Latest News
Top Al-Qaeda leader killed in Farah: NDS
Mohammad Hanif Alias Abdullah leader of Al-Qaeda for the Indian Sub-continent was killed by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) Special Forces in an operation in the Bakwa district of Farah province, said Tuesday in a statement.
According to the statement, Hanif, a Pakistani national and a very close aide to Asim Omer, was given shelter and protection by the Taliban.
He also was deputy so-called Amir for AQIS for a period, the statement noted.
“This person had a membership of the Taliban group and after 2010 he also became a member of the al-Qaeda network. In the same year, he entered Helmand with the direct cooperation of the Taliban, and then with the help of the Taliban he was moved to Farah province,” NDS statement said.
The statement further indicated that Hanif also had close ties with the Taliban and assisted and trained the Taliban members in explosives, car bombs, and improvised explosive devices.
The Taliban, however, did not comment yet.
The latest development comes as last month, the NDS forces had killed an al-Qaeda key member for the Indian sub-continent, Abu Muhsen al-Masri in an operation in Ghazni province.
Al-Masri, an Egyptian national was believed to be the “second-in-command” in al-Qaeda and had been on the US’s Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Most Wanted Terrorist list.
Meanwhile, a UN official previously had claimed that despite the Taliban’s pledge in February to cut ties with al-Qaeda, the group is still “heavily embedded” within the Taliban in Afghanistan.
Speaking to the BBC, Edmund Fitton-Brown, co-ordinator of the UN’s Islamic State, al-Qaeda and Taliban Monitoring Team, said there has been regular communication between the two groups despite the US-Taliban agreement signed in Doha in February.
“The Taliban were talking regularly and at a high level with al-Qaeda and reassuring them that they would honor their historic ties,” Fitton-Brown said.
According to him, the relationship between al-Qaeda and the Taliban was “not substantively” changed by the deal struck with the US.
“Al-Qaeda is heavily embedded with the Taliban and they do a good deal of military action and training activities with the Taliban, and that has not changed,” he said.
BBC reported that although al-Qaeda’s strength and ability to strike the West has significantly diminished over the past decade, its leader Ayman al-Zawahiri is believed to still be based in Afghanistan along with a number of other senior figures in the group.
But, Fitton-Brown said despite its lower profile, al-Qaeda remained “resilient” and “dangerous”.
Earlier to that UN in a report states that the Taliban has failed to fulfill one of the core parts of the US-Taliban agreement, namely that it would break ties with al-Qaeda. The agreement was signed in February in Doha, Qatar, after months of negotiations.
Al-Qaeda has 400 to 600 operatives active in 12 Afghan provinces and is running training camps in the east of the country, according to the report.
The Afghan government has also previously spoken of the Taliban’s close ties to ISIS and other terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda.
Afghanistan’s Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani met on Wednesday with Ibrahim Kalin, director of Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization, and his accompanying delegation.
Afghanistan’s Interior Ministry said in a statement that the two sides discussed ways to expand relations between Afghanistan and Türkiye, particularly in the areas of security, counter-narcotics efforts, and coordination between the interior ministries of the two countries.
They also exchanged views on a number of regional issues.
Afghanistan’s former president Hamid Karzai has condemned in the “strongest terms” an attempted drone attack near Mecca, emphasizing the need to preserve the sanctity of Islam’s two holiest sites.
Saudi Arabia said its air defenses intercepted and destroyed a drone south of Mecca on Tuesday evening, September 15, before it entered the restricted airspace over the holy city.
Saudi-led coalition spokesman Turki al-Malki said the drone had been launched by Yemen’s Houthi group and described the incident as the second attempt to target Mecca since a ballistic missile launch in 2017.
The Houthis, however, have denied targeting Mecca or any Islamic holy site.
In a post on X, Karzai expressed his sympathy with Saudi Arabia, describing the country as a friend and brother of Afghanistan, and stressed that the sanctity of the Two Holy Mosques must be respected under all circumstances.
He also expressed hope that, through the prudence and foresight of the countries involved, further escalation of tensions and conflict can be prevented and the way paved for lasting peace and stability in the region.
The incident comes amid a sharp escalation in fighting involving Saudi Arabia and the Houthis, with a series of recent drone and missile attacks across Saudi Arabia.
Saudi officials have warned that the security of Mecca and the Two Holy Mosques is a “red line.”
Afghanistan and Turkmenistan have held technical talks on the development of a 500-kilovolt power transmission line and the Nur-ul-Jihad substation in Herat Province.
Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) announced the meeting in a statement on September 15, saying it brought together representatives of Afghanistan’s national power utility and a technical delegation from Turkmenistan.
According to DABS, the two sides reviewed the current status of the projects, technical capabilities, implementation procedures and progress, as well as challenges affecting the work.
The discussions also focused on ways to improve project implementation and ensure compliance with relevant technical requirements, DABS said.
Turkmenistan is one of Afghanistan’s main electricity suppliers, with cross-border transmission infrastructure connecting the two countries. Electricity imports from Turkmenistan are particularly important for Afghanistan’s northern and western regions, including Herat.
The planned 500-kV transmission line and Nur-ul-Jihad substation are expected to strengthen infrastructure for receiving and distributing electricity imported from Turkmenistan.
The talks come as Afghanistan and Turkmenistan continue cooperation on energy and other economic projects, with electricity trade forming part of broader regional economic ties.
Tahawol: Afghanistan’s readiness for US relations discussed
ACL: Ariana Khost win, Ain Mina and Khurasan Faryab draw
Saar: UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan discussed
Sirajuddin Haqqani meets Turkish intelligence chief
Karzai strongly condemns attempted attack on Mecca
Four mediators struggle to secure lasting Pakistan-Afghanistan ceasefire
Afghanistan’s trade diversification challenges Pakistan
Syria and Saudi Arabia condemn Kabul bombing, express solidarity with Afghanistan
Saudi energy group signs major Afghanistan deals covering gas exploration and pipeline plans
Afghanistan-India T20I series could see major schedule change
Tahawol: Afghanistan’s readiness for US relations discussed
Saar: UN Security Council meeting on Afghanistan discussed
Tahawol: Afghanistan at the center of UN discussions
Saar: Afghanistan’s relations with regional countries discussed
Tahawol: Houthis’ return to regional power dynamics
-
Sport4 days agoZadran calls on Afghan fans to rally behind team against India
-
Latest News4 days agoKhalilzad warns US risks losing influence in Afghanistan to China and Russia
-
Regional5 days agoSaudis shut down oil pipeline as Houthis tighten grip on Red Sea shipping
-
Business4 days agoEU and FAO launch €5m programme to strengthen Afghanistan’s agrifood sector
-
World4 days agoHouthi advance in Yemen puts U.S. in a new bind
-
Latest News5 days agoAfghan official highlights Badakhshan operation at China security forum
-
Regional4 days agoIran and UAE back joint BRICS statement urging restraint in war
-
Sport3 days agoIndia beat Afghanistan by seven wickets in first T20I