Taliban Are Using Night Vision Goggles To Devastating Effect Against Afghan Security Officers

A Canadian soldier uses his night-vision goggles during a patrol in the Panjwai district of Kandahar province in southern Afghanistan on June 13, 2011. The Taliban are now using night-vision technology to launch attacks in the dark of night. Reuters/Baz Ratner

DW: Taliban night vision attacks in Kandahar, Farah kill dozens

Taliban attacks on checkpoints in the Afghan provinces of Kandahar and Farah have left dozens of security personnel dead. The night-time assaults coincide with a survey showing Afghans deeply worried about their safety.

Night vision technology had likely been used by the Taliban in two Monday night attacks on Afghan checkpoints, said a spokesman for the western province of Farah.

Nine Afghan National Army soldiers were killed along with three civilians, said Farah governor spokesman Naser Mehri.

"There are signs the Taliban may have used night vision technology to approach and surprise our forces," said Mehri, adding that the attackers had "suffered casualties" as they were repelled.

Read more ....

More News On The Taliban Using Night Vision Goggles To Slaughter Afghan Security Officers

Taliban Kill Dozens of Afghan Police Officers in 2nd Night of Attacks -- New York Times
The Taliban Is Using Russian Night-Vision Goggles To Kill Afghan Soldiers -- Newsweek
The Taliban is using night-vision goggles to mount a wave of deadly attacks in Afghanistan -- Business Insider
Taliban kill at least 27 Afghan cops in overnight ambushes -- CBS/AP
Dozens of Afghan security forces killed in Taliban raids: officials -- AFP
Dozens Of Afghan Security Personnel Reported Killed In Taliban Attacks -- RFE
22 policemen killed after Taliban attack Afghan checkpoints -- International Business Times
Night Vision Goggle-Wearing Taliban Are Terrible News for Afghan and US Forces -- War Zone/The Drive

Afghan President: Death Toll From Last Week's Kabul Bombing Has Hit 150

Police officers by the crater caused by a truck bombing in Kabul last week. More than 300 were wounded in the blast, the Afghan president said. Credit Andrew Quilty for The New York Times

New York Times: Death Toll in Kabul Bombing Has Hit 150, Afghan President Says

KABUL, Afghanistan — The Afghan president said that over 150 people were killed and more than 300 were wounded by the truck bombing outside the German Embassy last week, making it possibly the deadliest such attack since the American-led invasion in 2001.

The president, Ashraf Ghani, made the disclosure — increasing the death toll by more than 50 — during a speech at a one-day peace conference his government convened in the capital on Tuesday.

The meeting, called the Kabul Process, drew representatives of 20 countries and international organizations, but it included no one from the Taliban or other insurgent groups. Mr. Ghani’s own foreign minister apparently even boycotted the gathering, as antigovernment demonstrators continued to defy orders to leave camps they had set up in the city.

In what seemed to be a bid to create a safer environment for the event, Mr. Ghani on short notice declared Tuesday a national holiday, with the police blocking all except official traffic from the roads.

Read more ....

More News On Afghan President Stating That The Death Toll From Last Week's Kabul Bombing Has Hit 150

Afghan leader issues ultimatum to Taleban as bombing toll tops 150 -- Straits Times/AFP
Kabul blast: Afghan leader says bomb toll passes 150 -- BBC
Kabul bombing: Death toll jumps to 150, one week after attack -- CNN
Kabul Truck Bomb Death Toll Rises Above 150 -- NBC
Ghani Says More Than 150 Killed In Kabul Truck Bombing On May 31 -- RFE
Afghanistan: Deadly Kabul truck-bomb toll rises -- Al Jazeera

With No Fear Of Being Targeted By U.S. Or Afghan Airstrikes, The Taliban Parade A Large Convoy In An Afghan Province

Long War Journal: Taliban parades large convoy in Sangin

The Taliban paraded a large convoy of fighters into the district center of Sangin in Helmand province just one month after Resolute Support denied Afghan forces were defeated there. The Taliban force operated openly in the daylight without fear of being targeted by US or Afghan airstrikes.

