UN Says More Than 200 Former Afghan Officials And Security Forces Killed Since Taliban Takeover

 

Al Jazeera: Over 200 former Afghan troops, officials killed since Taliban takeover: UN  

The UN mission in Afghanistan has recorded more than 800 cases of serious rights violations despite amnesty announced by the Taliban. 

More than 200 former Afghan soldiers and officials have been killed extrajudicially since August 2021, despite a general amnesty announced by the Taliban immediately after its takeover, the United Nations mission in Afghanistan has said. 

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its first report since the Taliban takeover two years ago, has documented 800 cases of serious human rights violations, including arbitrary arrests and detentions, torture and ill-treatment and enforced disappearances. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: Life is grim in Afghanistan (see above video).

UN Says More Than 200 Former Afghan Officials And Security Forces Killed Since Taliban Takeover  

No End to Taliban Revenge Killings in Afghanistan -- Human Rights Watch 

More than 200 former Afghan officials and security forces killed since Taliban takeover, UN says -- AP  

UN Accuses Taliban of Killing 200 Ex-Afghan Officials, Security Personnel -- VOA  

More than 200 Afghan government officials, security forces killed following Taliban takeover: UN -- FOX News 

U.N.: Taliban defy 'general amnesty' with 800 extrajudicial killings, arrests in Afghanistan -- UPI

Taliban Marks 2-Year Anniversary Of Return To Power In Afghanistan

 

Al Jazeera: Taliban marks two years since return to power in Afghanistan  

August 15 has been declared a national holiday to celebrate the Taliban government, which is still not recognised by any country. 

The Afghan Taliban is marking the second anniversary of its return to power with a public holiday, celebrating the takeover of Kabul and the establishment of what it described as security across the country under an “Islamic system”. 

“On the second anniversary of the conquest of Kabul, we would like to congratulate the mujahid [holy warrior] nation of Afghanistan and ask them to thank Almighty Allah for this great victory,” the spokesman for the Taliban, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a statement on Tuesday.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Afghan Taliban Celebrate Return to Power Two Years on Amid Erosion of Women's Rights (Reuters)  

Update #2: Taliban marks 2-year anniversary of return to power in Afghanistan, hails 'great victory' (FOX News)  

WNU Editor: It looks like the Taliban are here to stay .... Two years after U.S. withdrawal, the Taliban enjoys an iron fisted grip on Afghanistan (Long War Journal).

After Only One Year The Afghan Taliban Have Wiped Out Opium Production. This Raises Questions About What The U.S. And Its Opium Eradication Efforts Was Doing All Along

Data from Alcis shows that a majority of Afghan farmers switched from growing poppy to wheat in a single year 

Mint Press: Taliban’s Massively Successful Opium Eradication Raises Questions About What US Was Doing All Along  

The Taliban government in Afghanistan – the nation that until recently produced 90% of the world’s heroin – has drastically reduced opium cultivation across the country. Western sources estimate an up to 99% reduction in some provinces. This raises serious questions about the seriousness of U.S. drug eradication efforts in the country over the past 20 years. And, as global heroin supplies dry up, experts tell MintPress News that they fear this could spark the growing use of fentanyl – a drug dozens of times stronger than heroin that already kills more than 100,000 Americans yearly.  

The Taliban Does What the US Did Not 

It has already been called “the most successful counter-narcotics effort in human history.” Armed with little more than sticks, teams of counter-narcotics brigades travel the country, cutting down Afghanistan’s poppy fields. 

In April of last year, the ruling Taliban government announced the prohibition of poppy farming, citing both their strong religious beliefs and the extremely harmful social costs that heroin and other opioids – derived from the sap of the poppy plant – have wrought across Afghanistan.  

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WNU Editor: How is it that the U.S., after spending years and billions to eradicate Afghanistan's opium production, completely failed .... but the Taliban, with no money and armed with little more than sticks, succeeded within a year. 

I think the answer is obvious. Past Western-backed Afghan governments and the U.S. were not serious in eradicating Afghanistan's poppy fields

Afghan Taliban's War On Music Intensifying

Hundreds of musicians have fled Afghanistan to escape the Taliban's restrictions on music. Image: Afghanistan's Ministry for the Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice/AFP  

BBC: Afghanistan: Taliban burn ‘immoral’ musical instruments 

The Taliban have burned musical instruments in Afghanistan, claiming music "causes moral corruption". 

