Afghanistan

[angelburst29]

Four US service members taking part in Operation Resolute Support were injured on Monday in the result of the detonation of a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device.

Four US Service Members Injured by Explosion in Afghanistan
https://sputniknews.com/military/201711141059068758-us-service-members-injured-afghanistan/

Four US service members participating in Operation Resolute Support were injured on Monday when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated in Kandahar, Afghanistan, Operation Resolute Support Public Affairs Director Capt. Tom Gresback told Sputnik in an email.

"I can confirm reports that a vehicle-born improvised explosive device detonated in Kandahar province at approximately 2 p.m. today," Gresback said.
"There were a total of four US service members injured and all are in stable condition in US medical treatment facilities."

Gresback added that no service members were killed in the explosion.

 

[angelburst29]

The chief investigator of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, has asked for judicial permission to launch an investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Afghanistan, the ICC said.

International Criminal Court to investigate CIA black sites in Afghanistan
https://www.rt.com/news/410450-icc-investigate-cia-prisons-afghanistan/

According to an ICC statement, the investigation will look into crimes allegedly committed in Afghanistan since May 1, 2003, as well as any crimes linked the conflict that took place outside it since July 1, 2002. The parties under investigation will be the Taliban and another powerful Islamist group, the Haqqani Network, both of which also operate in Pakistan, as well as the Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF), in particular, members of the National Directorate for Security (NDS) and the Afghan National Police (ANP).

The situation in Afghanistan has been under preliminary examination by the Office of the Prosecutor since 2006,” the statement said. “After a comprehensive and careful scrutiny of the information available to the office, applying the applicable Rome Statute legal criteria, the prosecutor has determined that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation of the situation in Afghanistan.”

The investigation will also examine war crimes and human rights violations committed by the United States and its allies, with an additional focus on the Central Intelligence Agency and its role in operating secret detention facilities, so-called “black sites,” on the territory of Afghanistan and other allied countries.

These black sites were used by the CIA to hold and question suspected terrorists after September 11, often making use of “enhanced interrogation techniques” which has been criticized as being a euphemism for torture.

Among the techniques used was waterboarding, where a cloth is placed over the prisoner’s face and water is poured on top, creating the feeling of drowning. Other enhanced interrogation techniques included stress positions, sleep deprivation and humiliation.

The CIA’s black sites were in Poland, Lithuania, Romania, Thailand and Afghanistan. The agency’s current deputy director, Gina Haspel, ran such a facility in Thailand nicknamed the “Cat’s Eye,” and later reportedly participated in the destruction of interrogation videotapes that showed the torture of detainees at the prison she ran, as well as at other secret compounds.

The ICC has been criticized for what’s perceived to be huge overspending and poor efficiency. Despite having an annual operating budget of €145 million ($170 million), the court has only managed to score four convictions, all of them African war criminals, leading to complaints of an anti-African bias. It has also issued arrest warrants for other suspects, including Joseph Kony of the Lord’s Liberation Army, a Christian terrorist group in Uganda, but they have yet to appear in court to face justice. The court has no jurisdiction over the US, since Washington backed out of ratifying the Rome Statute in 2002. Russia cut its ties with the ICC last year following a decree by President Vladimir Putin.

 

[angelburst29]

Afghan Forces Thwart Militants Plot to Target Kabul with BM-1 Rocket
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960902000507

Officials in Criminal Investigation Department in Kabul said the security forces discovered and defused a BM-1 rocket before the militants to target the city with it, Khaama Press reported.

The officials further added that the rocket was prepared and ready to be fired when the security forces discovered it from Sang-e-Nawesht area of Kabul.

This comes as the Afghan intelligence operatives foiled a coordinated attack plan by the notorious Haqqani terrorist network in Kabul city.

The National Directorate of Security (NDS) in a statement said the Afghan forces discovered a cache of mines, explosives, and weapons prepared by the terror network for the attack.

The statement further added that the cache was discovered from the vicinity of the 7th police district of the city which included ten magnetic bombs, a suicide bombing vest, mobile phones, and weapons.

The explosives and mines were destroyed on the spot, NDS said, adding that the Haqqani network was looking to use the explosives for coordinated attacks in the city.

At least fifteen militants affiliated with the ISIL terrorist group offshoot, ISIL Khorasan, were beheaded by their own comrades in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Fifteen ISIL Terrorists Beheaded by Own Comrades in East of Afghanistan
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960903000147

According to the local officials, the incident took place recently in the restive Achin district, Khaama press reported.

The provincial government media office in a statement the incident took place in Surkhab Bazar area of Mamand Dara in Achin.

The statement further added that the ISIL fighters beheaded their 15 comrades after an infighting erupted among them due to unknown reasons.

According to the provincial government, the beheading of the fifteen men has resulted into a major crack among the ISIL ranks in this province and there are fears more violence and infighting among the group.

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

Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces however the Taliban and ISIL militants have increased their insurgency activities in some its remote parts during the recent years.

Numerous incidents of infighting have been reported from this province among the Taliban and ISIL militants but this is the first time an infighting has been reported among the own ranks of ISIL.