The Taliban video, simply entitled “Sangin,” was released on Voice of Jihad on May 6. An English-speaking Taliban member narrated the video. When shown, his face is blotted out. According to the Taliban, the video “contains information about the strategic district of Sangin, its conquest by the Mujahideen of Islamic Emirate, barbarity by the foreign forces and the hirelings [Afghan security forces] and the reopening of the bazaar on the first day of the new blessed campaign ‘Operation Mansouri.’

Read more ....

WNU Editor: If this video is accurate, the Taliban are telling everyone that the Afghan Army and the U.S. military have become an ineffective force in the district of Sangin, Helmand province.

Can The Afghan Taliban Be Defeated?

One More Reason Why The Afghan Security Situation Is Worsening

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Map of Afghanistan with Badakhshan highlighted. Wikipedia

FOX News: One small battle could lead to massive strategic loss in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan – About an hour after the sun rose on Friday, some 200 Afghan soldiers – two companies belonging to the 5th Battalion, 7th Brigade of the Afghan Border Police – holding court in Zibak District of Badakhshan Province in the far northeastern corner of Afghanistan were barraged from all four sides by an estimated 1,500 terrorists.

"They suddenly just surrounded us," commanding officer Colonel Mohammad Nader told Fox News on Tuesday, adding that his 5th Battalion generally operates out of Kunduz, but a few months ago deployed to Badakhshan to offer support as insurgency there swelled.

Such surprise assaults are hardly unusual, but this one seemingly small battle in a long war could prove to be a major strategic loss for U.S-backed Afghanistan.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I do not know if these two companies of Afghan soldiers were facing a combined force of 1500 .... in a sparsely populated part of the country you would think that 1500 anti-government fighters would stick out. But in the end these Afghan soldiers had to flee, and in turn they left the enemy with a lot of ammo/equipment and a loss of a strategic part of Afghanistan. But what I find very ominous in this report is the admission that this part of Afghanistan was peaceful for years .... but now it is embroiled in an all-out insurgency.  Bottom line .... the government is losing control, and the trend lines for the Afghan government surviving this war do not look promising if they continue to lose battles like this.

ISIS Takes Credit For Today's Suicide Car Bomb Attack Targeting A NATO Convoy In Kabul, Afghanistan

Daily Mail: ISIS suicide car bomb attack on US convoy in Afghanistan leaves eight dead and 28 wounded including three American soldiers

* ISIS car bomber attacked convoy as it passed close to US embassy in Kabul
* Fanatic drove vehicle full of explosives into rush-hour traffic before detonating
* Eight Afghan civilians were killed while three US troops were among 28 injured
* There are around 8,000 US personnel left in Afghanistan in a non-combat role

Eight civilians were killed and another 28 people wounded, including three American soldiers, when an ISIS suicide bomber attacked a US convoy in Afghanistan.

The convoy was passing close to the American embassy and NATO headquarters in Kabul during the morning rush-hour on Wednesday when the attack happened.

A militant drove a car packed with explosives into traffic before a powerful blast ripped vehicles apart and left a crater in the middle of the road.

Read more ....

More News On ISIS Taking Credit For Today's Suicide Car Bomb Attack That Targeted A NATO Convoy In Kabul, Afghanistan

Suicide attack on NATO convoy in Kabul kills eight civilians -- Reuters
Powerful IS-claimed blast targets NATO convoy in Kabul -- AFP
U.S. military convoy hit by suicide car bomber in Afghan capital -- CBS/AP
Suicide bomber attacks American convoy in Kabul, killing 8 and wounding 3 U.S. service members -- L.A. Times
NATO convoy targeted in Kabul suicide bombing, at least 8 dead -- FOX News
Blast hits NATO convoy in central Kabul -- Al Jazeera
Suicide blast in Afghan capital targets NATO vehicles -- DW
Three Coalition Service Members Wounded in Afghanistan Blast - NATO Mission -- Sputnik
8 killed in Kabul suicide blast targeting NATO vehicles -- RT

Taliban Suicide Bomber Kills 4 NATO Soldiers And Wounds 18 At Bagram Airbase

Reuters: Taliban suicide bomber kills four at NATO base in Afghanistan

A Taliban suicide bomber dressed as a laborer blew himself up at the NATO air base at Bagram north of the Afghan capital Kabul on Saturday, killing at least four people and wounding 18, officials said.

