Turkistan Islamic Party touts captured equipment, training camp in Afghanistan
The video shows TIP’s men with captured Afghan military equipment, as well as recruits undergoing training.
Search Results for: afghanistan
Testimony: The Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Policy
On Sept. 19, Thomas Joscelyn testified before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs at a hearing titled, “The Trump Administration’s Afghanistan Policy.” His testimony focused on the close working relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaeda.
Several districts change hands as fighting rages in northern Afghanistan
At least six districts have been taken over by the Taliban, while the Afghan military said it gained control of three. The Taliban has said it would “continue [its] Jihad” after President Donald Trump torpedoed a peace deal with the group.
Taliban IED blast kills 35 civilians in western Afghanistan
The Taliban has denied responsibility for the deadly attack that killed and wounded scores of civilians. However the Taliban’s denial is not credible. It controls the two districts in the area where the bombing took place.
UN: Islamic State replaced leader in Afghanistan after visit from central leadership
According to a recently released report submitted to the UN Security Council, the Islamic State’s central leadership replaced the group’s head in Afghanistan earlier this year. The leadership change reportedly occurred after an Islamic State “core delegation” visited the country.
Trump caves to Pakistan on Afghanistan
Trump’s acquiescence to Pakistan, which has backed the Taliban’s deadly insurgency in Afghanistan, occurs less than two years after he accused Pakistan of providing “safe haven to agents of chaos, violence, and terror”. Trump also said Pakistan returned billions of dollars in US aid with “nothing but lies & deceit.”
Taliban overruns district in eastern Afghanistan
Afghan officials confirmed the Taliban took the district after security forces retreated. Paktika is in the sphere of influence of the Haqqani Network, the influential Taliban subgroup that is closely allied with al Qaeda as well as Pakistan’s military and Inter-Services Intelligence Directorate.
Taliban launches string of attacks throughout Afghanistan
As the Taliban launches major attacks in four provinces, it is revealed that 64 districts in 19 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces are not being governed from the existing district centers.
Taliban kills 2 US soldiers in eastern Afghanistan
The Taliban said it ambushed a US and Afghan convoy in Wardak province. The attack took place in a district that has been under Taliban control for years.
AQIS member from Kashmir reportedly killed in Ghazni, Afghanistan
An AQIS Member known as Abdul Haseeb al-Kashmiri was recently killed in Ghazni, according to jihadists online. His death was reported on a Telegram channel that supports Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind, an al Qaeda-linked group in Kashmir.
Senior al Qaeda official praises Taliban’s ‘victory’ in Afghanistan
Asim Umar, a senior al Qaeda official, has released a statement praising the Taliban’s “victory” in Afghanistan over the US. He also criticizes ISIS for dividing the jihadists’ ranks, praying that Allah ends the “fitnah.”
US commander confirms: al Qaeda operating ‘across’ Afghanistan
Al Qaeda is operating “across the country” and not confined to one region, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan said.
Analysis: US military ends reporting on security situation in Afghanistan’s districts
The U.S. military and NATO have stopped producing an assessment that was considered key for measuring progress against the jihadist insurgency in Afghanistan, according to a report released on April 30 by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR). The metric, which tracked district stability, was one of the “most widely cited Afghan security […]
UN: Al Qaeda continues to view Afghanistan as a ‘safe haven’
According to the UN’s Jan. 2019 assessment, al Qaeda’s relationship with the Taliban is “long-standing” and “strong.” And al Qaeda “continues to see Afghanistan as a safe haven for its leadership.” The UN estimates that the Islamic State has several thousand fighters in Afghanistan as well.
‘Tired’ Taliban fights on as US is desperate to leave Afghanistan
Political, military, and intelligence leaders, as well as analysts and experts on Afghanistan have been claiming the Taliban is exhausted from fighting for at least 15 years. And yet the Taliban fights on while the US is desperate to leave.
Analysis: US military downplays district control as Taliban gains ground in Afghanistan
The Taliban continues to gain on the Afghan government; seven more districts have fallen under Taliban control or are contested, according to SIGAR. The US military dismissed these gains, stating that this is “not indicative of effectiveness of the South Asia strategy or progress toward security and stability in Afghanistan.”
Analysis: The costs of withdrawal from Afghanistan
President Trump’s decision to withdraw American forces from Afghanistan will have consequences. The Taliban and al Qaeda will declare victory, while the US will find it harder to hunt terrorists throughout the region.
Taliban denial of presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan is absurd
The Taliban’s own statements and actions as well as Qaeda’s propaganda and operations easily disproves the Taliban’s denial that foreign fighters are in Afghanistan.
US service member killed during battle with al Qaeda in Afghanistan
The US says that Sgt. Jasso was “was likely accidentally shot” by partner Afghan forces during a “close-quarter battle” with “multiple barricaded al Qaeda shooters” in Nimroz province on Nov. 24. Nimroz is a remote area of Afghanistan and al Qaeda’s presence there confirms, once again, that the group is operating throughout the country.
Analysis: US military grossly underestimates Taliban, al Qaeda force levels in Afghanistan
The US military’s official estimate of the number of fighters in the Taliban’s ranks needs to be at least doubled given the level and intensity of fighting in Afghanistan, as well as the number of Taliban casualties claimed by the Afghan security forces.
Losing a war in Afghanistan
Thomas Joscelyn, Bill Roggio, Wall Street Journal reporter Jessica Donati, and FDD founder and president Clifford D. May discuss the dire situation in Afghanistan, how we got here, where we are going, and negotiations with the Taliban.
Taliban routs commando company in one of Afghanistan’s most secure rural districts
Another company of the elite Special Forces commandos was overrun, this time in the once impenetrable district of Jaghuri in Ghazni province. Afghan forces are being besieged by the Taliban on a daily basis.
Afghanistan watchdog: Government control lowest ever
Since the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) began tracking district control three years ago, Afghan government controlled or influenced districts has declined 16% to 55.5%. In the same period, insurgent control/influence rose 5.5% and contested districts increased 11%.
Mapping Taliban controlled and contested districts in Afghanistan: LWJ vs US military assessments
The New York Times map compares assessments from the US military and FDD’s Long War Journal on Taliban controlled and contested districts in Afghanistan.
Analysis: Gen. Nicholson says US strategy in Afghanistan ‘is working,’ despite the facts
At a Pentagon press conference, General Nicholson again gave a Pollyannish assessment of the state of Afghanistan. He claimed the peace process is working and the Taliban’s offensive is failing, and took credit for a Taliban victory over the Islamic State.
Taliban leader demands US withdraw from Afghanistan, blasts government as ‘corrupt regime’
The Taliban has released a new statement attributed to its emir, Hibatullah Akhundzada, who says there will only be “peace” when America leaves Afghanistan. Akhundzada blasts the current Afghan government as a “corrupt regime” and portrays the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan as the only legitimate authority.
Taliban overruns 2 districts in eastern Afghanistan
The Taliban takeover of the Paktika districts of Omna and Gayan occur as US generals attempt to put a positive spin on the Afghan military’s capabilities.
Islamic State claims suicide bombing near ceremony for Afghanistan’s returning vice president
The Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing that struck near the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul only minutes after Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum passed through the area.
Taliban, Islamic State continue battle in northern Afghanistan
The rise of the Islamic State in Jawzjan province over the past year has threatened the Taliban’s operations in the Afghan north.
Taliban overruns another district in northern Afghanistan
The move by the Taliban directly contradicts the top US and NATO general in Afghanistan’s assertion that the Taliban is “no longer attempting to gain new ground.”