 

[angelburst29]

At least fourteen militants affiliated with the ISIL terrorist group were killed in an airstrike conducted in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Senior ISIL Leaders among 14 Dead Terrorists in Nangarhar Airstrike
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960905001435

The provincial government media office issued a statement on Saturday afternoon and said the airstrike was carried out in the vicinity of Achin district, Khaama press reported on Sunday.

The statement further added that the target of the airstrike apparently was senior ISIL leaders who were killed in the airstrike.

The militants were targeted in the vicinity of Margha area of Mamand Dara of Achin district, the statement said, adding that the two ISIL leaders killed in the raid have been identified as Asadullah Orakzai and Shakirullah Kunari.

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

Nangarhar is among the relatively calm provinces however the Taliban and ISIL militants have increased their insurgency activities in some its remote parts during the recent years.

 

[angelburst29]

The US Defense Department sought to prevent the publication of an independent study highlighting child sexual abuse crimes among Afghan soldiers and police officers, Stars and Stripes reported Sunday.

Pentagon Sought to Obstruct Publication of Afghan Child Sex Report (Video)
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201711281059486446-pentagon-obstruct-afghan-child-sex-report/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j2C3JBdv520 (RT 27:02 min.)

Congress initially requested a review of potential crimes by Afghan security personnel in 2015. The study, carried out by the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR), has been sent to lawmakers but remains classified. It is only despite the machinations of the US military that Congress is seeing the report at all: the Defense Department attempted to block the report from going anywhere, the military newspaper said.

"It's fair to say there was an effort to discourage the investigation," a US Senate staffer told Stripes. The Pentagon has denied the allegations.

Afghan security officials have a reputation for recruiting young boys into their ranks, sometimes for the purposes of fornication, the New York Times reported in September 2015.

US troops have been explicitly ordered not to tell superiors about pedophiles among the police and army ranks who were abusing children, according to the Times. "The reason we were here is because we heard the terrible things the Taliban were doing to people, how they were taking away human rights," said Dan Quinn, a former Special Forces captain who punched a US-backed paramilitary commander who kept a boy chained to his bed.
We were putting people into power who would do things that were worse than what the Taliban did," the veteran said.

The Army removed Quinn from Afghanistan after the beating, since he had disobeyed the policy to ignore child abuse. He later resigned.

"At night we can hear them [the boys] screaming, but we're not allowed to do anything about it," Gregory Buckler Sr. said his son, Marine Lance Cpl. Gregory Buckley, Jr. told him during their last conversation before the Marine was killed in 2012. "My son said that his officers told him to look the other way because it's their culture."

Under the Leahy laws, foreign security force members are ineligible to receive US aid when they are found to have committed gross human rights violations.

Bacha bazi is a form of pederasty that has roots in Central Asia, where boys are forced to dress up as women and dance in front of older men. In some cases, the practice has been tied to prostitution and child sex trafficking.

 

[angelburst29]

Commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, said "well over 1,000" advisers would be closer to the front lines during next year's fighting season in Afghanistan.

US to Deploy Over 1,000 Additional Troops to Afghanistan in 2018
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960908000153

A large increase in US forces patrolling with Afghan counterparts will push the Taliban back in 2018, the top general said, cautioning that they would "absolutely" be at extra risk, Daily Mail reported.

General John Nicholson, who commands US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said "well over 1,000" advisors would be out conducting combat operations on the front lines during next year's fighting season. They will embed at the "kandak" level, an Afghan term meaning in battalions typically of 300-400 men.

Smaller numbers of US troops have already been conducting such work this year, but their ranks would "increase dramatically," Nicholson said.

"There will be greater risk. Absolutely," he said, noting that they will be backed by a full array of air support and surveillance capabilities.

The move comes as part of President Donald Trump's strategy for Afghanistan and broader region, which he announced in August and that has already seen a sharp uptick in air strikes and an additional 3,000 or so troops flow in.

The strategy includes relations with Pakistan, which Trump has angrily accused Islamabad of harboring "agents of chaos." Secretary of State Rex Tillerson also has said too many militants are finding sanctuary there.

While acknowledging that Pakistanis have "been engaged in a very tough fight against extremism inside their own country," Nicholson said he had not seen any significant changes from Islamabad.

Members of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network still hide out on the Pakistan side of the Durand Line separating it from Afghanistan, he added.

"The expectations are out there. We have not seen those changes implemented yet and we are hoping to work together with the Pakistanis going forward to eliminate terrorists who are crossing the Durand Line," Nicholson said.

Like other commanders before him, Nicholson offered an upbeat view of the 16-year-old war, insisting that the fight had "turned the corner" and predicting that the Afghan security forces will expand government control of the population from about 64 percent now to 80 percent over two years.

 

[angelburst29]

The Taliban insurgents have executed their own leader over alleged links with the ISIL terrorist group in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

Afghanistan: Taliban Execute Own leader in Nangarhar after ISIL Mass Beheading
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960906000362

According to the local officials, the incident took place recently in the vicinity of Shirzad district, home to several Taliban militants, Khaama press reported.

The officials further added that the Taliban group leader killed by his own fighters has been identified Mawlavi Shukoor. The provincial government media office in a statement also confirmed that Taliban insurgents covered with masks executed their leader over alleged ties with the ISII group in Shirzad district.

The statement further added that the Taliban leader was killed in Karki Khel area of the of Shirzad.