"An explosive device was detonated on Bagram Airfield resulting in multiple casualties," the NATO-led Resolute Support mission said in a statement.

"Response teams at Bagram continue to treat the wounded and investigate the incident," the statement said.

Waheed Sediqqi, spokesman for the Parwan provincial governor, said the bomber managed to enter the heavily protected site, the largest U.S. base in Afghanistan, and was standing in a queue with Afghan laborers when he detonated a suicide vest.

Read more ....

More News On Reports That A Taliban Suicide Bomber Killed 4 NATO Soldiers And Wounded 18 At Bagram Airbase

NATO: Blast inside US base in Afghanistan kills 4 -- AP
Blast inside largest US base in Afghanistan kills four -- AFP
U.S. Base in Afghanistan Hit by Taliban Suicide Bomber -- WSJ
Four killed, 14 wounded in blast at U.S. base in Afghanistan -- Washington Post
Bagram blast: Suicide bomber kills four at Afghan US base -- BBC
Afghanistan: 4 dead in blast at Bagram Airfield -- CNN
NATO: Blast inside U.S. base kills 4 in Afghanistan -- USA Today
Suicide Attack Kills at Least 4 at Bagram Airfield in Afghanistan -- NBC
Blast kills 4, wounds 14 on Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield -- Army Times
Afghanistan: Explosion hits US airbase in Bagram -- Al Jazeera

Two US Service Members And 30 Civilians Killed In Afghan Battle

New York Times: 2 U.S. Soldiers and 30 Afghans Killed in Kunduz Battle

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan — Two American soldiers and more than 30 Afghans were killed on Thursday in the midst of heavy fighting around the northern provincial capital of Kunduz, officials and local residents said.

The soldiers who died brought the number of Americans killed in combat in Afghanistan this month to five, compared with only four known combat deaths for the previous nine months. Two American soldiers were also wounded in Thursday’s fighting, the military said.

The governor of Kunduz, Asadullah Omarkhel, said 30 civilians were killed and 46 were wounded in airstrikes, which he attributed to Afghan forces, and he also said four Afghan Special Forces soldiers were killed. Local residents and other officials in Kunduz district, which includes the city of Kunduz and its outlying areas, attributed the airstrikes to the American military.

Read more ....

More News On Two US Service Members And 30 Civilians Killed In Afghan Battle

2 U.S. soldiers killed fighting Taliban in Afghanistan, civilians hit by airstrike -- Washington Post
Two U.S. service members, many civilians dead in Afghanistan -- Reuters
2 U.S. troops, dozens of civilians said killed in Afghan battle -- CBS/AP
Two US service members and 26 civilians killed in Afghanistan raid -- The Guardian
Two U.S. Special Forces Soldiers Among Dead in Afghan Battle -- WSJ
Afghanistan Nato: '30 civilians killed' in fighting with Taliban -- BBC
Two U.S. soldiers die in Kunduz, Afghanistan, attack -- UPI
Taliban kills 2 US soldiers in Kunduz -- Threat Matrix
Two US service members killed fighting Taliban in Afghanistan -- Fox News
Two U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan -- Politico
Afghanistan: Two US soldiers killed in Taliban attack in Kunduz -- International Business Times
Scores of civilians killed in alleged US airstrikes to support ground op in Kunduz, Afghanistan -- RT
Two U.S. troops killed in Afghanistan, two others wounded -- Army Times

Taliban Post Details On A Recent Ambush That Massacred A Battalion Of Retreating Afghan Troops In Helmand Province

Long War Journal

Long War Journal: Taliban details deadly ambush of Afghan military convoy

The Taliban has documented the aftermath of last week’s ambush on Afghan security personnel on the outskirts the provincial capital of Helmand which resulted in scores of troops killed and dozens more captured. The Taliban released a video today that details the deadly ambush near Lashkar Gah, which underscores the deteriorating security situation in the province.

