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Taliban suicide bomber strikes intelligence facility in Ghazni
A suicide bomber dispatched by the Taliban detonated his explosives-laden vehicle outside of a facility run by the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Ghazni earlier today. Preliminary casualty reports indicate that upwards of 200 people were either killed or wounded, including schoolchildren.
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Afghan government unable to administer 64 districts
The Afghan government is unable to administer 64 districts from the district centers, according to a recent survey. The fact that a district cannot be administered from its district center is a clear indication that the government cannot control the district.
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Taliban overruns district in Afghan north
The Taliban has overrun another district in northern Afghanistan. The district of Qush Tepa in Jawzjan province – which was previously contested – was taken by the Taliban earlier today after several days of fighting, both Afghan officials and the Taliban confirmed. The governor of Jawzjan province said that the Taliban shut down all roads to the district on Monday morning and killed five soldiers, TOLONews reported. “Based on the circumstances on the ground, it seems that the district has unfortunately fallen to the enemy,” Governor Lotfullah Azizi told the Afghan news agency. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that his fighters seized the…
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.”
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Afghan government unconditionally releases hundreds of Taliban prisoners
In an effort to get the Taliban to open negotiations, the Afghan government has freed hundreds of Taliban prisoners without conditions, and will free hundreds more.
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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.
