At least 13 militants have been killed during a raid by security forces in Pakistan’s troubled southwestern Balochistan province.

The incident occurred when security forces launched a search operation was launched in the Awaran district on Sunday night.

“13 militants were killed after exchange of fire with security forces, a huge cache of weapons was recovered from their custody. Their bodies have been moved to a local hospital ,” a local administration official said.

The militants had opened fire on the security forces who retaliated and several militants were also injured but escaped with the help of their fleeing accomplices, the official said.

The search operation was carried out after militants attacked a convoy of security forces in the Tankour area of Awaran on Sunday night.

The official said the battle with the militants had continued throughout the day on Monday.

Balochistan has been hit by violence by ethnic Baloch seeking greater control over resources and al-Qaeda linked militants.

Under the National Action Plan, the groups are being targeted through a systematic action by the security forces.

outlookindia.com

At least 15 foreigners including a woman and two children were arrested accused of Daesh memberships in Nangarhar province.

The people are residents of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan and were detained by Afghan National Army (ANA) forces in Ghazi Amanullah Khan Township, Torkham highway of the province late yesterday.

Mohammad Noman Atefi spokesman of ANA in the east of the country told BNA, the arrested people were riding a car wanted to go to Rodat district, where Daesh terrorist group has active role recently.
According to the reports, the detained people are under investigation.

bakhtarnews.com.af

The Peshawar police on Monday thwarted a terror attempt by arresting two terrorists for planning an attack. According to police, two terrorists were arrested from Wali Jan Garhi area of Mithra on the outskirt of Peshawar.

The Police also recovered around 40 kg explosive and arms from the possession of the arrested terrorists. Police said a raid was conducted in Wali Jan Garhi area after receiving inputs from the secret agencies about the whereabouts of terrorists.

During the raid, police arrested five people including two terrorists and also recovered two bombs of 20 kilograms each, 2 rocket launchers and 2 rockets. The arrested suspects were shifted to undisclosed location for further interrogation.  Search and strike operation was still underway in Peshawar and its suburbs where 70 suspects, including 27 illegal Afghan residents, have been rounded up from different localities.

dailytimes.com.pk

Following heavy clashes in southern Helmand province, and the growing fear of districts falling to the Taliban, U.S Special Operations forces have secretly taken a more central role in the fighting in a bid to help drive out the insurgents, reports the New York Times.

According to the report, not just air power has been committed to the battle but so too have ground troops.

It was reported that a Western diplomat said last week that the U.S special ops forces have in fact been involved in the fight for a few weeks – despite the withdrawal of foreign combat troops by President Barack Obama at the end of last year.

The New York Times reports that the extent of the American role has been kept largely secret, with senior Afghan officials in the area saying they are under orders not to divulge the level of cooperation, especially by Special Operations forces on the ground.

The report states that the Pentagon is concerned that the involvement may suggest that the American combat role, which was supposed to have ended in December 2014, is still far beyond the official “train, advise and assist” mission.

The elite ground units in Helmand include both Special Operations troops and the United States Air Force’s Special Tactics Squadron, according to the Western diplomat, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

The American intervention in Helmand comes amid reports of Taliban capturing more districts and Afghan security forces being trapped and becoming more demoralized, read the report adding that if insurgents are able to sweep away the tenuous government presence in district centers and the capital, Lashkar Gah, it would be a dire setback for the Afghan government, and would give the Taliban a strong foothold in southern Afghanistan.

Asked whether American forces were taking a larger combat role in Helmand, a United States military spokesman, Col. Michael T. Lawhorn, would not reply directly. But he praised the Afghan forces’ efforts so far.

“There’s little question that Helmand is a contested area,” Lawhorn said. “But the Afghan National Security Forces have conducted no fewer than five major operations there to disrupt insurgent and Taliban activities.”

The Afghan commandos are asking NATO forces for help in retaking the district center and expect to receive air support, he said, adding, “Otherwise we will lose the district completely.”

tolonews.com

breakingnews.ie

Afghanistan’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Abdullah Abdullah’s second deputy Mohammad Mohaqiq Saturday claimed that the Taliban has deployed a hundred tons of weapons into a valley between Badakhshan and Nuristan provinces.

“The information we received reveals the Taliban has deployed 100 tons of weapons in a valley between Badakhshan and Nuristan provinces and some other areas including thousands of weapons in Moman valley and likewise in southern Afghanistan in Bahramcha area. These all show that the war is not going to end easily,” he said.

The remarks come a day after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said peace talks with the Taliban will likely start within a few weeks.
However, Mohaqiq seems to be cautious about the peace talks.

“May God not engage someone with a bad neighbor, if a bad neighbor continues with bad deeds, then it becomes an obstruction, I seek refuge in God, now we have extended the friendship hand,” Mohaqiq said, referring to President Ashraf Ghani’s recent tour to Pakistan.

At least four people were killed following a suicide attack carried out by a foreigner woman in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, local officials said Friday.

The incident took in Jalalabad, the provincial city of eastern Nangarhar province late on Thursday night.

Provincial governor spokesman said at least three children and an operative of the Afghan intelligence – National Directorate of Security (NDS) lost their lives in the attack.

There are no reports regarding the identity of the foreigner woman who detonated the explosives strapped in her body but Khogyani said the incident took place while the Afghan intelligence operatives were conducting a search on a group of suspected foreigners travellign in Daronta area.

Khogyani further added that five men were also among the group of the suspected foreigners travelling in a car when they were stopped for search and questioning.

Nangarhar is among the relatively volatile provinces in eastern Afghanistan where anti-government armed militant groups are actively operating.

Certain district of Nangarhar province have also became a hotbed for the insurgents pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group.

khaama.com

Local officials in Baghlan province voiced their concerns on Thursday over reports that Daesh militants are trying to recruit in the area, warning that if government does not do something quickly this move will further escalate violence in the region.

According to some residents, militants apparently associated with Daesh have in recent weeks tried to forge a foothold in the province and settle their families in the area in a bid to recruit fighters.

Residents believe this could pose enormous security threats to the people in future.

Up to 70 Daesh families have reportedly been deployed to one district in Baghlan and are recruiting, members of Baghlan provincial council were quoted on Thursday as saying.

“I have information that 70 Daesh families were deployed in Barkah district and are recruiting; they force the residents to provide them with food. Government is aware of the development, but it hasn’t taken any action,” a member of Baghlan provincial council Mohammad Hanif said.

“Taliban and Jandallah groups are already operating in Baghlan, but now Daesh has added to these groups. The government is not taking action against them and militants freely recruit. So government must act,” a Baghlan resident Zikrullah said.

“Daesh and Taliban militants are recruiting in Baghlan. Government must act and suppress them during the winter,” another resident Nasir said, adding that if action is not taken against them now, militants will pose a major threat come next spring.

Meanwhile, Baghlan police department has confirmed Daesh militants were in the area. However, police reject rumors over the deployment of militants’ families in Baghlan’s Barkah district.

“Recently Daesh planned to establish a center in Barkah district, but the group faced a major backlash from the people and they fled the area,” acting police chief of Baghlan Abdul Rashid Bashir said.

This comes just a few months after rumors surfaced that Taliban and Jandallah groups were trying to recruit in Baghlan.

tolonews.com

Singapore’s defense minister has warned that Daesh (ISIL/ISIS) poses a “clear and present danger” to Southeast Asia. In the past three years, the group has attracted more followers than al-Qaeda did in the ten years after 9/11.