The ambush, which took place on Oct. 11 in Basharan near Lashkar Gah, was previously described by both the Taliban and The New York Times. The Taliban reportedly ambushed a large convoy of Afghan troops after negotiating their safe passage from their base. A contingent of more than 300 Afghan troops were besieged by the Taliban. According to the Taliban, 69 Afghan security personnel were killed, 33 more were wounded and subsequently captured, and 125 surrendered. The Times later reported that between 100 and 200 Afghan security personnel were killed.

Read more ....

Previous Post: Taliban Fighters Ambushed And Killed A Battalion Of Retreating Afghan Troops In Helmand Province (October 13, 2016).

WNU Editor: Make no mistake about it .... the Taliban are showing a new confidence in their war against the Afghan government and its foreign allies.

The Taliban Are Winning The War In Afghanistan

(Click on Image to Enlarge)

Washington Post: An ‘eroding stalemate’ in Afghanistan as Taliban widens its offensive

With winter approaching in Afghanistan, Taliban militants there seem more determined than ever to expand their influence across the country.

On Friday, the NATO-led mission in Afghanistan announced that it was sending Western advisers to Farah province, a rural area just northwest of Helmand Province, to buoy Afghan soldiers there battling the insurgent group.

The newfound Western presence in Farah comes roughly a week after Taliban fighters began making concerted efforts to seize the city of Farah, the capital of the province. Around the same time, the Taliban began offensives near Helmand’s provincial capital of Lashkar Gah and also managed to enter the northern city of Kunduz before being pushed back to the city’s outskirts after more than a week of heavy fighting.

“What we believe we’re seeing right now is the Taliban trying to make an effort before the end of the year to achieve their 2016 strategic objective of capturing a provincial capital,” said Brig. Gen. Charles Cleveland, the spokesman for the U.S. mission in Afghanistan, in an email.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is a sobering indication on how bloody the battle for one Afghan provincial capital has been for the past 10 days .... Afghan Officials: More Than 200 Police, Soldiers Killed (AP). These are the five Afghan provincial capitals that are now under threat of falling .... Taliban threatens 5 provincial capitals in Afghanistan (Long War Journal). Here is one reason (among many) on why the Afghan government is losing this war .... While Afghanistan raises $15B to stop Taliban control, corrupt leaders are selling weapons to them on the side (AP). What's my prediction for the future .... if current trends continue .... the Taliban will be controlling more territory by this time next year, and if the U.S. and the international community withdraw their forces .... a good part of the country will fall to the Taliban, and the rest will be controlled by warlords. As for the civilians .... expect a refugee crisis that will dwarf what is happening right now in Syria.

Taliban Storm The Capital Of Afghanistan's Hellmand Province In Large Scale Attack

BBC: Taliban fighters push into Helmand capital Lashkar Gah

The Afghan Taliban have launched a major assault on the strategically important city of Lashkar Gah.

The city of 200,000 people is the capital of Helmand province, parts of which have been seized back by the militant group.

The new assault is their most concerted push yet into the city, in the south of the country.

At least 14 people were killed by a suicide bomber in Lashkar Gah on Monday. including 10 police officers.

The city was the scene of heavy fighting between the Taliban and Nato-led forces before their withdrawal in 2014.

Militant forces are said to have taken Bolan, an area close to the city centre, and are also said to control Nawa, which is often called the gateway to Lashkar Gah.

Read more ....

More News On The Battle For Lashkar Gah

Taliban enter Afghanistan’s Helmand province capital in large-scale attack -- Al Bawaba
Afghanistan: Taliban Enter Helmand Province Capital In Large-Scale Attack -- Eurasia Review
Frustrations rise in besieged Afghan provincial capital -- Reuters
Afghan police officer: Suicide car bomber in southern Helmand city of Lashkar Gah kills 14, including 10 policemen -- AP
Suicide car bomb attack kills 14 in Afghanistan -- Al Jazeera
Taliban Threaten to Take Lashkargah amid Continuing Clashes in Kunduz -- Latin American Herald Tribune

The Battle For The Afghan City Of Kunduz Continues For The Fourth Day

VOA: UN: Humanitarian Situation Rapidly Deteriorating in Kunduz

ISLAMABAD — The United Nations says it is deeply concerned about the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation for civilians still trapped in the conflict-hit northern Afghan city of Kunduz, while thousands of others have fled their homes with few possessions.