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

This comes as at least fifteen militants affiliated with the ISIL terrorist group offshoot, ISIL Khorasan, were beheaded by their own comrades in this province last week.

According to the local officials, the incident took place recently in the restive Achin district.

The provincial government media office in a statement the incident took place in Surkhab Bazar area of Mamand Dara in Achin.

The news about the wars the U.S. is waging all over the world is unreliable. The same statements of progress are repeated year after year. The official numbers, be they of civilian casualties or deployed troops, are mere lies. Every news presentation should be engraved with a warning: “Assertions and numbers are not what they appear.” Consider, for example, the various “turned corner” statements officials have made about Afghanistan.

Turning the Corner in Afghanistan 28 November 2017
http://www.moonofalabama.org/2017/11/turning-the-corner-in-afghanistan.html

On October 5 2017 the the Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed to the BBC that Afghanistan has “turned the corner”:

… when I ask whether he is saying Afghan forces have turned the corner in the fight against the Taliban, there is no hesitation: “Yes,” he says

On October 24 the U.S. and NATO commander in Afghanistan General John Nicholson agreed with President Ghani:

“With the mounting military, diplomatic, and social pressure that is building – that we all are collectively committed to sustaining over the coming years – the enemy will have no choice but to reconcile. I believe, as President Ghani says, ‘we have turned the corner,’” he concluded.

But a month later General Nicholson seemed to disagreed with his earlier statement:

“We are still in a stalemate,” Nicholson, a four-star Army general said in an exclusive interview.

Today, five days after his “stalemate” statement, the general’s opinion has changed again. Kevin Baron, the editor of Defense One, reports:

‏JUST IN: Top US general in Afghanistan says war has “turned a corner… “ The momentum is now with the Afghan security forces.” …

The General seems confused. But he is not the first to have such a change of mind.

On February 3 2010 then U.S. commander General Stanley McChrystal was cautious about the proverbial corner:

General Stanley McChrystal also expressed confidence that Afghan forces would grow quickly enough to allow a reduction in U.S. troop numbers to begin on schedule in 2011. … I‘m not prepared to say we have turned the corner,” he added.

Only twelve days later the turn had been made:

Gen Stanley McChrystal had his own words. Helmand had “turned the corner” in its four year war, he told The Daily Telegraph.

In May 2011 a British General also noted the turn:

The civilians are looking to people such as General James Bucknall, a British Coldstream Guards officer who is second in command of the International Security and Assistance Force (Isaf).
…
[H]e sets out why he thinks a corner has now been turned, nodding to the surge in American troop numbers that has made it possible.

Six years earlier another British General had already seen that turn:

Handing over to 3 Commando Brigade, Brig Butler said: “When we prepared, we knew there would be rocky times ahead, and that things would get harder before they got easier. That has certainly been the case, but I judge we have turned the corner. We have achieved a huge amount.”

In May 2011 the U.S. Secretary of Defense was more cautious than the generals but nonetheless optimistic:

I think we could be in a position by the end of this year where we have turned the corner in Afghanistan,” [U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates] said.

According to is boss, progress came faster than Gates anticipated. On June 23 2011 CBS headlined Obama: U.S. has turned corner in Afghanistan:

President Barack Obama on Thursday told American troops who’ve fought in Afghanistan that the U.S. has turned a corner after nearly 10 years of war, and it’s time for their comrades still in that country to start coming home.

Obama’s victory jump may have been a bit premature, but a month later the local commander agreed that the turning process had at least begun:

I spoke to Gen Petraeus as he stopped off in London on his way home from Afghanistan. In the interview, he spelled out what makes him think the country has begun to turn a corner after nearly 10 years of war.

In September 2012 another U.S. Secretary of Defense asserted that the turn had finally been completed:

[US Defense Secretary Leon] Panetta, however, has rejected suggestions that the strategy is failing, and on Friday he said “we have turned the corner,” in Afghanistan …

Four month later the Afghan President confirmed the turn:

[President] Karzai also said that Afghanistan has turned the corner in terms of battling the Taliban.

Karzai was very modest in acknowledging the turn. He knew that it had already happened much earlier:

On October 9th, 2004, Afghanistan turned the corner After decades of invasion, civil war, and anarchy, Hamid Karzai became the first democratically-elected President of a united Afghanistan.

In May 2014 another man was elected President of Afghanistan. This finally turned the corner:

Tonight there is a sense that the country has turned a corner – a new president who will sign the BSA, a continuation of developmental aid and training programs, and Afghanistan has more than a fighting chance.

A year later the Afghan Foreign Minister Salahuddin Rabbani was encouraged by the corner turning progress the new government had made:

With the successful conclusion of the security and political transitions, Afghanistan turned the corner in our path to becoming a self-reliant nation.

Today, two and a half years later, General Nicholson is still in the corner turning business.

The corner turning in Afghanistan is similar to an earlier war the U.S. had fought in vain:

Of course, the Afghanistan War (ostensibly part of a Global War on Terrorism) differs from the Vietnam War (ostensibly part of the Cold War) in myriad ways. Yet it resembles Vietnam in three crucial respects. First, it drags on with no end in sight. Second, no evidence exists to suggest that mere persistence will produce a positive outcome. Third, those charged with managing the war have long since run out of ideas about how to turn things around.

