At least four bombers were killed after they were blown up by own explosives in western Herat province of Afghanistan, it has been reported.

The Ministry of Interior (MoI) said the four bombers were looking to carry out a coordinated attack using a truck packed with explosives in Herat province.

A statement by MoI said the terrorists were on their way towards Shindand province to execute the attack when the truck packed with explosives went off in Zer-e-Koh area.

The statement further added that the explosion did not incur any casualties to the civilians or members of the security forces and only four terrorists were killed.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

Herat is among the relatively volatile provinces in western Afghanistan where anti-government armed militants are actively operating in a number of its remote districts.

This comes as the insurgency activities by the anti-government armed militant groups have been rampant during the recent months across the country including capital Kabul.

The Taliban group has carried out two suicide attacks in the capital within the past one week, leaving at least three people dead and scores of others wounded.

At least two civilians were killed and 18 others were wounded in the latest attack on a resturant in Kabul city on Friday evening.

khaama.com

The Karachi Police‘s Counter terrorism department arrested a militant of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria ( ISIS) for recruiting young men and deporting them to Syria.

During the initial investigation, it was revealed by the suspect of sending three young men to Syria and one among them has been killed, reports the Dawn.

The suspect belonged to the banned Jundullah (Haji Aqakhel group) and was collecting funds for the IS in Karachi and Quetta.

Meanwhile, the Rangers claimed to have detained two suspected militants belonging to a banned group.

aninews.in

The Foreign Office on Thursday said Daesh was not in an organised form in Pakistan while its influence was increasing in neighbouring Afghanistan.

Commenting on media reports about the arrest of some people linked to Daesh or Islamic State at the weekly media conference here, the Foreign Office Spokesman Qazi Khalilullah said investigations were under way but he was not in a position to say who had left Pakistan to join the militant outfit. —Agencies

Mariana Baabar adds: The spokesman said Pakistan and India were engaged through diplomatic channels to fix the exact date for a comprehensive bilateral dialogue when their foreign secretaries would meet to help resolve “outstanding disputes peacefully and enhancing bilateral cooperation”. Earlier reports of a January 15 meeting in Islamabad had been in circulation.

“The first meeting of foreign secretaries in this context will be held in mid-January 2016 to work out modalities and schedule of meetings of various segments under the dialogue. You know that the Indian prime minister also visited Pakistan a few days ago. Both were very positive steps. The dialogue process would be helpful in resolving outstanding disputes peacefully and enhancing bilateral cooperation. The meeting of the foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India will be held in Islamabad in mid-January. As far as the agenda is concerned, the foreign secretaries will work out modalities and schedule of the meetings of various segments under the dialogue in accordance with the Joint Statement of 09 December 2015,” he further explained, adding that all disputes had to be resolved “peacefully”.

To a query, the spokesman said the new construction being made by India on the Line of Control would be amongst “all issues of concern to Pakistan will be discussed as part of the comprehensive bilateral dialogue, which includes a segment on peace and security”.

However, he made no mention of the “exchange” between Prime Ministers Nawaz Sharif and Narendra Modi when they shared the same car for nearly an hour to drive from Jati Umra to Lahore airport on December 25.

It is also not known who else was in the vehicle though in their earlier meeting at Jati Umrah they were accompanied by officials and Sharif’s male family members.

Commenting on the foreign policy of Pakistan, the spokesman said under the vision and guidance of the prime minister, Pakistan was able to significantly enhance its relations with all the neighboring countries.

However, there appears to be confusion on Pakistan’s western borders as far as the proposed quadrilateral dialogue between Pakistan, Afghanistan, China and the US is concerned; there appears to be uncertainty on the venue and date of this meeting which is expected to pave way for reconciliation talks with the Afghan Taliban after army chief General Raheel Sharif visited Kabul. Queries were raised whether there would be a “steering committee” or a “coordination committee meeting”. Earlier reports spoke of the quadrilateral meeting scheduled to be held in Kabul.

There was no clear response from the spokesman who commented, “Consultations are underway to host the first meeting of the Quadrilateral Coordination Committee in Islamabad in the second week of January. Exact date is being worked out in consultation with Afghanistan, China and the US. The level, composition and agenda of the meeting are also being worked out through consultations.”

While reports after reports speak about Pakistani citizens trying to associate with Daesh, the spokesman brushed them aside as merely “media reports” and said that the Ministry of Interior would provide more details about people trying to reach Syria.

“In the context of presence of Daesh in Pakistan, we have consistently made several points. Firstly, there is no footprint of Daesh in Pakistan. Secondly, we will not tolerate even the shadow of Daesh in Pakistan. Thirdly, we have alerted our security agencies to the threat posed by Daesh. They will take appropriate action, if required,” he explained.

thenews.com.pk

Fourteen Islamic State or Daesh militants have been killed and a dozen more wounded in latest airstrikes by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in eastern Nangarhar province, the Ministry of Defence said on Friday.

A statement from the ministry said the airstrikes were carried out during the last 24 hours in the Achin district.