Thousands of dollars worth of musical equipment went up in smoke on a bonfire on Saturday in western Herat province. Since taking power in 2021, the Taliban have imposed numerous restrictions, including on playing music in public.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Afghanistan: Taliban burn musical instruments (DW)  

Update #2: Instruments thrown on fire as Taliban declares music immoral in Afghanistan (SKY News)  

WNU editor: Cannot say that I am surprised.

Afghanistan Declare Aug 31 A National Holiday To Commemorate The Day The Last US Soldier Left

First Post: Afghanistan declares Aug 31 as national holiday to commemorate US troop withdrawal 

Afghanistan has announced that the country will observe August 31, the day US soldier departed from the country as a National Holiday. 

As stated on the Taliban government’s website, the withdrawal of foreign troops will be celebrated annually on August 31. 

The inaugural festivities were organized last year, with the authorities and supporters of the Taliban marking the first anniversary of the withdrawal. Taliban fighters held a rally on Massoud Square in Kabul, located outside the former US embassy.

On August 31, 2021, just before the withdrawal deadline expired, the final American soldier, US Army Major General Chris Donahue, boarded a military transport plane. This marked the conclusion of a challenging 20-year military campaign that incurred significant costs and resulted in the loss of thousands of lives. 

Read more ....  

Update #1: Taliban make US withdrawal anniversary a national holiday (IFP News)  

Update #2: Afghans make US withdrawal anniversary a national holiday (RT)  

WNU Editor: This is a big story in Asia and elsewhere. Zero coverage in the Western press.

Pentagon Leaks Say Afghanistan Has Become A Terrorism Staging Ground Again

Washington Post: Afghanistan has become a terrorism staging ground again, leak reveals 

Less than two years after President Biden withdrew U.S. personnel from Afghanistan, the country has become a significant coordination site for the Islamic State as the terrorist group plans attacks across Europe and Asia, and conducts “aspirational plotting” against the United States, according to a classified Pentagon assessment that portrays the threat as a growing security concern. 

The attack planning, detailed in U.S. intelligence findings leaked on the Discord messaging platform and obtained by The Washington Post, reveal specific efforts to target embassies, churches, business centers and the FIFA World Cup soccer tournament, which drew more than 2 million spectators last summer in Qatar. Pentagon officials were aware in December of nine such plots coordinated by ISIS leaders in Afghanistan, and the number rose to 15 by February, says the assessment, which has not been disclosed previously.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: ISIS using Afghanistan as staging ground for terror plots after US withdrawal: report -- FOX News  

Update #2: ISIS using Afghanistan as terror base after US withdrawal, docs from alleged leaker Jack Teixeira reveal -- NYPost  

WNU Editor: Why am I not surprised.

Suicide Bomb Attack Kills At Least 20 Outside Afghan Foreign Ministry In Kabul

Taliban security forces block a road after a suspected suicide blast near Afghanistan's foreign ministry at the Zanbaq Square in Kabul on Wednesday. [Wakil Kohsar/AFP]  

BBC: Afghanistan: Deadly suicide bombing outside foreign ministry 

A suicide bomb attack outside the Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul has caused heavy casualties.

 Police said at least five civilians had been killed but another Taliban official put the toll as high as 20. 

The attack took place about 16:00 local time (11:30 GMT) when the bomber tried, but failed to enter the ministry building itself, the Taliban said. 

No group has claimed responsibility. Several countries, including Turkey and China, have embassies in the area. 

Reports suggest a Chinese delegation was due to hold talks with the Afghan officials inside the foreign ministry building at the time of the attack. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: So much for Taliban claims that they have brought security to the country. 

Suicide Bomb Attack Kills At Least 20 Outside Afghan Foreign Ministry In Kabul  

Suicide bomb attack kills at least 20 outside Afghan foreign ministry in Kabul -- SKY News  

Suicide blast and gun fire rock Taliban Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Kabul -- FOX News  

Afghanistan: Over 20 killed in suicide bomb blast outside foreign ministry in Kabul -- WION  

Over 20 Killed & 27 Injured In Explosion Near Taliban's Foreign Ministry In Afghanistan -- Republic World

Taliban Bans Women From Universities In Afghanistan

 

VOA: Taliban Bans Afghan Women from Universities  

Women and girls in Afghanistan suffered another setback in their push for equal access to education on Wednesday. Many universities closed their doors to female students hoping to take exams and attend class. 