Another similarity is the constant lying by the military spokespersons. The famous Five o’clock Follies of Vietnam have been replaced by video conferences and drone videos but the central issue is the same. The military is consistently and consciously lying to the public.

How many U.S. troops are there in Afghanistan? By law the Pentagon has to release the deployment numbers every three month. The latest release for September 2017 lists 15,298 soldiers and 1,202 DoD civilians in Afghanistan. But there are 29,092 soldiers listed in “unknown locations”. The generals must have lost these somewhere. The report also lists nearly 2,000 soldiers in Syrian and nearly 9,000 in Iraq. The publicly admitted numbers are way lower. They are as trustworthy as all the “turned corner” claims. Indeed:

The Defense Department’s publicly disclosed data, which tracks U.S. personnel levels in dozens of countries, are “not meant to represent an accurate accounting of troops deployed to any particular region,” said Eric Pahon, a Pentagon spokesman.

The Pentagon clearly states that official data and assertions are “not meant to represent an accurate accounting”. It is a warning. Whatever officials claim about this or that war, about “turned corners”, or casualties, or troop deployments, must be considered to be a lie until it has been confirmed by observation or additional sources.

 

[angelburst29]

The Afghan government plans to increase the size of the Afghan Special Forces by two times while the size of the Afghan Air Force will be tripled in coming years, President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani said.

Afghanistan to Double Special Forces, Triple Air Forces Size
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960910000402

“I am doubling the size of my Special Security Forces and tripling the size of the Air Force to defeat the terrorists and further secure the population,” Ghani said, Khaama press reported.

President Ghani further added, “Today, Afghan Commandos conduct four out of every operations independently from US and NATO support.”

“We Afghans own the fight and have turned the corner. Our special forces – the Kitah Khas and Commandos – have never lost a battle – they are becoming one of the best special forces in the region,” he added.

In regards to the ongoing fight against ISIL loyalists, President Ghani said, ”ISIL failed in building a base for their so-called caliphate in Afghanistan. ISIL is on the run – in Southern Nangarhar, Achin, Kunar, and Tora Bora – ISIL terrorists are being killed and cleared from Afghanistan.”

According to President Ghani, in the last year, the Afghan forces conducted over 1,500 combined ground operations and 300 air strikes against them, killing 3 emirs, over 2,500 fighters, and capturing over 200 ISIL fighters.

He also added that the group is isolated from external support. They are running out of weapons, supplies, and fighters – what’s left of ISIL is stuck in the mountains to starve and die.

The top commander was involved in "insurgency activities against government forces."

Taliban's Senior Commander Killed in Northern Afghanistan - Reports
https://sputniknews.com/asia/201712031059648127-taliban-commander-agfghanistan/

One of the top commanders of the Taliban terrorist group (banned in Russia) was killed in the fight with Afghanistan's security forces in the country's north, the Tolo news broadcaster reported.

According to the media outlet, a group of militants headed by Mullah Shafiq tried to attack security outposts on the Shebrghan-Mazar highway in the Jawzjan province.

"Mullah Shafiq was involved in insurgency activities against government forces in the Faizabad district of the province and he was trying to destabilize the district," spokesman for provincial governor Mohammad Reza Ghafoori said, as quoted by the broadcaster. No further details have been made available so far.

A local leader of the Taliban group was critically wounded in an explosion in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan, the local officials said.

Local Taliban Leader Critically Wounded in Explosion in Afghanistan's Nangarhar Province
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960909000437

The provincial government media office in a statement said the incident took place in Khogyani district of Nangarhar amid ongoing tensions among the Taliban ranks in this province, Khaama Press reported.

However, the statement said the explosion on local Taliban leader Hejratullah Afrid took place as he was busy making an improvised explosive device. The statement further added that Afrid has sustained critical injuries in the explosion.

The anti-government armed militant groups including the Taliban insurgents have not commented regarding the report so far which takes place amid rampant violence in this province, mainly due to the Taliban and ISIL-led insurgencies and militants infighting.

 

[Ant22]

The relationship between Afghanistan and Russia was discussed at the beginning of this thread and I've just come across the below interesting article on Sott:

https://www.sott.net/article/370184-Cleaning-up-another-American-mess-Afghanistan-wants-Russian-expertise-in-restoring-infrastructure

Cleaning up another American mess: Afghanistan wants Russian expertise in restoring infrastructure:

Emerging from years of war and internal strife, Afghanistan looks at Russia to help rebuild the country's ravaged economy.

Russian companies' vast experience in building major dams and other infrastructure facilities in Afghanistan makes them an ideal choice for continuing their work in the country, a senior Afghan Energy and Water Ministry official told Sputnik.

Earlier this year, President Ashraf Ghani said that Russia could help rebuild the country's war-ravaged hydroelectric stations and other facilities.

"Companies from Iran, Turkey and America are also interested in doing this, bur Russian companies have better chances because, on the one hand, they have a great deal of experience in building several big dams here. On the other hand, they are very well aware of our geographic conditions because our countries are close neighbors," Asaf Ghafuri told Sputnik Dari.

He added that the Energy Ministry controls the companies' work and each time any serious problems arise they are referred to the National Committee for Procurements. As far as Russian companies go, the ministry is fully satisfied by their work.

