In a veiled reference to Pakistan, India said perpetrators of violence in Afghanistan must not be allowed safe havens in its neighbourhood, as it slammed UNSC’s sanctions regime for not designating the leader of Taliban as terrorist, calling such an approach a “mystery”

“The fact that the leader of Taliban – a proscribed entity – is not yet designated as a terrorist individual remains a mystery to us. Can we know the rationale for such an approach,” Deputy Permanent Representative Ambassador Tanmaya Lal said at a Security Council debate on Afghanistan here.

The Taliban had named Mawlawi Haibatullah Akhundzada, a conservative cleric in his 50s, as its new leader after Mullah Akhtar Muhammad Mansour was killed in a US drone strike in May. Akhundzada is not on any terrorist designated list.

Lal questioned how, by not designating the head of a banned entity, the world body intends to address one of the biggest threats to peace and security.

“Is it now the thinking that leaders of proscribed entities will not be held accountable for the deeds of the listed groups that they head? Is this how we now intend to address one of the most serious threats to international peace and security,” he said in his remarks.

Lal questioned whether the response to India’s queries on the functioning of the UN sanctions regime will be a “deafening silence” as was the case when the Security Council Committee 1988, which deals with issues relating to Afghanistan, had met last month, with no information about what was discussed in the meeting.

“We are unaware of what was discussed and what was the outcome of these discussions. Are Member States entitled to know what this Committee, which acts on their behalf, considers and decides upon on, for all of us?

“This appears to be one more instance of the secrecy practiced in the subterranean universe of the Security Council which has now enshrined the principles of anonymity and unanimity to ensure lack of accountability to member-states,” he said.

In an apparent reference to Pakistan, Lal said groups and individuals that perpetrate violence against the people and government of Afghanistan “must not be allowed safe havens in Afghanistan’s neighbourhood.”

While the Afghan government has made efforts to combat terrorism, “others have callously looked the other way” when Afghanistan is targeted by Taliban, Haqqani Network, ISIS, al-Qaeda, LeT and JeM, Lal said and called for effective implementation of the Security Council’s sanctions regime, including the 1267 ISIL/Al-Qaeda Sanctions and the 1988 Taliban regime.

He said this is “absolutely essential” for it to serve as a “strong deterrent” to the listed entities and individuals. Lal noted that while Taliban’s attacks and military gains in Afghanistan have been resisted by security forces, these attacks have gone up in the last couple of months, a trend which cannot be explained simply as a peak in the fighting season.

“The current efforts by the international community to assist Afghanistan have clearly not been adequate,” he said adding that the Security Council needs to find the means to reverse the deteriorating security situation to ensure that gains made by the Afghan people in the last 15 years are not withered away.

The remarks by India at the Council came as Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani met Prime Minister Narendra Modi in New Delhi and without naming Pakistan sent out a strong message that the “concerned” should put an end to all sponsorship, support, safe havens and sanctuaries to terrorists, including for those who target Afghanistan and India.

Lal reiterated that Afghanistan has India’s full support for strengthening its defence capabilities and in preserving its sovereignty, unity and territorial integrity, which is essential for the stability of the region.

India has offered an allocation of a billion dollars for requirements of Afghanistan for capacity building in spheres such as education, health, empowerment of women, energy, infrastructure and strengthening of democratic institutions.

“We believe that the path to reconciliation in Afghanistan should be through an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned process in adherence to the internationally-accepted red lines reflecting the aspirations of the people of Afghanistan,” he said.

Pakistan’s envoy to the UN Maleeha Lodhi said 15 years of war waged by the world’s most-powerful forces could not yield a military solution in Afghanistan and a “military solution is even more unlikely now.”

She asserted that no one should “expect that Pakistan would fight Afghanistan’s war on its soil.” She said a dialogue between Kabul and the Afghan-Taliban remains the only way to end Afghanistan’s “long night of suffering.”

Lodhi said it is unfortunate that Pakistan continues to encounter threats from elements of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan and “its backers from across the border.”

She said to prevent cross-border attacks, Pakistan will fence extended parts of the border. “If the Afghan government seeks an end to such cross-border terrorism, it should support such fencing and strict controls at the international border.”

Afghanistan’s envoy Mahmoud Saikal said the savage attacks in populated urban centres had illustrated the “cowardly behaviour” of terrorist groups and their supporters to compensate for their so-called spring offensive losses.

“Current efforts remain scattered, slow, and at times static, and have proven incapable to match the sophistication and ever changing tactics of global terror for its eventual threat,” he emphasised.

deccanherald.com

Taliban militants have seized around 200 armoured vehicles from Afghan security forces in recent months according to the country’s former spy chief.