 Reports by Voice of America and the Associated Press said young women could be seen crying after they were not permitted to go into their university buildings. 

Taliban fighters in Kabul and other Afghan cities blocked the students from going into their classrooms. The action came one day after the Taliban administration shared a letter that said private and public universities should ban women and girls as soon as possible.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: The public executions and floggings are back .... Afghan Taliban Announce New Round of Public Floggings (VOA). More here .... Taliban carry out first public execution since returning to power in Afghanistan (CNN). 

Taliban Bans Women From Universities In Afghanistan  

Female students turned away from Afghan universities after Taliban ban -- Reuters 

Taliban ban Afghan women from university education -- The Guardian  

Female students turned away from Afghan university campuses after new Taliban rule barring women from higher education -- ABC News Australia  

Taliban says women banned from universities in Afghanistan -- Al Jazeera

Taliban ban women from Afghanistan's universities -- Axios  

Turkey, Saudi Arabia decry Taliban university ban for women -- AP  

Afghanistan: Taliban arrest women protesting against university ban -- BBC  

‘What was their sacrifice for?’: Devastation for female Afghan students stripped of education -- CNN

Who Is Giving The Afghan Taliban Tens Of Millions Of US Dollars?

The central bank of Afghanistan said it received another injection of $40 million in cash this week. (Da Afghanistan Bank- Afghanistan)  

FOX News: Afghanistan's Taliban displays pallets of cash received for 'humanitarian aid' 

The Da Bank of Afghanistan, the Taliban-controlled central bank of Afghanistan, tweeted images of the cash 

A large package containing around $40 million in cash for "humanitarian aid" was seen on an airport tarmac in Afghanistan, officials there said last week. 

The money was handed over to the Da Bank of Afghanistan, the Taliban-controlled central bank of Afghanistan, which is headquartered in Kabul. 

The bank tweeted several images of the cash.  One shows packages of U.S. $100 notes bound in plastic, boxed and bagged in an airport.   

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Those neat stacks of fresh US $100 bills look like they just came from the US mint.

Bombing Kills Scores Of Students At A Religious School In Northern Afghanistan

FOX News: Students killed in explosion at Afghanistan religious school, Taliban blame ISIS for 'unforgivable crime' 

The attack occurred at 12:45 p.m., around the time of afternoon prayers An explosion in northern Afghanistan killed 15 people at a religious school in an alleged attack that the Taliban have labeled as an "unforgivable crime."  

 "This is the handiwork of the enemies of the people of Afghanistan who target innocent people and children," Suhail Shaheen, the Taliban's permanent representative of Afghanistan to the United Nations, told Fox News Digital. 

"No doubt, their true nature is revealed to the world and to the Afghan people through their gruesome and horrendous acts."  

Read more ....

 Bombing Kills Scores Of Students At A Religious School In Northern Afghanistan  

At least 19 killed, 24 wounded in north Afghanistan blast -- AFP 

Students killed as bomb blast hits Afghan school -- BBC  

Bombing Kills 15 Students at Religious School in Northern Afghanistan -- VOA  

Students among 15 killed in Afghan school explosion -- Al Jazeera 

Taliban: 10 killed in bombing of Afghan religious school -- AP

Mapping Anti-Taliban Insurgencies In Afghanistan

Critical Threats: Mapping Anti-Taliban Insurgencies in Afghanistan 

Co-produced by the Institute for the Study of War and the Critical Threats Project 

The Afghan Taliban has moved swiftly to consolidate control over Afghanistan and eliminate any opposition to its rule since the August 2021 collapse of the Afghan Republic. The Taliban claim to rule all of Afghanistan for the first time in 40 years. Armed groups opposed to the Taliban remain active in the country, however. Anti-Taliban groups fall into two main categories: Islamic State–aligned groups and non–Salafi-jihadi resistance groups.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This is the first report that I have seen in months that is explaining the anti-Taliban insurgencies in Afghanistan. It doesn't look much right now, but anti-Taliban groups are active.