"Minor problems, which occasionally pop up, are settled through bilateral talks. Thus far we haven't had any serious problems that could force us to stop working with Russian firms," Ghafuri noted.

Apart from their work to put the Naghlu Hydro back online, Russian companies have also landed contracts to build a 4.5 megawatt station in Ghor Province and another one in Paktiya Province which has remained mothballed for three years.

Last month Russia's Inter RAO - Engineering Company completed the installation of spare parts at the first unit of Naghlu Hydro and will move on to pre-commissioning procedures shortly.

The 100 megawatt Naghlu Dam, located 40 kilometers from Kabul, is one of the biggest in Afghanistan and is the main supplier of electricity to the capital.

Built more than 50 years ago by Soviet specialists, the Naghlu Dam, just like many other infrastructure facilities in Afghanistan, has seriously suffered from years of war and turmoil.

 

[angelburst29]

French fighters appear with Daesh in Afghanistan Sunday 10 December 2017
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1206716/world

French and Algerian fighters, some arriving from Syria, have joined the ranks of the Daesh in northern Afghanistan where the militants have established new bases, multiple international and Afghan sources have told AFP.

It is the first time that the presence of French Daesh fighters has been recorded in Afghanistan, and comes as analysts suggested foreigners may be heading for the war-torn country after being driven from Syria and Iraq.

It is also a troubling sign as France, which has faced the worst of the Daesh-inspired violence in Europe since 2015, debates how to handle hundreds of its citizens who went to fight for the group in the Middle East.

“A number” of Algerian and French nationals entered the largely Daesh-controlled district of Darzab in northern Jowzjan province in November, said district governor Baaz Mohammad Dawar.

At least two women were among the arrivals, who were traveling with a translator from Tajikistan as well as Chechens and Uzbeks, Dawar added.
European and Afghan security sources in Kabul confirmed Dawar’s claim that French citizens were among the fighters — though, one cautioned, “we do not know how many there are.”

Three of the Algerians seen in Darzab are believed to have been in Syria and Iraq, Dawar said, suggesting they may link Daesh-Khorasan Province (known as IS-K), the group’s franchise in Afghanistan and Pakistan, with the main group in the Middle East.

When it first emerged in 2015, IS-K overran large parts of eastern Nangarhar and Kunar provinces, though initially its part in the Afghan conflict was overshadowed by the Taliban. The jihadists have since spread north, including in Jowzjan on the border with Uzbekistan, and carried out multiple devastating attacks in the capital Kabul.

Mohammad Raza Ghafoori, the Jowzjan provincial governor’s spokesman, said French-speaking Caucasian men and women had been seen training IS fighters in Darzab. He cited reports saying that around 50 children, some as young as 10, have also been recruited by the fighters.

Darzab residents told AFP that roughly 200 foreigners had set up camp just a few hundred meters (yards) from the village of Bibi Mariam.
One local man who gave his name as Hajji said the fighters were of several nationalities, including French, and were tall, aged in their late 20s, and dressed in military clothing.

“They ride their (motor) bikes, go to the border and come back, but they talk to nobody,” he said. Hashar, a former district village chief, said some were training others to use suicide bombs and lay mines. “They are... bringing misery to normal people,” he told AFP, as other villagers said many residents had fled the area.

Locals along with district governor Dawar warned the fighters were also exploiting natural resources, such as precious stones and metals. One of the security sources said that two of the French had been nicknamed “The Engineers” and appeared to be organizing some sort of extraction, “but we do not know what they are looking for.”

Several European services believe the fighters are arriving through Tajikistan, the source said, adding that at least one Frenchman arrested there in July said he had wanted to join Daesh in Afghanistan.

Afghanistan has long attracted foreign fighters, from the mujahedeen during the 1980s war against Soviet invaders to Al-Qaeda’s later use of the country as a haven.

The Pentagon has said Daesh numbers fewer than 1,000 in Afghanistan. But the growing presence of foreign fighters among them indicates that IS “seeks to create an external operations node for new waves of global attacks,” warned analysts at the Washington-based Institute for the Study of War recently.

Aymenn Jawad Al-Tamimi, an expert on jihadist groups, said he did not think the presence of foreign fighters in Afghanistan meant that IS was necessarily “shifting its base.”

The group’s “natural home is Iraq and Syria, but I presume many of the foreigners in particular are taking the opportunity either to escape entirely or moving to other battlefields for IS where they might prove more useful,” he told AFP.

The head of US forces in Afghanistan, General John Nicholson, has vowed the group will be “annihilated,” and Washington notoriously dropped the so-called “Mother Of All Bombs” on an IS stronghold in Nangarhar in April.

But as the number of fighters grows in Darzab, the villager Hajji told AFP there were no signs of pro-government forces in the district.

“There is no government here,” he said.

Multiple international and Afghan sources said French and Algerian ISIL forces, some arriving from Syria, have joined the ranks of the ISIL group in Northern Afghanistan where the militants have established new bases.

French Fighters Appear with ISIL in Afghanistan
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960919001156

It is the first time that the presence of French ISIL fighters has been recorded in Afghanistan, and comes as analysts suggested foreigners may be heading for the war-torn country after being driven from Syria and Iraq, Economic Times reported.