“We lost 200 Humvees and Rangers in two or three months as the result of incompetence,” Rahmatullah Nabil told Afghan broadcaster Tolo TV on Tuesday.

Light and heavy weapons have also been seized by militants, according to Badakhshan provincial governor Faisal Bigzad.

He said there was a risk the equipment was already being used by “the enemy” against local troops and urged foreign forces to help in destroying the items.

Theft of security forces’ guns and vehicles by the Taliban has also been reported in other Afghan provinces, while posts on social media show Taliban fighters standing next to captured Humvees or rows of rocket launchers.

A security expert, who wanted to remain off the record, told dpa that the items are mainly stolen during attacks on security checkpoints.

The checkpoints are often won back quickly by Afghan forces, but the equipment is not retrieved, he said.

A spokesman for the NATO-led military mission in Afghanistan, Charles Cleveland, said that the stolen armoured Humvees did have the effect of making the Taliban very visible.

“This makes it easier for us to smoke them,” he said.

aboutcroatia.net

At least 22 Indian nationals who went missing earlier this year have reportedly joined the loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group.

According to local media reports citing security sources the 22 individuals joined the loyalists of the terror group in the first of July.

The sources further added that the revelation was made during the interrogation of an Indian woman, 29-year-old Yasmin, who was arrested by the authorities from New Delhi airport earlier last month.

According to Yasmin thirteen of the missing Keralites were men, six women and three children, and “they had left their houses in Kasaragod and Palakkad districts of Kerala between mid-May and the first week of July.”

A National Investigation Agency (NIA) official, close to the investigation, told IANS that all of the missing Keralites had “exited India from Bengaluru, Hyderabad or Mumbai airports for Kuwait, Dubai, Muscat or Abu Dhabi from where they are learnt to have traveled to Afghanistan through Iran.”

This comes as the loyalists of ISIS terrorist group in Afghanistan have been attempting to expand foothold in the country.

The coalition officials had earlier said the loyalists of the terror group have managed to consolidate operations with the main group based in Iraq and Syria as they attempted to establish a regional operational base in eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

khaama.com

Terrorists have stormed a hospital in south Afghanistan, killing a security soldier before being shot to death during an exchange of fire

According to Afghan officials, the incident occurred on Monday when two assailants entered the hospital in the country’s southern provincial city of Kandahar, starting a gun battle with security guards in the regional health center.

Reports said one member of the security forces was killed along with the two attackers.

Provincial governor spokesman Samim Khpalwak said the target of the attack could have been the deputy governor who was intending to visit the hospital.

The medical facility provides health services to war victims, including members of police forces and the Afghan army.

No group or individual has so far claimed responsibility for the deadly assault, but such incidents are mostly blamed on Taliban militants who frequently target official buildings and security forces in the war-ravaged country.

Afghanistan has been gripped by insecurity since the US and its allies invaded the country as part of Washington’s so-called war on terror in 2001. Many parts of the country still remain plagued by militancy despite the presence of foreign troops.

Taliban militants have regrouped since the death of former leader Mullah Akhtar Mansour earlier in the year and are reported to be currently in control of some areas in Afghanistan.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says it recorded 1,601 civilian deaths and 3,565 injuries in Afghanistan in the first six months of 2016.

presstv.com

At least 4 Daesh militants were killed in a drone strike conducted by the US forces in western Farah province of Afghanistan, local officials said Sunday.

Provincial governor’s spokesman Mohammad Asif Nang said the drone strike was conducted late on Saturday night in Khak-e-Safid district targeting the militants in the vicinity of Qarya-e-Surkh area.

He said a hideout of the militants was targeted in the airstrike a commander of the group was likely among those killed.

The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far.

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

The US forces in Afghanistan have stepped up airstrikes against the militant groups during the recent months.

The Obama administration granted broader role to the US forces based in Afghanistan to target the loyalists of the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS) terrorist group as well as the Taliban militants.

The broader role was granted amid deteriorating security situation in the country and following concerns that the militant groups are attempting to expand insurgency in the country.

khaama.com

At least four militants were killed and 37 suspects arrested over the last 24 hours in Pakistan as the law enforcement agencies speeded up the ongoing combing operation ahead of the Muslim festival of Eid, local media and officials said Saturday.

Inter-Services Public Relations, the mouthpiece of Pakistani army, said in a statement that the troops launched an operation in Rajanpur area of the country’s east Punjab province on Saturday.

Four militants and a soldier was killed in the gun battle which was triggered-off by the search operation, conducted by the forces at the militants’hideouts.