Street-to-street fighting for control of the crucial Afghan provincial capital continued for a fourth day Thursday, after Taliban insurgents staged a multi-pronged offensive earlier this week.

Afghan forces backed by U.S. military airstrikes have been attacking insurgent positions to evict them, but officials say the operations are being conducted carefully to avoid collateral damage. They allege Taliban fighters are using civilian homes as shields. Clashes were reportedly also taking place in parts of central Kunduz.

Read more ....

More News On The Battle For The Afghan City Of Kunduz

U.N. says situation 'rapidly deteriorating' in embattled Afghan city -- Reuters
Afghan Forces Push Taliban Back From Airfield On South Side Of Kunduz -- RFE
More than 100 militants killed in clash for control of Afghan Kunduz city -- The Nation
Taliban’s shadow governor for Kunduz killed during clashes -- Khaama Press
Afghanistan: Taliban fire forces doctors to flee Kunduz -- Al Jazeera
Food shortages in Afghan city of Kunduz as residents flee fighting -- AFP
Battle With Taliban Forcing Afghan Civilians to Flee Kunduz -- AP

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry Urges the Taliban To Strike A Peace Deal With The Afghan Government

RFE: Kerry Urges Taliban To Strike Peace Deal With Kabul

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry has urged the Taliban to follow the recent example of an Afghan warlord and strike its own peace deal with the Kabul government.

Speaking in Brussels at an international donors conference for Afghanistan on October 5, Kerry said that "there is a path toward an honorable end to the conflict that the Taliban have waged -- it is a conflict that cannot be won on the battlefield."

He said that a peace deal signed last week by Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, who heads the Hezb-e Islami group and was a key figure in Afghanistan's civil war in the 1990s, was a "model for what might be possible."

Read more ....

Update #1: Kerry Holds Up Afghan Deal with Warlord as Model for Taliban -- AP
Update #2: Kerry calls on Taliban to choose path to 'honorable' peace -- Reuters

WNU editor: I do not see the Taliban taking this offer. As far as they are concerned .... they are winning this war, so why give it up.

The Battle For The Afghan City of Kunduz Continues For A Third Day

DW: Afghan troops battle Taliban in Kunduz for third day

Afghan forces supported by US air power continue to push back Taliban insurgents from the northern city of Kunduz. Clearance operations have begun, but water, food and electricity are in short supply for residents.

Fighting between the Afghan army and Taliban continued for the third consecutive day in the northern city of Kunduz on Wednesday, forcing thousands of residents to flee.

Kunduz's provincial police chief, Gen. Qasim Jungalbagh, said that the Taliban launched a series of fresh attacks on Afghan forces early on Wednesday morning. "Once again insurgents attacked our forces from two different directions, and heavy battles are taking place to the south and east of the city," Jungalbagh said.

US Special Forces and air support are backing Afghan ground troops. US military spokesman Charlie Cleveland described the fighting as "sporadic." He said that since Tuesday night, "US forces have conducted two engagements from the air to defend friendly forces."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The Taliban sound cocky .... ‘Tomorrow we take the White House,’ Taliban fighter in Kunduz threatens (Threat Matrix).

More News On The Battle For The Afghan City of Kunduz

U.S. helicopters support 3rd day of battle against Taliban in Kunduz, Afghans say -- AP
US Military Conducts Airstrikes in Troubled Afghan City -- VOA
Afghan Officials: Clashes With Taliban Continue in Kunduz -- AP
Afghan Forces Battle Taliban -- WSJ
Residents flee as Afghan troops battle Taliban in city of Kunduz -- Reuters
Kunduz offensive: Afghan residents 'hide in basements' -- BBC
Food shortages in Afghan city of Kunduz as residents flee fighting -- AFP
Is Kunduz the beginning of the end for Afghanistan? -- Rashmee Roshan Lall, The National

The Afghan City Of Kunduz Is Under Taliban Attack

Reuters: Taliban fighters enter northern Afghan city of Kunduz

Taliban fighters mounted a coordinated assault on the northern city of Kunduz overnight, attacking from four directions and entering the city itself, a senior city police official said.