It claimed a large number of weapons belonging to Daesh fighters were also destroyed as a result of the airstrikes.

The group suffered heavy casualties this year after being consistently targeted by Afghan security forces in Nangarhar province.

pajhwok.com

The host of the programme ‘Aaj Shahzeb Khanzada Kay Saath’, while presenting his analysis said on Tuesday that the influence of Daesh is on the increase in Pakistan.

The activists of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi are followed by Jamaatud Dawa in joining Daesh after being impressed by its message. Our civil and military leadership had been refusing the existence of Daesh in the country, but the arrest of nine activists of Jamaatud Dawa in an operation, who had joined Daesh should be an eye-opener for the government.

Shahzeb Khanzada said the Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar had been repeatedly denying the existence of Daesh in Pakistan. It was questioned, when the government had prepared a list of banned organisations and had included in it the name of Daesh, why that name had been mentioned in the list when the Daesh did not exist in the country at all.

Shahzeb Khanzada said the existence of Daesh was proved in Sialkot as two Pakistanis were arrested in Turkey for allegedly having links with the Daesh. Sources in the Punjab police said some families of Lahore had left Pakistan after being impressed by Daesh. He said there are not only sympathisers but also activists of Daesh in Pakistan, who have shown allegiance to Abu Bakr Albaghdadi.

Shahzeb Khanzada said the Shahbaz Sharif administration is pondering over the gang rape case of a girl student of Lahore. The pressure on the Punjab government is increasing to bring the perpetrators of the crime to justice.

Shahzeb Khanzada further said in his analysis that it now almost seven months since the local government elections were held in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, but the elected representatives have not been provided the offices, staff and funds. The government of Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf, against its claims, is appearing to have failed in transferring the authority to elected representatives. Shahzeb Khanzada said Imran Khan inaugurated the Shaukat Khanum Cancer Hospital. There may be differences with the political thinking of Imran Khan but this aspect of his service to humanity could not be denied.

The Punjab Law Minister, Rana Sanaullah said the Punjab government has not closed its eyes over terror activities. The Anti-terrorist Force is engaged in taking actions against terrorists. It is a proof of our alertness that the terror activities of Daesh were apprehended well before they could indulge in any terror activity. He said the accused in the rape case of a girl student of Lahore were arrested the very first day while the main accused was be arrested within 48 hours the same day. No one would be given any relaxation in the case, while there would be no challan against any innocent man in the case.

He pointed out that a woman self-immolated for non-registration of an FIR in Muzaffargarh. The chief minister had reached there the very next day and a challan has been presented in the court after completion of the inquiry. Rana Sanaullah said the government sent a Challan in the Anti-terrorist Court in the case of Kanju, but the complainant party accepted money, made patch-up and reverted from his statement. The government has, however, got cases registered against the witnesses who had backed out.

Rana Sanaullah said the Forensic Laboratory is capable of meeting the requirements of the whole country. He said Salman Akram Raja, who is giving details of the Rawalpindi rape case but why the court did not order inquiry into the case. “Had we been assigned the duty of inquiry, we would have dealt with the culprits severely.

thenews.com.pk

Twenty-five Islamic State (IS) rebels have been killed and 31 others wounded in Afghan Air Force (AAF) strikes in eastern Nangarhar province, the Ministry of Defence (MoD) said on Thursday.

AAF fighter jets pounded IS (Daesh) positions of commanders Abdul Khaliq and Saad Emirati in the Deh Bala district of the province, a statement from the ministry said.

Col. Noman Hatefi, spokesman for the 201^st Selab Military Corps, said the airstrikes were conducted in the past 24 hours in Deh Bala.

The MoD statement suggested Emirati might have been killed in the raid. However, an independent confirmation of his death was not immediately possible.

The district administrative chief’s son verified fighter jets hit militant positions in Dewana Baba and Sheikhano Kala localities. The fighters are yet to comment on the airstrikes.

pajhwok.com

Russia will deliver to Afghanistan in January a batch of small arms for police officers, Russian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Director of the 2nd Asia Department of the Russian Foreign Ministry Zamir Kabulov said.

According to him, arms supplies from Russia are a significant factor contributing to normalizing the situation in Afghanistan.

“At present, Russian agencies consider a number of corresponding requests from the Afghan side,” the presidential envoy told Russian media on Tuesday.

“In particular, the issue of the supply of 10,000 AK-47 (assault rifles) with rounds to them through the Russian Interior Ministry has been practically decided. The batch is expected to be supplied in January 2016,” the official said.

“Negotiations are currently underway on the commercial supplies of Russian helicopter equipment to Afghanistan,” he added.

“Russia has been consistently pursuing the policy of providing comprehensive assistance to Afghanistan in the establishment of a peaceful, independent, stable and self-sufficient state, free from terrorism and drugs,” Kabulov said.

“We support the national reconciliation line of the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. We are ready to flexibly approach the issues related to the possible weakening of the sanctions regime according to the UN Security Council’s Resolution 1988 against the Taliban, if it is not contrary to the national interests of Afghanistan.”

