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Taliban continues to press offensives in endangered districts
The Taliban has claimed it overran five districts in four Afghan provinces since mid-May. Meanwhile, the Afghan military said it liberated a district that was under Taliban control for over two years.
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Islamic State bombs bus, security personnel in western Kabul
The Islamic State’s Afghan arm detonated three improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Kabul earlier today. The first bomb struck a bus carrying civilians, while the second two were detonated after security forces and journalists made their way to the scene.
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Caliphate, interrupted
The defeat of the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria was neither final nor decisive, and policymakers should heed the War on Terror’s lessons to ensure the West doesn’t squander this advantage and enable ISIS, or its copycats and successor groups, to rally.
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Taliban suicide bomber targets convoy in Kabul
A Taliban suicide bomber struck a convoy in Kabul earlier today. The Taliban claimed that 10 “invaders” were killed, but independent reports say that Afghans perished, while four Americans were wounded.
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Suicide bomber strikes military academy in Kabul
An Islamic State suicide bomber struck outside the Marshal Fahim National Defense University in Kabul earlier today. It is the second time the so-called Khorasan province has attacked the academy. According to UNAMA, the jihadists launch more “suicide and complex attacks” in the Afghan capital than in any other area of the country.
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Analysis: John Walker Lindh fought for al Qaeda’s pro-Taliban force
Although John Walker Lindh is commonly known as the “American Taliban,” he was actually trained by al Qaeda and belonged to Osama bin Laden’s pro-Taliban fighting force.
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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.
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Al Qaeda video emphasizes unity with Taliban’s Islamic emirate
Al Qaeda has released a new video emphasizing its unity with the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The video features a joint Taliban-al Qaeda ambush on an Afghan army convoy in Paktika province.
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Taliban assaults ‘anti-Islamic’ NGO in Kabul, citing its promotion of ‘western culture’
A team of Taliban jihadists attacked Counterpart International, a USAID-backed NGO operating in Kabul. The Taliban claims that Counterpart’s work is “anti-Islamic” and criticizes the NGO for promoting “western culture,” as well as the “mixing” of men and women.
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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 metrics.” But it will no longer be available to the public, or those tasked with oversight. In Nov. 2017, General John W. Nicholson Jr., then commander of Resolute Support and U.S. Forces Afghanistan (USFOR-A), said the “most telling” metric for success is “population control” —…
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Examining the Global Terrorism Landscape
Bill Roggio testifies before the House Committee on Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Middle East, North Africa and International Terrorism, and examines the global terrorism landscape.
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Islamic State’s Khorasan arm targets government ministry
A small team of Islamic State jihadists assaulted the Ministry of Communications in Kabul on Apr. 20. It was the latest in a string of attacks on government ministries and other official sites in the Afghan capital.
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Doha talks postponed after Taliban objects to presence of Afghan officials
The Taliban has consistently refused to negotiate with the Afghan government, and said the composition of the delegation to Doha indicates that it represents the Afghan government.
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Taliban announces ‘Al-Fath Jihadi Operations’ for 2019
Unlike previous years, the Taliban does not prioritize attacks on US and NATO forces, but instead sets its crosshairs on those working for the Afghan government, military, and police. The statement is yet another clear indication that the Taliban will not share power with the Afghan government, but instead seeks to impose its will on the country.
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Taliban trashes Afghan peace council, urges boycott
The Taliban decried the upcoming Afghan Loya Jirga for Peace as a tool of “the invaders and their stooges,” and called on all Afghans to shun the jirga.
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3 US service members killed in Taliban bombing
A Taliban suicide bomber attacked US forces outside of Bagram Air Base, the largest US military installation in Afghanistan.
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Afghan military kills 31 AQIS fighters in Ghazni
Despite repeated claims to the contrary, al Qaeda has not been defeated in Afghanistan, and it still continues to operate alongside its ally, the Taliban.
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Islamic State launches mortars at memorial service in Kabul
Earlier today, the Islamic State’s Khorasan “province” attacked a memorial held in honor of Abdul Ali Mazari, an ethnic Hazara leader who was killed by the Taliban in 1995. The Islamic State’s loyalists frequently target Shiites in the Afghan capital.
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Taliban suicide team attacks Afghan base in Helmand
While Afghan and Coalition officials claim the assault was “repelled,” the Taliban clearly entered the base and inflicted casualties on Afghan forces.
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US offers $1 million reward for information on Hamza bin Laden
The State Department announced today that it is offering a $1 million reward for information on Hamza bin Laden’s whereabouts. Hamza is the genetic and ideological heir of al Qaeda’s founder and he has been groomed for a leadership position within the organization.
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Taliban and Islamic State cause majority of civilian casualties in Afghan war, UN finds
According to UNAMA’s annual report for 2018, more civilians were killed in Afghanistan than in any year since 2009. The Taliban remains the main culprit when it comes to civilian casualties, killing or wounding more than any other party. But the number casualties attributed to the Islamic State’s branch more than doubled in 2018, as compared to 2017.
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Taliban continues to host foreign terrorist groups, despite assurances to the contrary
The Taliban claims it does “not allow anyone to use the soil of Afghanistan against other countries including neighboring countries.” Some have uncritically accepted this claim. But it is obviously false.
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‘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.
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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.”
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Mullah Baradar appointed head of Taliban’s ‘political office’ in Qatar
The Taliban said Baradar was appointed to lead the political office to “strengthen” its position in negotiations with the US.
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Taliban promotes training camp for ‘Commando Mujahidin’
While these training videos are often mocked, including by the spokesman for Resolute Support and US Forces – Afghanistan, the graduates from these camps have been effective at battling Afghan security forces.
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Taliban suicide bomber leads attack on Afghan training center in Wardak province
Three Taliban jihadists attacked a National Directorate of Security (NDS) training center in Wardak earlier today. The assault was led by a Taliban suicide bomber driving a Humvee packed with explosives.
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‘They will beg us for talks but we will reject them,’ Taliban spokesman says
One of the Taliban’s top two spokesmen bragged that the group called off negotiations with the US after the latter has pleaded for peace talks.
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Taliban video shows fighters controlling district center in Farah
Afghan security officials denied Shib Koh fell to the Taliban, but a video recently released by the Taliban shows its fighters in full control of the district center.
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Analysis: Military spokesman mocks Taliban video, but exposes US lack of understanding of the enemy
A since-deleted tweet by the spokesman for US Forces Afghanistan and Resolute Support Mission highlights a lack of seriousness and understanding about the threat posed by the Taliban.