Sheer Ali Kamal, commander of the 808 Tandar police zone in Kunduz said the attack began at around midnight (1930 GMT Sunday) and fighting was still going on in and around the city.

"We are putting all our efforts together to push them back," he said.

Kunduz, which fell briefly to the Taliban a year ago, has seen repeated bouts of heavy fighting and was seriously threatened in April.

Read more ....

Update #1: Afghan city of Kunduz under Taliban attack (AFP)
Update #2: Afghan government's control over Kunduz remains fragile (DW)

WNU Editor: This is a breaking news story. It will be updated later today.

The Taliban Are On A Rampage In Afghanistan's Opium Heartland Of Hellmand Province

An Afghan security walks as smoke billows from a building after a Taliban attack in Gereshk district of Helmand province, Afghanistan March 9, 2016. REUTERS/Abdul Malik

VICE News: The Taliban Is Running Amok and Killing Policemen in Afghanistan's Opium Heartland

Taliban fighters overran two checkpoints in Afghanistan's southern Helmand province on Tuesday, killing at least 15 Afghan policemen. The fighting in the opium-rich province comes as the lucrative poppy harvest winds down, and the insurgents, who largely control the drug trade, are now flush with cash and new recruits.

Afghan officials warned after the attack that the Taliban is within striking distance of the provincial capital Lashkar Gah.

"The situation is very critical near Lashkar Gah," a senior provincial security official told Reuters on Tuesday, confirming that, after a protracted gun battle, 15 policeman had been killed. "If the government does not act soon, there will be a disaster," said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Read more ....

Update: Afghan Taliban tighten squeeze on Helmand capital -- Reuters

WNU Editor: It looks like the Afghan government has been defeated in this province .... holding onto a few FOBs and the provincial capital Lashkar Gah. But in a lucky break .... what is probably stopping the Taliban from conquering the entire province has been their own infighting .... Infighting among Taliban leaves 18 dead in Helmand province (Khaama Press).

Taliban Launch Offensive To Seize The Northern Afghan City Of Kunduz

Reuters: Taliban launch major push to retake northern Afghan city

Hundreds of Taliban insurgents have launched an offensive to seize the northern Afghan city of Kunduz, which they captured and held for several days last year, provincial officials said on Friday.

The offensive around Kunduz began only days after the Islamist group announced their annual spring offensive, vowing to launch large-scale attacks using suicide bombers and guerilla fighters to drive the Western-backed government from power.

Fighting broke out on Thursday in six districts in Kunduz province, a crucial northern stronghold close to the Tajikistan border, as well as around the provincial capital, with Afghan security forces battling militants through the night.

Read more ....

Update #1: Afghan forces repel Taliban in Kunduz as spring fighting begins (AFP)
Update #2: Afghan Forces Fend Off Taliban Assault on Kunduz (VOA)

WNU Editor: This appears to be a coordinated attack by hundreds of Taliban fighters, and even though they have been repelled, it looks like the fight is only beginning.

Afghan Forces Abandon More Posts In Southern Afghanistan

Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers patrol at an outpost in Helmand province, Afghanistan December 25, 2015. REUTERS/ABDUL MALIK

Reuters: Afghan troops pull out of more posts in volatile south

Afghan forces have pulled back from strongpoints in the southern province of Uruzgan, continuing a withdrawal which began last month when they abandoned two districts in the neighboring province of Helmand to the Taliban, officials said on Tuesday.

Provincial government spokesman Dost Mohammad Nayab said around 100 troops and police had been pulled from checkpoints in two areas in Shahidi Hassas district and sent to the neighboring district of Deh Rawud.

The Afghan Taliban, seeking to topple the Western-backed government in Kabul and reimpose Islamic rule 15 years after they were ousted from power, said the move, which came after heavy fighting late on Monday, had left the entire area around the village of Yakhdan under their control.