Last week, Kabulov said that Moscow was dramatically changing its position on the Taliban in Afghanistan. From now on, they are not an enemy for Russia any more. Moreover, they even become Moscow’s partners in a sense. “The interests of the Taliban in the fight against Daesh in Afghanistan are in line with Russian objectives,” the Russian presidential special envoy said.

tolonews.com

More than a decade after the US invaded Afghanistan as part of its war on terror, the group that prompted that invasion is reemerging as a threat.

And it’s far from alone.

Al Qaeda training camps are reportedly reappearing in Afghanistan, where the US has been focused on fighting ISIS (also known as the Islamic State, ISIL, or Daesh) and the Taliban, according to The New York Times.

And since ISIS and the Taliban have been making territorial gains across Afghanistan, Al Qaeda has reportedly fallen on the list of US anti-terror priorities.

If the training camps had popped up several years ago, “they would have rocketed to the top of potential threats presented to President Obama in his daily intelligence briefing,” The Times reports. “Now, they are just one of many — and perhaps, American officials say, not even the most urgent on the Pentagon’s list in Afghanistan.”

And the newly strengthened Taliban could be a force multiplier for Al Qaeda. Michael Morell, the former deputy director of the CIA who recently wrote a book about US efforts to destroy Al Qaeda, told The Times that the Taliban will give Al Qaeda a safe haven in Afghanistan, as they did before the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on US soil.

Morell also emphasized that the US will be high on the list of potential Qaeda targets.

An unnamed senior administration official told The Times that Al Qaeda reemergence in Afghanistan is the result of Pakistan pushing the fighters across the border, rather than Al Qaeda recruiting inside the country.

The US has attacked large training camps recently, some of which went undetected for up to a year and a half, according to The Times. Gen. John Campbell, the top American military commander in Afghanistan, told reporters earlier this month that the camps were hard to detect because they were in a remote part of Afghanistan.

Campbell testified before Congress in October, saying that Afghan forces haven’t been able to drive Al Qaeda completely out of Afghanistan.

He said that the group has “attempted to rebuild its support networks and planning capabilities with the intention of reconstituting its strike capabilities against the US homeland and Western interests.”

As Al Qaeda has built back up in Afghanistan, a new ISIS franchise has been staking out territory, often clashing with the Taliban for control. And with ISIS entering the fray, the Taliban has been trying to reassert itself, especially after the death of its leader, Mullah Omar, earlier this year.

Just this week, The Associated Press reported on the “rampant lawlessness” in some parts of Afghanistan.

The Taliban gained ground across the country over the summer, and ISIS is now said to be in control of four districts in Afghanistan. Afghan forces are now trying to drive the militants from these areas.

It’s unclear whether Afghan forces are capable of beating back al-Qaeda, the Taliban, and ISIS. Campbell noted “several shortcomings” with Afghan security forces in his Congressional testimony in October.

“They do not possess the necessary combat power and numbers to protect every part of the country,” Campbell said.

businessinsider.com

An Afghan official says police are refusing to go back on the streets of a volatile southern district under Taliban attack, claiming that promised government help has not yet arrived.

Karim Atal, the Helmand’s provincial council director, said that security forces are for now staying inside their base in Sangin district, where government forces have been fighting a Taliban takeover attempt for weeks.

Atal denied reports that police had fanned out from the base for a clearing operation in Sangin, an opium poppy-growing district producing a cash crop for the Taliban.

Taliban attempts to overrun Sangin peaked last week when fighters besieged the base, cutting off supply lines of troops, ammunition and food.

Reports later said that reinforcements, backed by US airstrikes, were subsequently deployed and broke the siege.

ap.org

Local officials on Monday said 10 Daesh — Islamic State (IS) — fighters had been killed during an airstrike and an armed clash in eastern Nangarhar province.

On the other hand, a Daesh flag installed on a jerry can full of explosives was found in the Tagab district of central Kapisa province.

Achin district chief, Haji Ghalib Mujahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News the Afghan Air Force struck Daesh positions in Peshay, Bandar, Abdulkhel and Shadal areas of the district on Sunday night.

He said eight militants were killed and some of their bases destroyed during the overnight raid in the restive district near the Pakistan border.

Attaullah Khogyani, the Nangarhar governor’s spokesman, said two more Daesh fighters were killed during a clash with Taliban militants in the Nazyan district of the province.

In central Afghanistan, the group’s activity was witnessed for the first time in the Tagab district of Kapisa province, said Asad Agha Safi, an Afghan Local Police (ALP) commander.

A jerry can full of explosives and having an IS flag was found in the northern part of the district bazaar early Monday morning.He said the explosives were defused by the Afghan National Army (ANA) forces.

The group also distributed night letters in parts of the district bazaar, an issue that was under investigation, Safi said, adding he had heard rumours about IS fighters sneaking into Tagab from Laghman province.

However, the Laghman governor’s spokesman, Sarhadi Zwak, denied the presence of Daesh in the province, neighbouring Nangarhar.

pajhwok.com