It is also a troubling sign as France, which has faced the worst of the ISIL-inspired violence in Europe since 2015, debates how to handle hundreds of its citizens who went to fight for the group in the Middle East.

"A number" of Algerian and French nationals entered the largely ISIL-controlled district of Darzab in Northern Jowzjan province in November, district governor Baaz Mohammad Dawar said

At least two women were among the arrivals, who were travelling with a translator from Tajikistan as well as Chechens and Uzbeks, Dawar added.

European and Afghan security sources in Kabul confirmed Dawar's claim that French citizens were among them though, one cautioned, "we do not know how many there are".

 

[angelburst29]

A number of US forces in Afghanistan suffered casualties in a vehicle incident in Eastern Nangarhar province of Afghanistan.

US Troops Suffer Casualties in Afghanistan Vehicle Incident
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960921001741

The NATO-led Resolute Support Mission in a statement said a US service member has died as a result of injuries sustained during a vehicle incident in Nangarhar province, Khaama press reported on Tuesday.

The statement further added that the incident was not the result of enemy action. Two other US service members were also injured and are receiving medical treatment.

The latest incident claim the life of a US soldier takes place amid ongoing operations in Nangarhar province to suppress the ISIL and other terrorists who are attempting to expand foothold in Nangarhar province.

Afghanistan’s military was set to launch a major operation aimed at stopping ISIL terrorists from making inroads into the country’s Northern provinces.

Afghan Forces to Launch Operation against ISIL in North
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960921001338

“(The) ministry of defense is planning to launch an operation against ISIL in the Northern provinces of Sari Pul, Faryab and Jowzjan,” Defense Ministry spokesman Dawlat Waziri said Tuesday, presstv reported.

Taking advantage of the chaos fueled by local Taliban militants, ISIL terrorists first emerged in Afghanistan’s Eastern and Northeastern provinces of Nangarhar and Kunar in 2015. The ISIL outfit is now seeking to strengthen its foothold in the war-torn country after it lost the territories it had captured across Iraq and Syria in 2014.

The terror group has claimed a number of deadly attacks against mosques and security posts in the heart of the Afghan capital, Kabul, over the past year.

The security operation comes amid reports that foreign militants, including French nationals, are joining the ranks of ISIL in Northern Afghanistan.

Afghan Minister of Haj and Islamic Affairs Faiz Mohammad Osmani warned that thousands of ISIL terrorists who fled Syria have picked up Afghanistan as their next target.

Minister: Afghanistan Possible Destination of Thousands of Fleeing ISIL Terrorists
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960921001264

"The ISIL has some moves in Afghanistan. When we, as the regional states, express pleasure in ISIL's failure in Syria and Iraq, we should also be careful and investigate where the surviving members of the terrorist group have fled. Where are the 5,900 ISIL members, who have fled from Raqqa, now," Osmani was quoted as saying by the Iranian media on Tuesday.

"Undoubtedly, one of the places that the ISIL members are willing to be deployed is Afghanistan and our security forces have captured 11 ISIL members in Logar region," he added.

His remarks came as Iranian Intelligence Minister Seyed Mahmoud Alavi warned that the ISIL terrorist group which has sustained heavy defeats in Iraq and Syria is now attempting to find a new shelter, naming Afghanistan and Pakistan as its main target.

 

[angelburst29]

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan: At least 11 Afghan police officers were killed on Sunday when Taliban fighters assaulted their checkpoints in volatile Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, authorities said.

Taliban fighters kill 11 in attacks on police checkpoints in Afghanistan
http://www.arabnews.com/node/1210456/world

The assaults on two police post are the latest in a series of deadly attacks on Afghan security forces claimed by the Taliban.

Taliban insurgents launched the attacks in the early morning in the Qalai Sang area of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.
“Our police fought them back, but unfortunately 11 of our police were martyred and two wounded,” provincial governor Hayatullah Hayat said, adding that the militants fled after the attack.

Provincial police chief Ghafar Safi said 15 Taliban fighters were also killed during the skirmish.

After 16 years of war the resurgent militants show no signs of fatigue, ramping up their campaign against beleaguered government forces, underscoring rising insecurity in the war-torn country.

Afghan police and troops — beset by a high death toll, desertions and non-existent “ghost soldiers” on the payroll — have been struggling to beat back the insurgents since US-led NATO troops ended their combat mission in December 2014.

Also on Sunday, a suicide car bomb attack targeting NATO forces in neighboring Kandahar province killed at least one woman and wounded four other Afghan civilians, General Abdul Razeq, the provincial police chief, said.

A NATO spokesman in Kabul said they were still checking reports concerning the attack.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov announced that Washington demands Kabul buy US-made weapons instead of 50,000 Kalashnikov rifles its security forces received gratis.

Russian FM: Washington Demands Afghanistan Replace Kalashnikov Rifles with US-Made Weapons
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960925000877

"The Americans insist that 50,000 Kalashnikov rifles with munitions that were handed over to the Afghan security forces free of charge be removed from operational use and Afghanistan buy US-made rifles and submachine guns instead," he said at a government-hour session at Russia’s Federation Council upper parliament house, TASS reported.

"Along with a question where these 50,000 rifles are to go, and we have asked the Afghans about that, we have another question: what is the reason behind these plans to strip the Afghan army of the possibility to use weapons it is accustomed to and to make it use what it is yet to get comfortable with," he added.