Read more ....

More News On The Afghan War

Afghan Security Forces Withdraw From District In Uruzgan Province -- RFE
US airstrikes kill nine in Afghanistan -- Al Bawaba
Dozens killed, wounded in Afghanistan suicide attacks -- Reuters
At least 27 killed in two bomb attacks in Afghanistan -- Washington Post
Afghan forces raid another Taliban ‘prison’ in Helmand -- Long War Journal
4 policemen martyred, 11 missing following an insider attack in Kandahar -- Khaama Press
Afghan Police Killed And Detained After Being Caught Aiding The Taliban -- Daily Caller
30 Afghan Police Officers Detained for Suspected Taliban Ties -- VOA
8 Afghan soldiers martyred during counter-terrorism operations -- Khaama Press
Nearly 100 militants including ISIS loyalists killed in ongoing operations: MoD -- Khaama Press
70 militants killed, Afghan forces capture Taliban bastion -- Business Standard
How IS has been making enemies in Afghanistan -- BBC
Afghanistan urges China to support the Afghan Air Force -- Khaama Press
China pledges over $70 million to support the Afghan military -- Khaama Press
Russia to continue to assist Afghanistan in equipping security forces — foreign ministry -- TASS
Taliban not a capable force despite show of power: Russian envoy -- Khaama Press
‘I Was Supposed To Die In Afghanistan’: Troops Recount Their Efforts To Save Interpreters Left In War’s Breach -- Daily Caller
Monitoring Group: Corruption Still a Problem in Afghanistan -- VOA
America's utter failure in Afghanistan, in one depressing statistic -- Jennifer Williams, VOX
Facing the Taliban and His Past, an Afghan Leader Aims for a Different Ending -- NYT
Afghanistan Taliban: Can talks succeed? -- Ahmed Rashid, BBC

Afghan Troops Have Pulled Out Of A Key Helmand District

Reuters: Afghan troops pull out of strategic Helmand district

Afghan forces have pulled out of bases in Musa Qala, a strategic district of the southern province of Helmand, after months of heavy fighting with Taliban insurgents, officials said on Saturday.

Helmand, a traditional heartland of the Taliban and one of the world's biggest centers of opium production, has been threatened for months and the United States recently sent hundreds of soldiers to the province to bolster its defense.

The commander of the Afghan army's 215th corps, Mohammad Moeen Faqir, said troops had been ordered to pull back from Roshan Tower, their main base in Musa Qala, as well as other checkpoints to reinforce Gereshk, straddling the main Highway One which links Kabul with the south and west.

"Their presence in the area did not mean anything," he said. "We will use them in battle with enemies in other parts of Helmand province."

Read more ....

WNU Editor: I guess the deployment of hundreds of U.S. troops a week and a half ago have not helped .... More U.S. troops heading to Helmand province (Military Times).

The Taliban In Afghanistan Have 150 Humvees That Are Now Being Used In Suicide Attacks

U.S. Army 1st Lt. Jared Tomberlin climbs on a Humvee for a better view as he and his soldiers search for activity in a town near Forward Operation Base Lane in Zabul province, Afghanistan, March 14, 2009. U.S. Army photo by Staff Sgt. Adam Mancini

New York Times: Taliban, Using Humvees Stolen From Army, Attack Check Post

KABUL, Afghanistan — In an attack using a tactic long feared by Afghan officials, Taliban suicide bombers riding in two stolen Afghan Army Humvees clashed with security forces on Saturday in southern Helmand Province, killing six security personnel at a checkpoint, Afghan officials said.

While the Afghan government has publicly played down the threat, in private, officials have warned that insurgents, who have in the past largely relied on motorcycles and basic weapons, could gain new advantages by turning seized or abandoned military equipment against Afghan security forces.

As insurgents grabbed territory last year that was once controlled by Afghan forces, they also seized weapons and Humvees provided by the American military from bases and checkpoints abandoned by Afghan forces, which are stretched thin fighting on their own without the combat assistance of NATO forces.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: 150 Humvees?!?!?!