Taliban

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Elderly Women Die in Stampede for Visas

Meanwhile in Afghanistan, at least 36 dead in Taliban attack

(Newser) - At least 11 women were trampled to death when a stampede broke out Wednesday among thousands of Afghans waiting in a soccer stadium to get visas to leave the country, officials said, per the AP . Attaullah Khogyani, the spokesman for the governor of eastern Nangarhar province, said most of those...

Afghanistan to Meet Condition Set by Taliban

President Ghani says he'll sign decree freeing final 400 prisoners

(Newser) - Thousands of delegates from across Afghanistan endorsed releasing the nation's final 400 Taliban prisoners in an effort to encourage the start of peace talks. "The Taliban have said that if the 400 prisoners are released the direct talks between our negotiating team and the Taliban will start three...

Girl Saw Taliban Fighters Kill Her Parents. Then She Got Even

Qamar Gul reportedly killed several militants in Friday gun battle in Afghanistan

(Newser) - A photo of an Afghan girl in a headscarf, holding an AK-47 across her lap, has gone viral owing to its incredible backstory. The girl, Qamar Gul, said to be between 14 and 16, was at her home in the village of Geriveh, in Ghor province, around 1am Friday when...

Russia Hired Assassins to Kill US Troops: Intel

President Trump was informed back in March

(Newser) - US troops, killed by paid assassins? Maybe so, if this story holds any water. A Russian military spy unit has secretly paid Taliban-linked militants to kill coalition forces in Afghanistan—something President Trump learned about months ago but chose not to act, US officials tell the New York Times . According...

They Hid Under Beds. One Mom Was Killed Holding Her Newborn

Death toll in pair of attacks Tuesday in Afghanistan climbs to 56

(Newser) - The death toll in Tuesday's attack on an Afghan hospital's maternity ward has climbed to 24, while deaths from a later attack on a funeral have risen to 32, per the BBC . The terror began around 10am with blasts and gunfire heard at the Dasht-e-Barchi hospital in Kabul....

Afghan Government's Move May Wreck US-Taliban Deal

It's postponing the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners

(Newser) - The Afghan government Saturday postponed the release of 1,500 Taliban prisoners, an Afghan official said, a decision that could sabotage a peace deal signed last month between the Taliban and the US. Jawed Faisal, spokesman for the Afghan National Security Adviser's office, said the releases were being delayed...

Trump Becomes 1st US President to Speak Directly to Taliban
Trump Has a
Historic Phone Call

Trump Has a Historic Phone Call

He's the first US president to speak directly to the Taliban

(Newser) - President Trump confirmed Tuesday that he spoke on the phone to a Taliban leader, making him the first US president believed to ever speak directly with the militant group that harbored al-Qaeda before the 9/11 attacks and is responsible for the deaths of thousands of US troops in nearly 19...

18 Years Ago, Bloodshed Began in Afghanistan. Now, a Deal
US, Taliban Sign
Peace Deal 

US, Taliban Sign Peace Deal

Agreement is meant to end the Afghanistan War, if Taliban meets its anti-terrorism commitments

(Newser) - The United States signed a peace agreement with Taliban militants on Saturday aimed at bringing an end to 18 years of bloodshed in Afghanistan and allowing US troops to return home from America's longest war. Under the agreement, the US would draw its forces down to 8,600 from...

Pompeo: This Deal May End 20 Years of Conflict

As the 'New York Times' takes heat for a Taliban op-ed

(Newser) - A seven-day "reduction in violence" begins Friday in Afghanistan between US troops and the Taliban, a move the BBC notes is meant to lead to a more permanent ceasefire. "After decades of conflict, we have come to an understanding with the Taliban," Secretary of State Mike Pompeo...

Afghan Shooter Wore an Army Uniform
Afghan Shooter Wore
an Army Uniform

Afghan Shooter Wore an Army Uniform

2 Americans dead, 6 wounded in attack

(Newser) - Two US service members—both Special Forces—are dead and six service members are wounded after an attack in Afghanistan on Saturday, CNN reports. An Afghan soldier was also killed and three wounded in the surprise gunfight. It began after someone in an Afghan uniform opened fire at the Sherzad...