Afghan Taliban Imposes Sharia Law And Punishments

 

DW: Afghanistan sees return of brutal punishments under Taliban 

When the Taliban seized power in 2021, many people, including some Western diplomats, expected the fundamentalist group to rule differently this time around. 

A year later, Afghanistan's rulers have proven them wrong. Although analysts didn't expect the Taliban to transform into a liberal outfit, they hoped the group might have become "politically mature" as they seized power in Afghanistan for the second time. 

The hardline group's first stint in power — from 1996 to 2001 — was marked by their massive violations of human rights, public floggings, curbs on women's participation in public life, among other things. 

These were the major concerns for the West before the US invaded Afghanistan in 2001 and toppled the Taliban regime.  

Read more ....  

Update #1: Taliban to impose their interpretation of Sharia law in Afghanistan (CNN)  

Update #2: Taliban lash 12 people before stadium crowd in Afghanistan (AP)  

WNU Editor: There appears to be some bending of sharia law when it comes to opium production. So much for the Taliban's promise to ban this industry .... Afghanistan: Opium cultivation up nearly a third, warns UNODC (UN News).

Afghanistan's Supreme Leader Orders Full Implementation Of Sharia Law

File photo of Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.  

The Guardian/AFP: Afghan supreme leader orders full implementation of sharia law  

Public executions and amputations some of the punishments for crimes including adultery and theft 

Afghanistan’s supreme leader has ordered judges to fully enforce aspects of Islamic law that include public executions, stonings, floggings and the amputation of limbs for thieves, the Taliban’s chief spokesperson said. 

Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted on Sunday that the “obligatory” command by Haibatullah Akhundzada came after the secretive leader met with a group of judges. 

Akhundzada, who has not been filmed or photographed in public since the Taliban returned to power in August last year, rules by decree from Kandahar, the movement’s birthplace and spiritual heartland. 

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: It is as if  the past 20 years never existed.

Afghanistan's Supreme Leader Orders Full Implementation Of Sharia Law  

Afghanistan: Taliban leader orders Sharia law punishments -- BBC  

Taliban adopts full Sharia law in Afghanistan: Judges are ordered by Islamist group's leader to enforce stonings, floggings and limb amputations -- Daily Mail  

Afghan supreme leader Akhundzada orders full implementation of Islamic law -- Alarabiya/AFP ‘

My command is obligatory’: Afghan supreme leader imposes full sharia law -- The Independent  

Public executions, stonings, and more: Taliban order full implementation of Islamic law -- WION

UN Report Details Widespread Abuse In Afghanistan

Reuters: Afghanistan tipping 'towards authoritarianism', says U.N. rights expert 

GENEVA (Reuters) -A U.N. expert said on Monday that human rights had deteriorated under the Taliban, describing a "staggering repression" of women and girls and a "descent towards authoritarianism", while Afghan women urged the global body to act. 

Richard Bennett, the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, called for radical changes in the country. 

"The severe rollback of the rights of women and girls, reprisals targeting opponents and critics, and a clampdown on freedom of expression by the Taliban amount to a descent towards authoritarianism," he told a Human Rights Council meeting. 

Read more ....  

WNU editor: The Taliban have responded .... Taliban condemn 'biased' UN report, say Afghans 'living peacefully' (Express Tribune). 

UN Report Details Widespread Abuse In Afghanistan  

UN expert describes ‘staggering repression’ of women and girls in Afghanistan -- The Guardian  

UN Report Details Taliban Abuses in Afghanistan -- Human Rights Watch  

Afghans Trapped in Human Rights Crisis With No Way Out -- VOA  

UN says Taliban have harassed its Afghan female employees -- AP

Taliban Accuses Pakistan Of Allowing U.S. Drones To Use Its Airspace To Launch Military Strikes Into Afghanistan

Afghanistan's de facto rulers have accused Islamabad of allowing the US to use its airspace to access the country  

DW: Taliban accuses Pakistan of allowing US drones to enter airspace 

Taliban military leader Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob implored Islamabad not to use its airspace against the movement. A US airstrike in Kabul in July killed Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. 

The Taliban's defense minister on Sunday accused Islamabad of allowing American drones to use Pakistani airspace to access Afghanistan. 

"According to our information the drones are entering through Pakistan to Afghanistan, they use Pakistan's airspace," Mullah Mohammed Yaqoob — acting defense minister in the Taliban's internationally unrecognized caretaker cabinet — told reporters in Kabul. 

