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Dostum says Taliban ‘trapped’ in north and have nowhere to go
Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum said Wednesday that the Taliban are now trapped in the north and will not be able to flee that part of the country and that security forces will “crackdown” on the militants.
Speaking to journalists in Balkh province, Dostum said: “The Taliban have been trapped in the north several times and this time it is not easy to get out from the north.”
Dostum, who is reportedly in Balkh to lead the war against the Taliban in the northern provinces of Afghanistan, noted that Taliban militants could face the fate of Mullah Fazel, who spent years in Guantanamo prison.
Mullah Fazel was the Taliban’s designated chief of army staff during their regime but surrendered to Dostum after the collapse of the Taliban regime in 2001.
He was later handed over to the US forces and then transferred to Guantanamo. Today he is one of the negotiating team members for the Taliban in Doha.
Fazel was released, along with four other senior members of the Taliban – including Mullah Norullah Noori, Abdul Haq Wasiq, Khairullah Khairkhwa, and Mohammed Nabi Omari – in exchange for the release of an American soldier Bowe Bergdahl, who had been held captive by the Haqqani Network from 2009 to 2014.
Meanwhile, President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday led a government delegation to Mazar-e-Sharif on Wednesday morning to assess the security situation in the northern provinces.
Ghani’s visit to the capital of Balkh province comes amid escalating violence across the country, particularly in the north.
According to the Presidential Palace, Ghani’s senior security and political affairs adviser Mohammad Mohaqiq and former mujahideen commander Juma Khan Hamdard accompanied the president.
In Mazar, Ghani, Mohaqiq, and Hamdard met with political and jihadi leaders, including Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum and Atta Mohammad Noor.
During the meeting, comprehensive discussions were held on the general situation in the northern provinces, and the coordination, equipping, and mobilization of civilian uprising forces under the umbrella of the security forces.
Former Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor stated: “operation plans, partisan and Guerrilla war [against Taliban], strengthening ranks [frontlines], and assessing weak points were discussed.”
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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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