US Forces Search for Kidnapped American

Illinois contractor was captured in Afghanistan

(Newser) - Months after the Taliban released two hostages, an American and an Australian, another American has been taken in Afghanistan. Mark Frerichs, 57, of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped last Friday, Newsweek reports. Frerichs is an executive for a US contractor, International Logistical Support, and a former diver for the Navy. No...

US Bombings in Afghanistan Hit Record High

7,423 munitions dropped in 2019, compared to 947 in 2015

(Newser) - The US dropped more bombs on Afghanistan in 2019 than in any other year since the Pentagon began keeping track in 2006. A total of 7,423 munitions were dropped, up from 7,362 in 2018 and 4,361 in 2017, Military.com reports based on data from the US...

Taliban Agrees to Cease-Fire
Taliban Agrees to Cease-Fire

Taliban Agrees to Cease-Fire

Brief pause could allow for a peace deal to be signed

(Newser) - The Taliban said Sunday they have agreed to a temporary cease-fire nationwide. It provides a window during which a peace agreement with the US could be signed, the AP reports. A peace deal would allow the US to bring home its troops from Afghanistan and end its 18-year military engagement...

Taliban Ambushes Peace Convoy
Taliban Kidnap
26 Peace Activists

Taliban Kidnap 26 Peace Activists

Convoy was ambushed in western Afghanistan

(Newser) - The Taliban ambushed a peace convoy in western Afghanistan and abducted 26 activists, members of a peace movement, a police spokesman says. The insurgents staged the ambush in the district of Bala Buluk in Farah province on Tuesday. The Taliban forced the six-vehicle convoy to a halt, then got into...

20th US Service Member of 2019 Killed in Afghanistan

Taliban tweets alleged photo of soldier's ID

(Newser) - An American service member was killed in combat Monday in Afghanistan, the US military said without providing further details, while the Taliban claimed they were behind a roadside bombing in northern Kunduz province that killed the US soldier. The Taliban now control or hold sway over practically half of Afghanistan...

This News Could Finally Tip the Odds in Taliban Talks

Looks like President Ashraf Ghani has a 2nd term

(Newser) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani appears to have narrowly won a second term, according to preliminary results from September's balloting that were announced Sunday, although his main challenger rejected the outcome as illegitimate, the AP reports. If the outcome stands despite the complaints of ballot fraud, it could give Ghani...

Trump's Taliban News Seems to Startle the Taliban

'We are ready to talk,' the Sunni group says

(Newser) - President Trump's visit to Afghanistan on Thanksgiving turned out to be a surprise in more ways than one, the Washington Post reports. In big news, he told US troops that Taliban talks are on again—but the Taliban and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani seemed just as surprised when they...

Trump Surprises US Troops With News About the Taliban

The president arrives at Bagram Air Field in Afghanistan

(Newser) - President Donald Trump made a surprise visit to Afghanistan to spend time with US troops on Thanksgiving, the AP reports. Trump arrived at Bagram Air Field shortly after 8:30pm local time and spent more than two-and-a-half hours on the ground. Reporters were under strict instructions to keep the trip...

2 US Service Members Killed in Afghanistan Chopper Crash

Taliban claims responsibility

(Newser) - Two US service members were killed on Wednesday when their helicopter crashed in Afghanistan, the US military said. The statement said the cause of the crash is under investigation but that preliminary reports do not indicate it was caused by enemy fire. However, the Taliban promptly claimed to have shot...

Taliban Releases Last American Hostage

Kevin King, Australian Timothy Weeks flown to US air base in Afghanistan

(Newser) - The last known American to be held by the Taliban is free. Kevin King and Australian Timothy Weeks, professors kidnapped at gunpoint while leaving the American University of Afghanistan in Kabul in August 2016, were released to US forces in Afghanistan on Tuesday in exchange for three Taliban commanders who...

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