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Pakistan's Foreign ministry has responded to these Taliban allegations (link here). More here .... Pakistan rejects Taliban blame for use of its airspace for operations in Afghanistan (News 360). 

Taliban Accuses Pakistan Of Allowing U.S. Drones To Use Its Airspace To Launch Military Strikes Into Afghanistan  

Taliban accuses Pakistan of allowing U.S. drones to use its airspace -- Reuters  

Pakistan Providing Airspace For US Drones: Afghan Minister -- AFP  

Taliban Claim US Drones Use Pakistan Airspace to Invade Afghanistan -- VOA 

Taliban jabs Pakistan over US drones: ‘don’t use your airspace against us’ -- The Hill  

Taliban accuses Pakistan of allowing US drones in Afghan airspace -- Al Jazeera  

Pakistan rejects Taliban blame for use of its airspace for operations in Afghanistan -- News 360  

Taliban Accuses Pakistan Of Allowing US Drones To Infiltrate Afghanistan Airspace -- Republic World

Taliban Spokesman Blames The US And Western Allies For Afghanistan's Problems

Suhail Shaheen, Afghan Taliban spokesman speaks during a joint news conference in Moscow, Russia. The Taliban broke its silence Thursday, Aug. 4, 2022, days after a U.S. drone strike killing al Qaida’s top leader in Afghanistan’s capital, acknowledging his slaying, and pledging to launch an investigation. Shaheen, the head of the group’s political office in Doha, Qatar told the Associated Press in a what’s App message that "The government and the leadership weren’t aware of what is being claimed, nor any trace there. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan reiterates its commitment to Doha Agreement." (AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko, Pool)  

FOX News: Taliban spokesman blames US, western allies for problems in Afghanistan, wants money, weapons returned  

Suhail Shaheen insisted the Taliban did not know Ayman al-Zawahri was in Kabul 

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen blamed the West for a humanitarian crisis that has gripped Afghanistan following the group’s takeover last year. 

"Our hands are tied," Shaheen told Fox News Digital in an exclusive interview. "We are facing sanctions, embargoes - those countries, including the United States, who are funding projects here in the country and some of which of those projects work was completed, about 95% are more than that, they stopped funding those projects, so this is also one of the causes of poverty increase in the country."  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: Here is an easy prediction. Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis is going to continue as long as the Taliban are in power.

Taliban Marks 1 Year Since Their Seizure Of Afghanistan

 

Daily Mail: Jubilant Taliban celebrate 'victory' outside abandoned US embassy and declare a national holiday one year after re-taking control of Afghanistan - as regime crushes women's rights and nation slides into poverty 

* Afghanistan fell to the Taliban one year ago today as its fighters entered Kabul and President Ghani fled 

* Islamists declared today to be a national holiday as fighters celebrated outside the abandoned US embassy 

* Jihadists fired shots into the air, danced and chanted victory slogans while waving the group's white banner 

* But it comes after a year which has seen rights of women brutally crushed, and the nation side into poverty 

Taliban fighters chanted victory slogans next to the US embassy in Kabul Monday as they marked the first anniversary of their return to power in Afghanistan following a turbulent year that saw women's rights crushed and a humanitarian crisis worsen. 

Exactly a year ago, the hardline Islamists captured Kabul after a nationwide lightning offensive against government forces just as US-led troops were ending two decades of intervention in a conflict that cost tens of thousands of lives.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The recriminations in Washington on the fall of Afghanistan continues .... Republicans warn they will hold Biden accountable for the disastrous Afghanistan withdrawal - while White House vows to defend botched exit on the one-year anniversary of Taliban taking Kabul (Daily Mail). 

Taliban Marks 1 Year Since Their Seizure Of Afghanistan

Live: As it happened: Afghans in survival mode since Taliban takeover - UN -- BBC  

Afghanistan marks 1 year since Taliban seizure as woes mount -- AP  

Taliban mark year in power that has given Afghanistan security but little hope -- Reuters  

Taliban Announce Public Holiday in Afghanistan to Mark Retaking of Power -- VOA  

Afghan opposition ‘very weak’ despite mounting anger against Taliban -- France 24  

Overview: A Year of Taliban Rule in Afghanistan -- VOA  

How life has changed for Afghans since the Taliban takeover -- DW  

One year on: Afghanistan in anguish -- Axios 

From Kabul and beyond, a year of Taliban rule in Afghanistan -- BBC  

Afghanistan under the Taliban -- VOA

Afghanistan News Updates -- July 28, 2022

 

VOA: Afghanistan Food Program Faces Massive Funding Shortfall  

Afghanistan is again facing risks of mass starvation in coming months as critical relief operations suffer substantial funding shortfalls. 