The Russian top diplomat recalled that the United States had earlier demanded Afghanistan reject Russian helicopters that had been in wide use in the Afghan army and had proved their worth to replace them with US-made rotorcraft.

that had been in wide use in the Afghan army and had proved their worth to replace them with US-made rotorcraft.

"There is no answer to this question other than that the Americans are seeking to militate against us just for the fun of it," Lavrov noted.

Afghanistan has been plagued by years of militancy and a devastating US-led war that has been raging since 2001. It is now almost entirely dependent on foreign aid to maintain security.

The latest push to replace Russian weapons with American ones seems in line with US President Donald Trump’s new strategy for Afghanistan, which includes prolonged military presence and an increase of troop levels in the country.

 

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Gunmen attacked the training centre of the National Directorate of Security (NDS) in Kabul on Monday and triggered violent clashes with local forces.

Afghanistan: Gunmen Storm Intelligence Training Centre in Kabul
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According to local reports at least five men hidden in a building under construction in Afshar area stormed the intelligence agency training centre, while security forces and police were deployed in the area, “A group of armed attackers entered an under-construction building in (the) NDS training center in (the) Afshar area of Kabul,” Interior Ministry Spokesman Najib Danish said on Monday.

Nasrat Rahimi, deputy Spokesman for the ministry, also said reinforcements had been dispatched to the scene.

The officials announced that the attackers used rocket-propelled grenades and light weapons.

The Takfiri terror group ISIL has claimed responsibility for the attack via its propaganda outlet, Amaq news site.

The Taliban insurgents have suffered heavy casualties in Afghan airstrikes in Northern Sar-e-Pul province of Afghanistan, the 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan army said Monday.

Afghanistan: Taliban Suffers Heavy Casualties in Sar-e-Pul Airstrikes
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13960927001501

According to a statement by the Shaheen Corps, the airstrikes were conducted in Sancharak district of the province to back up ground forces, leaving at least 50 militants dead, Khaama press reported.

The statement further added that 36 militants were also wounded during the operations and a Humvee armored personnel carrier along with two soft skin vehicles and several motorcycles were destroyed.

The Shaheen Corps also added that the deputy shadow district chief of the group for Sancharak Qari Sher Mohammad and many other commanders were also among those killed.

The Afghan security forces also confiscated several weapons along with some other type of military kits and motorcycles during the operation, the Shaheen Corps added.

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

 

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General John Nicholson, who commands US forces in the country, said more American troops are gearing up to hit the frontlines in Afghanistan.

More US Troops to Hit Frontlines in Afghanistan
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Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Nicholson said US troops levels in Afghanistan were slated to increase dramatically under President Donald Trump’s new strategy to extend the military campaign that began in 2001, presstv reported.

There are “well over 1,000 advisers out at any given time,” Nicholson said, adding that “Next year, however, this will increase dramatically.”

The general said the new plan required deploying more US advisers in the battlefronts alongside Afghan military forces.

“Those teams [the Army brigade] will be backed up by US combat enablers, not only for the protection of our own force, but for support of Afghans as well,” Nicholson said.

The commander hailed the Trump administration’s new South Asia approach as a “game changer,” saying it had already begun to pay dividends.

Under the new strategy, the US Army’s 1st Security Force Assistance Brigade (SFAB) will also be deployed to the conflict-ridden country this spring. The new unit is tasked with training and advising forces from US allies.

The SFAB is currently under training to work with joint terminal attack controllers — US military personnel specialized in calling in close-air support.

“Any deployment to Afghanistan is inherently dangerous, and our soldiers, in particular those of the SFAB, are well-trained and prepared to handle themselves in a variety of operational environments,” Colonel Joseph Scrocca, a spokesman for the XVIII Airborne Corps, said.

There has also been a major increase in the number of missions carried out by the US air force, as American aircraft have tripled the number of munitions dropped on purported militant targets across the country.

The number of airstrikes and sorties are expected to increase even as more troops begin to ramp up efforts that Washington says are aimed at defeating Taliban and Daesh militants. Nicholson said the US forces were also focused on cutting Taliban’s revenue from cultivating poppy crops.

Afghanistan is the world's top cultivator of poppy, from which opium and heroin are produced. Taliban militants are heavily involved in the poppy cultivation and opium distribution especially in areas under their control.

Despite the US claim, the opium production in the country rose by 87 percent and stands at a record level of 9,000 metric tons (9,921 US tons) so far this year, compared to 4,800 metric tons (5,291 US tons) in 2016, according to a recent survey by the Afghan Ministry of Counter Narcotics and the UN Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Pentagon’s watchdog revealed that the US have, since 2012, 'lost' some $9,7 million in assets in Afghanistan because of the army's negligence, adding that enemy troops might even have used the resources against US troops.

Pentagon’s Watchdog : $9.7mln in Property Lost in Afghanistan
http://en.farsnews.com/newstext.aspx?nn=13961005000346

The ‘Army Oversight of Logistics. Civil Augmentation Program Government-Furnished Property in Afghanistan’ report was released by the Inspector General of the US Department of Defense earlier in December, World News reported.