The forces have also recovered arms and ammunitions from the hideouts. Separately, in the country’s southern port city of Karachi, three militants were arrested as police foiled a terrorist attack to sabotage the forthcoming Eid celebrations.

Earlier on Friday night, police arrested 34 suspects from Lahore and Multan cities of Punjab, in separate search operations.

The arrested suspects were shifted to some undisclosed location for investigations, said the report.

The combing operations are being carried out across the country by security forces under the national action plan (NAP) to pre-empt potential sleeper cells and hideouts of terrorists.

xinhuanet.com

Up to nine militants were killed and 13 others injured as aircrafts pounded Taliban fighters in the northern Afghan province of Jauzjan Friday night, police said Saturday.

“Taliban rebels attacked some villages in Faizabad district late Friday night and government forces backed by aircrafts targeted the attacking militants killing nine rebels on the spot and injuring 13 others,” Hafizullah Khashi, deputy to provincial police chief, told Xinhua.

The official, however, didn’t provide more details.

Taliban militants who have intensified activities over the past several months are yet to make comment on the situation.

xinhuanet.com

Afghan forces have halted the advance of Taliban militants in Uruzgan’s capital Tarin Kowt after the Taliban threatened to overrun it on Thursday.

“As you can hear, we now have air support bombing Taliban positions,” Uruzgan security chief Colonel Abdul Qawi said.

He said reinforcements had arrived and the Taliban had been beaten back in their advance and had taken huge casualties, but he didn’t elaborate on the number of casualties.

Media reports suggested that General Abdul Raziq, the notoriously ruthless police chief of Kandahar, had arrived in Tarin Kowt to personally lead operations against the Taliban militants.

“We have not been able to get out of the market and our shops are closed,” said a shopkeeper, who didn’t want to be named.

He said he could hear gunfire and blasts going off in the distance, but he was “too afraid” to go out.

Jan Agha, a resident in Uruzgan, earlier said that Afghan police had been fleeing their posts without fighting after the Taliban issued an amnesty letter to government employees in Uruzgan on Wednesday.

Security responsibilities in the province were handed over to Afghan forces in December 2013 when Australian troops ended their combat mission there.

Uruzgan is one of the most volatile provinces in southern Afghanistan, with anti-government militants actively operating in a number of its districts and often carrying out attacks.

In June, a Taliban attack in Dehrawood district killed at least 10 Afghan National Army soldiers.

In a major coup for the militants, the Taliban briefly took over Kunduz city, the capital of the northern Afghan province of the same name, in September 2015.

aboutcroatia.net/

Taliban forces have fought their way to within a few kilometers of the capital of Afghanistan’s central province of Uruzgan, officials said on Wednesday, warning of its collapse unless authorities provide air support and ground reinforcements.

The Taliban are battling to topple the Western-backed government of Afghanistan 15 years after they lost power in a U.S.-led military operation.

Overstretched Afghan security forces and their foreign military advisers have focused on blunting Taliban attacks in southern Helmand province and the northern city of Kunduz, besides battling Islamic State militants in eastern Nangarhar.

Many of the embattled police and soldiers around the Uruzgan capital of Tarin Kot are fighting with minimal reinforcements and often with insufficient food and ammunition, say regional officials.

“If there is no significant air support and ground reinforcement, Tarin Kot will collapse,” warned Abdul Karim, head of the provincial capital.

Security forces have halted the Taliban advance about 2 km (1.2 miles) from the city’s prison, whose prisoners the militants seek to free, officials suspect, using a tactic the Taliban employed when they briefly captured Kunduz last year.

In a posting online, the Taliban claimed to have overrun 15 government outposts, including a “strategic military base” in Uruzgan.

“All the surrounding areas of the capital are under tight siege and attacks of mujahideen,” the group said.

Despite the Taliban offensives in Uruzgan, the NATO-led coalition, which declared its combat mission over at the end of 2014, said it had no advisers in the province, nor had U.S. warplanes conducted any air strikes in recent days.

The insurgents would not be able to break through security cordons, said Dost Mohammed Nayab, the spokesman of the provincial governor.

“The Taliban did whatever they could to get the capital city but they couldn’t,” he said. “We are ready to defend our province.”

At least 32 Taliban have been killed and another 23 wounded, Nayab said, with six security forces killed and nine wounded.

Taliban forces continue to threaten the Helmand capital of Lashkar Gah, where militants once again cut a major highway to neighbouring Kandahar, said Omar Zwak, the spokesman of the provincial governor.

Coalition advisers were recently sent back into the city to help police based there, but a U.S. military spokesman said the soldiers would have a non-combat role.

reuters.com