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Blinken expresses concern over escalation of violence by Taliban
US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken spoke with President Ashraf Ghani on Tuesday night telephonically and expressed his concern over the sharp escalation of violence by the Taliban, the Presidential Palace (ARG) said in a statement.
Both sides discussed the relations between the two countries and the continuation of US cooperation with Afghanistan in various fields, the statement said.
Expressing concern over the escalation of violence by the Taliban, Blinken reaffirmed his country's continued support for Afghanistan's security and defense forces, and stressed the role of the United States in accelerating the Afghan peace process, the statement added.
Both sides also spoke about regional issues and the role of regional countries in the Afghan peace process.
This comes after violence by the Taliban continues to rage in parts of the country especially in Herat, Helmand and Kandahar provinces.
Due to the violence thousands of people are displaced after fleeing their homes while hundreds of civilians have been wounded and dozens killed.
Meanwhile, the United States said on Tuesday that one of many concerns about Afghanistan is that it could spiral into civil war, Reuters reported.
According to the report since the United States announced plans in April to withdraw its troops with no conditions by September 11 after nearly 20 years of conflict, violence has escalated throughout the country as the Taliban seeks more territory.
Peace talks between the Afghan government and Taliban negotiators started last year in the Qatari capital of Doha, but have not made any substantive progress. U.S. State Department spokesman Ned Price said the Taliban saw "the utility of a negotiated solution, they are engaged in Doha."
"If they seek to contravene what they have said, then they will be an international pariah ... and the concern on the part of all of us, one of the many concerns is that the result will be civil war," Price told reporters.
A car bomb blast followed by sporadic gunfire hit Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Tuesday night near the heavily fortified "Green Zone," leaving three civilians and three attackers dead, security officials said.
"It does bear all the hallmarks of the spate of Taliban attacks that we have seen in recent weeks," Price said. "We unequivocally condemn the bombing."
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Ten people killed in Baghlan attack
Ten people were killed by unknown individuals in Afghanistan’s northern Baghlan province on Thursday night, police said on Friday.
The incident happened as the victims were doing Zikr at a mosque in Shahr-e-Kuhna of Nahrin district, police said in a statement.
The statement said that they used to regularly go to mosques and monasteries at night after returning from work.
Abdul Ghayoor Khadim, a provincial police official, said that several people were arrested in connection with the incident, adding that an investigation was launched.
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Chinese, Turkmen officials meet to discuss Afghanistan
Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Turkmenistan Serdar Muhammetdurdiyev on Thursday met with Chinese special envoy for Afghanistan, Yue Xiaoyong, the Foreign Ministry of Turkmenistan announced.
During the meeting, the sides discussed priority vectors of strategic interstate cooperation built on a long-term, mutually beneficial basis, as well as exchanged views on the implementation of previously reached agreements.
It was noted that personal contacts between the leaders of the two countries play a key role in intensifying the interstate dialogue, which give a strong impulse to further development and expansion of Turkmen-Chinese ties.
It was emphasized that Turkmenistan considers multilateral international platforms for maintaining stability in Afghanistan as an important factor in promoting sustainable improvement of socio-economic state of the neighboring country. The sides exchanged views on the preparations to the 5th meeting of Foreign Ministers of Afghanistan's Neighboring States to be held in Turkmenistan.
The interlocutors reaffirmed that Turkmenistan and China will continue to provide all-round support for the economic restoration of Afghanistan.
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U.S. House approves bill on evacuation of Afghan allies
The U.S. House Of Representatives has passed a legislation on evacuation of Afghans who assisted Americans during the 20-year war in Afghanistan.
“The passage of the CARE Authorization Act of 2024 further underscores the commitment made by the U.S. government to safeguard those who served shoulder-to-shoulder with our personnel during the twenty-year mission in Afghanistan,” Congresswoman Dina Titus said in a statement.
“The State Department has made it clear: There is no deadline for the crucial job of protecting Afghan allies. By authorizing the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts at the State Department, we can more effectively relocate and resettle those who have qualified to immigrate to the U.S. as a result of their service to this country.”
In 2022 the State Department established a specialized office called the Coordinator for Afghan Relocation Efforts (CARE) to streamline and coordinate the ongoing relocation and resettlement process for eligible Afghans from Afghanistan and Pakistan to the United States.
The CARE Authorization Act of 2024 will formally authorize the CARE office at the State Department for three years and grant important authorities to advance its mission. These include an extension of authorities to enter into personal services contracts as well as measures to streamline the transfer of funds to and from other agencies involved in the Afghan relocation mission.
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