It analyzed the US army-administered Logistics Civil Augmentation Program (LOGCAP) which enlists contractors to provide housing, transportation and facilities maintenance for US forces. The program is tasked with maintaining Government-furnished property (GFP) in Afghanistan, servicing heating and air conditioning units, forklifts and power generators.

The key finding of the study highlighted the US army's negligence in managing US assets and that it didn’t conduct "effective oversight” of it's inventory.

“LOGCAP contractors themselves reported more than $9.7 million in GFP losses since 2012,” the report says. And as US army officials did not maintain accurate records of all the property, they cannot be certain that “all contractor GFP losses have been identified, investigated, and reported,” it reported.

“As of May 2017, the US army didn’t maintain accountability of at least 26,993 items, valued at $99.9 million,” the document said. It added the property was at increased risk of “being lost, stolen, or unaccounted for without Army detection,” it added.

“If enemy forces obtain certain controlled items, such as personal protective equipment, they could be used against US and Coalition forces,” it said further.

LOGCAP’s “lack of accountability” limited the US army’s ability to sustain its bases in Afghanistan in a proper manner, the company adds. Specifically, the US military had to rely on contractors’ records “for procurement-related decision making.” At least 20 fire trucks worth $8.6 million, and six semi-trucks worth $1.3 million, were among the items 'lost' due to negligence.

This is not the first report that questions US management strategy in Afghanistan. In August this year, the US Agency for International Development (USAID) revealed that its mission in the war-ravaged country failed to report results from 91 percent of Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF) contributions in its 2013-2015 annual reports. USAID provided Afghanistan with $1,5 billion, according to the data.

Also in August, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) revealed that USAID spent $160mn on failed e-payments program for Afghanistan.Later in September, SIGAR criticized the Pentagon for spending billions outfitting Afghan forces without giving them proper training.

Earlier this year, US president Donald Trump blasted the US military's top brass for losing ground in the country and even questioned whether America’s longest-running war is still worth fighting. In July, US Defense Secretary James Mattis echoed the president, criticizing the Pentagon for spending $28 million on uniforms for Afghan National Army soldiers, which featured a camouflage pattern entirely unsuitable for Afghanistan.

Despite the US-led war in Afghanistan which has been raging on for nearly 17 years, the Taliban still maintains a significant presence in the country.
From 2001 to mid-2016, around 104,000 people, including 31,000 civilians have been killed in the war, according to the Costs of War Project.

Air Raids Killed Three Senior Commander of Taliban and a Would-be Suicide Bomber Held in Laghman Province.

Air Raids Kills Three Senior Commanders of Taliban in Afghanistan
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Yesterday evening, Afghan National Police arrested a would-be suicide bomber before he could reach the target. The incident took place in Katal village, Mehtarlam City capital of Eastern Laghman province, AVA press reported.

Last night, seven Taliban, including three senior commanders, were killed and three others were wounded after Afghan Air Forces targeted militants' hideouts in Alingar district in Laghman province.

Weapons, vehicles and a Taliban command and coordination center were also destroyed during the air raids.

The Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF) has stepped up counter-terrorism operations with improved close-air support to suppress the insurgency activities of the anti-government groups.

 

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The Afghan Air Force has intensified airstrikes in Northern Faryab province of Afghanistan in response to the growing threats of the terror groups who are attempting to expand insurgency in Northern parts of the country.

Afghan Air Force Intensifies Airstrikes on Terrorist Centers in Northern Faryab Province
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The 209th Shaheen Corps of the Afghan army in a statement said Saturday that Afghan Air Force carried out a series of airstrikes in Pashtun Kot district, Khaama press reported.

The statement further added that as a result of the airstrikes at least seven militants were killed and three others were wounded.

According to the Shaheen Corps of the Afghan military, the airstrikes were carried out on the positions of the Taliban insurgents in this province.

Faryab is among the relatively volatile provinces in the Northern parts of the country where the anti-government armed militants are actively operating in a number of its districts.

Several militants including key members and commanders of the anti-government armed militants were killed in similar operations in this province last month.

According to the Afghan military officials, the operations were conducted in Sherin Islam Qalam, Zaqoom, and Tapa-e-Qeshlaq vilages located in Khwajah Sabs Posh and Sherin Tagab districts.

At least eight Taliban insurgents were killed in a series of airstrikes carried out on the Taliban hideouts in Southern Uruzgan province of Afghanistan.

Eight Militants Killed in Afghan Airstrikes on Taliban Positions in Uruzgan
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According to the local officials, the airstrikes were carried in the vicinity of Tarinkot city, the provincial capital of Uruzgan during the ongoing counter-terrorism operations, Khaama press reported.

Uruzgan police Chief Abdul Qari Omari confirmed that eight Taliban insurgents were killed in the airstrikes and five others were wounded.

He said the airstrikes were carried out by the Afghan Air Force and with the help of A-29 Super Tucano light attack aircrafts have proven helpful in providing close-air support during the ongoing operation.

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

Uruzgan is among the restive provinces in southern parts of the country where the Taliban insurgents and militants belonging to the other insurgent groups are actively operating in its various districts and often carry out insurgency activities, including coordinated attacks.

This comes as the Afghan security forces have stepped up counter-terrorism operations in various restive parts of the country as part of the counter-terrorism operations to suppress the militants who are continuously attempting their insurgency activities.