies that are either not being destroyed in place or transferred to Afghan forces.

“Obsolete” equipment will be destroyed, the official said adding that the movement of personnel out of Afghanistan will still not begin “for a few weeks,” and that the US will “retain our ability to defend the force and provide support” to Afghan units.

CNN reported that several hundred ground troops will also be sent to Afghanistan to provide “force protection” for troops leaving the nation. Under the Defense Department approval, no more than 1,000 ground forces will be sent.

According to CNN, there is particular concern about the safety of troops as they leave more remote locations around Kandahar, Jalalabad, and some special operations force locations in eastern Afghanistan.

Currently, there are 2,500 US conventional forces in Afghanistan plus hundreds of additional special operations forces that are not publicly acknowledged.

CNN reported that the military also plans to maintain combat air patrols over Afghanistan throughout the withdrawal to maintain security.

Several defense officials told CNN that informally there will be an effort to conduct as much of the withdrawal as possible before the September 11 deadline set by US President Joe Biden.

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AWCC activates new site in Nangarhar’s Kuz Kunar district

Residents of Kuz Kunar expressed happiness over gaining access to telecom and internet services and called for the further expansion of such services across Nangarhar.

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Officials from Afghan Wireless Communications Company (AWCC) say they have activated a new site in the Kuz Kunar district of Nangarhar province.

According to AWCC representatives, the launch of this site has provided thousands of families with access to telecommunication and internet services.

They added that Afghan Wireless will also soon launch 4G internet services in the area.

Meanwhile, officials from Nangarhar’s Department of Telecommunications and Information Technology stated that efforts are underway to expand telecom services to other remote areas of this province.

Rahimullah Shinwari, head of the ATRA (Afghanistan Telecom Regulatory Authority) office in Nangarhar, said that with the activation of the new AWCC site, 25,000 families will now have access to telecom and internet services.

Residents of Kuz Kunar expressed happiness over gaining access to telecom and internet services and called for the further expansion of such services across Nangarhar.

In recent years, AWCC has extended its telecom and internet services to many remote areas across the country.

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Moscow’s move a ‘significant step toward recognizing Afghanistan’s political realities’, says Haqqani

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Acting Minister of Interior Sirajuddin Haqqani on Wednesday met with Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, and Dmitry Zhirnov, Russia’s ambassador to Kabul.

Haqqani expressed appreciation for Moscow’s recent decision to remove the Islamic Emirate from its list of terrorist organizations. He described the move as “a significant step toward recognizing the political realities of Afghanistan.”

In a statement, the interior ministry said that both sides emphasized the importance of upgrading diplomatic relations to the level of embassies and reaffirmed their commitment to mutual cooperation in the fields of security and trade.

During the meeting, the two parties also discussed regional and bilateral cooperation in the areas of security, economy, and commerce, and stressed the need to strengthen ties between the two countries.

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Special meeting will be held to launch Afghanistan–Russia joint commission, says Kabulov

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Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan, on Wednesday met with Afghanistan’s Acting Minister of Foreign Affairs Amir Khan Muttaqi in Kabul and said a special meeting will be held on the sidelines of the Kazan Forum to officially launch the permanent joint commission between Russia and Afghanistan.

According to a statement issued by the Afghan foreign ministry, Kabulov said that expanding relations with Afghanistan is important to Russia, and for that purpose, Moscow has taken steps to remove obstacles in the path of developing bilateral ties.

This comes after Moscow last week removed the Islamic Emirate from their list of militant organizations.

During the meeting, Muttaqi expressed appreciation for Russia’s recent move to remove the IEA from its list of banned organizations and stated that the Islamic Emirate will soon appoint a diplomat at the ambassadorial level to serve in Moscow.

The two sides also discussed enhancing bilateral relations between Afghanistan and Russia, expanding economic and trade cooperation, and addressing certain regional issues.

The 16th International Economic Forum “Russia – Islamic World: Kazan Forum” will be held from May 13 to 18 in the city of Kazan, Russia. Afghan products and goods will be showcased at the event.

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