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Hundreds of Taliban fighters, including key commanders killed: MoD
Afghanistan’s Ministry of Defense (MoD) said that 10 Taliban fighters including, a key member of the group have been killed and the group’s shadow governor for Helmand province was wounded during airstrikes in Nad Ali district.
According to the MoD the Taliban intelligence chief for Nad Ali is among the 10 people killed in the airstrikes.
Taliban did not comment about the airstrikes so far.
Meanwhile, the Afghan forces said that they have cleared Arghandab district from Taliban presence during special operations.
More than 500 Taliban have been killed and dozens others were wounded in the operation, said the Afghan Chief of Army Staff Gen. Yasin Zia who is currently visiting the province.
According to the MoD the Arghandab district is now fully under control of the Afghan forces.
Forces are now demining areas in the district, MoD said.
The MoD said that they have launched the operation in response to the Taliban attack on Afghan forces’ check-posts in Maiwand, Zharay, and Panjwayee districts and 10 vehicles of the Taliban have been destroyed in the operation.
The local residents in Arghandab said that they want to return to their homes.
Local officials said that displaced people can return home.
Meanwhile, Gen. Abdul Saboor Qani, deputy interior minister, said that Taliban has intensified fighting to use as leverage in the peace talks, but Afghan
forces neutralized their plans.
According to Qani, after the Arghandab district, they will launch operations to retake some areas in Panjwayee and Zharay districts of Kandahar.
On the other hand, Gen. Tadin Khan, Kandahar police chief, said that some figures in government, especially in Kandahar seek to defame him and some areas surrendered to the Taliban without any resistance.
According to Tadin Khan there is some evidence that shows foreign fighters participated in the Arghandab war.
Ahmad Bahir Ahmadi, spokesman for Kandahar governor, however, said that more than 400 Taliban have been killed in the operations and Taliban have been defeated.
Afghan officials have not commented about the Afghan forces’ casualties in the operations so far.
Taliban had also not yet commented about MoD’s claims.
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IEA delegation attends conference for ‘Promoting Mining Cooperation’ in China
The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum said on Saturday in a statement that its delegation participated in a conference titled "Promoting Mining Cooperation" in China’s Hunan province.
The Ministry stated the conference aims to build a well-equipped laboratory in Afghanistan, increase the capacity of technical and professional employees of the Ministry of Mines, and encourage investors in the mineral resources sector of Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, Chinese investors expressed their interest in Afghanistan’s gold, copper, mica, talc, oil, gas, lithium, lead and zinc mines.
At the conference, the ministry’s deputy minister of finance and administration and head of the delegation Hussamuddin Saberi talked about Afghanistan's natural resources contracts and investment opportunities and considered holding such programs effective for the relations between the two countries.
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Uzbekistan, EU envoys meet to discuss Afghanistan
Uzbekistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Ismatulla Irgashev, on Friday met with the EU Special Representative for Central Asia Terhi Hakala.
During the meeting, the parties discussed the current state and prospects of Uzbek-European relations in the Afghan direction, the efforts of the international community to prevent a humanitarian crisis in the country and the possibility of using the international transport and logistics hub in Termez to deliver humanitarian aid to Afghanistan, Uzbekistan’s foreign ministry said in a statement.
Hakala highly appreciated the efforts of Uzbekistan to develop a consolidated regional position on Afghanistan, establish long-term peace and stability in the country, according to the statement.
The parties expressed mutual interest in continuing bilateral consultations on the Afghan issue, the statement added.
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UN expert calls for comprehensive, rights-focused action plan for Afghanistan
A UN expert on Friday called on the international community to devise and implement a comprehensive, human rights-centered action plan to address the human rights crisis in Afghanistan.
“The absence of a unified, forceful response from the international community has emboldened the Taliban (IEA),” UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said.
In his latest report to the UN General Assembly, Bennett said that the human rights situation in Afghanistan is worsening, which includes systematic gender oppression, amounting to gender persecution and which many Afghans term “gender apartheid” with intergenerational implications.
Bennett expressed concern about the new “vice and virtue” law, announced in August, which he believes has institutionalized an expanding list of restrictions that “blatantly violate the rights of women and girls.”
He also expressed concern about the “shrinking civic space” in Afghanistan, the situation of minorities, journalists, and former government officials and security personnel.
“Justice, equality, and the rule of law are being systematically undermined,” he said.
The UN expert also called for increased funding and support for Afghan civil society and humanitarian efforts to mitigate the crisis.
Bennett urged the IEA to reverse its “repressive policies” and reinstate basic human rights. He pressed the international community to take a coordinated, multifaceted approach to support the Afghan people.
Bennett urged states not to normalize relations with the IEA until there are demonstrable human rights improvements and pathways to justice and accountability.
This comes as the Islamic Emirate has said that it is committed to ensuring human rights, including the rights of women and girls, according to Sharia, and this is an internal issue of Afghanistan.
The Islamic Emirate has banned Richard Bennett from traveling to Afghanistan, saying that he exaggerates small issues.
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