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Ghani arrives in DC to discuss new chapter post troops withdrawal
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and a high-ranking delegation landed in Washington DC on a direct flight from Kabul on Thursday for a two-day official visit, the Presidential Palace said.
“During the visit, the President is scheduled to meet with US President Joe Biden, members of Congress and the Senate and a number of other US officials to discuss the new chapter of relations and the strengthening of bilateral relations in various fields, especially support for security and defense forces,” the palace said.
Ghani is accompanied by First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation, foreign minister Haneef Atmar, national security adviser Hamdullah Mohib, AIHRC chairwoman Shahzad Akbar and other government officials.
The Afghan Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) said a delegation from the AIHRC has also traveled to the US with Ghani to discuss the human rights situation in Afghanistan.
AIHRC said humanitarian aid to the country, and support for human rights defenders and civil society will also be discussed. Violations of international humanitarian law in the country will be addressed.
Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki said the timeline for troops withdrawal will not change by September and that part of the discussion between Biden and Ghani on Friday will be on Biden’s commitment to working with the Afghan government in future.
The discussion will also probably take in Biden’s commitment to providing humanitarian support and over-the-horizon support around security, Psaki said.
Meanwhile Afghanistan’s Kam Air notched up an historic flight when it landed in Washington DC with Ghani and his delegation on board. The Airbus A-340 flew directly from Kabul to Washington D.C.
Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, said in a telephone conversation with Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al-Khulaifi, Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, that the spread of war to Gulf countries is condemnable and must be stopped.
According to a statement from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Muttaqi emphasized that the Islamic Emirate considers respect for national sovereignty, national security and the territorial integrity of countries to be an important principle, and prefers diplomacy to resolve problems instead of escalating violence.
Qatar’s Minister of State for Foreign Affairs said the region is going through difficult times, adding that Iran has launched ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles toward Qatar, most of which were intercepted.
He stated that Qatar is a land of peace and has always emphasized the peaceful resolution of conflicts around the world.
During the telephone conversation, the two sides also discussed what they described as the continuation of Pakistan’s military regime’s aggressions against Afghanistan.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said on Friday it has recorded 185 civilian casualties in Afghanistan following recent clashes between Pakistan and Afghanistan.
In an update, the mission said that 56 civilians were killed and 129 others injured between the evening of February 26 and March 5 as a result of indirect fire and aerial attacks.
According to UNAMA, women and children made up the majority of the victims, accounting for about 55 percent of the total civilian casualties recorded during the period.
The mission also highlighted a specific incident on February 27 in Barmal District, where airstrikes reportedly killed 14 civilians — including four women, two girls, five boys and three men — and injured six others.
UNAMA noted that the number of civilians killed in the latest cross-Durand Line hostilities exceeds the casualties documented during clashes between Afghanistan and Pakistan in October 2025, when 47 civilians were killed and 456 injured.
The mission further reported that at least 70 civilians were killed and 478 injured in Afghanistan during the last three months of 2025. In addition, between January 1 and February 22 this year, 13 civilians were killed and 12 injured in airstrikes and cross-Durand Line shelling in Nangarhar Province.
UNAMA reiterated its call on all parties involved in the conflict to take necessary measures to prevent civilian casualties and uphold their obligations under international humanitarian law to protect civilians.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense said on Friday 327 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and hundreds more wounded since the launch of the retaliatory “Radd-ul-Zulm” operation, an ongoing campaign that started a week ago in response to attacks by Pakistani military.
In a statement, the ministry said Afghan forces conducted large-scale strikes over the past 24 hours against Pakistani military positions along the Durand Line facing the provinces of Kandahar, Nangarhar, Kunar, Khost, Paktia and Paktika.
According to the ministry, 14 Pakistani posts and three military bases were captured and completely destroyed during the latest phase of the operation.
The statement added that 109 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 148 others wounded in the past 24 hours alone. Afghan forces also destroyed more than 10 Pakistani military vehicles during the clashes.
The ministry said Afghan troops seized hundreds of light and heavy weapons along with a large quantity of ammunition, and claimed that two enemy reconnaissance aircraft were shot down during the fighting.
According to the report, three Afghan soldiers were killed and nine others wounded during the operation.
The ministry also said that seven civilians were killed and 13 others injured after Pakistani forces targeted residential areas during the fighting.
The Defense Ministry stressed that since the start of the “Radd-ul-Zulm” operation, which it said was launched in response to attacks by Pakistan’s military authorities, 64 Pakistani posts and seven military bases have been captured and destroyed, while 327 Pakistani soldiers have been killed and more than 350 others wounded.
Spread of war to Gulf nations condemnable, must be stopped: IEA FM
UN reports 185 civilian casualties in Afghanistan amid Pakistan clashes
Afghanistan says 327 Pakistani soldiers killed in ‘Radd-ul-Zulm’ operation
Several Pakistani soldiers killed in Afghan operations along the Durand Line
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Pakistani military jet downed in Afghanistan’s Jalalabad, pilot captured alive
Afghan Air Force conducts airstrikes in Islamabad, other cities
IEA releases three Pakistani soldiers to mark Ramadan
Afghanistan’s Chief of Armed Forces underscores readiness and equipment for national defense
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Tahawol: Discussion on ongoing US–Israel war with Iran
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Tahawol: Discussion on ongoing conflicts between Afghanistan and Pakistan
Saar: Ongoing retaliatory operations against Pakistan discussed
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