The World Food Program (WFP) says it faces a net funding shortage of $960 million to sustain humanitarian operations over the next six months. 

"Funding shortfalls and skyrocketing prices mean WFP has been forced to take hard decisions earlier this year to cut down activities to the bare minimum from June to August, temporarily focusing assistance on 10 million people who face the most urgent and life-threatening needs," Philippe Kropf, the WFP's head of communication in Afghanistan, told VOA.  

Read more ....  

WNU Editor: This money (if released) will be gone in a flash .... US, Taliban Discuss Unlocking $3.5 Billion in Afghan Reserves (Bloomberg). 

More News On Afghanistan  

The Taliban's Neighbors Fear Rising Terrorism in Afghanistan -- Foreign Policy 

IS terrorists in Afghanistan increased to 6,000 since Taliban takeover: Russia -- The Print  

Taliban supreme leader warns foreigners not to interfere in Afghanistan -- CNN  

Taliban presiding over extensive rights abuses in Afghanistan, says UN -- The Guardian 

Afghanistan: Taliban’s ‘suffocating crackdown’ destroying lives of women and girls – new report -- Amnesty International  

CIA director ‘proud’ of Afghanistan analysis despite disastrous Taliban takeover -- Washington Examiner  

Sullivan on Afghanistan war: 'It had to come to an end' -- Politico

US President Biden Revokes Afghanistan's 'Major Non-NATO Ally' Designation

The US named Afghanistan a Major non-NATO Ally in July 2012. (AA)  

CNN: Biden will rescind Afghanistan’s designation as a major non-NATO ally 

CNN — President Joe Biden in a letter to Congress on Wednesday said that he will officially rescind Afghanistan’s designation as a major non‑NATO ally. 

In a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the President wrote: “In accordance with section 517 of the Foreign Assistance Act of 1961, as amended (22 U.S.C. 2321k), I am providing notice of my intent to rescind the designation of Afghanistan as a Major Non‑NATO Ally.” 

In 2012, the United States named Afghanistan a major non-NATO ally, which cleared the way for the two countries to maintain a defense and economic relationship. Then-US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton announced the designation during a visit to Kabul.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: The Taliban do not care .... Taliban Says Their Government Is“Undismayed” By The Rescission Of Afghanistan's Designation As A Major Non-NATO Ally (MENAFN- Khaama Press). 

US President Biden Revokes Afghanistan's 'Major Non-NATO Ally' Designation  

Biden to rescind Afghanistan’s designation as major non-NATO ally -- The Hill  

US revokes Afghanistan’s ‘major ally’ status following Taliban takeover -- NYPost  

Biden to revoke designation of Afghanistan as major non-NATO ally -- TRT  

Biden purges major non-NATO ally -- RT

At Least 1,000 dead, 1,500 injured In Earthquake In Afghanistan

 

CNBC/Reuters: Afghanistan quake kills 1,000 people, deadliest in decades 

* A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more. 

* Officials warned that the toll may still rise. 

* Rescuers rushed to the area by helicopter, but the response is likely to be complicated since many international aid agencies left Afghanistan after the Taliban takeover. 

A powerful earthquake struck a rugged, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early Wednesday, killing at least 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more in the country’s deadliest quake in two decades, the state-run news agency reported. Officials warned that the already grim toll may still rise.

In the remote area near the Pakistani border, residents searched for survivors and the dead by digging with their bare hands through the rubble of collapsed stone and mudbrick houses, according to footage shown by the news agency Bakhtar. 

It was not immediately clear if major rescue equipment was being sent — or even if it could reach the area.  

Read more .... 

At Least 1,000 dead, 1,500 injured In Earthquake In Afghanistan  

Deadly earthquake hits Afghanistan: Live Updates -- CNN  

More than 1,000 people killed as earthquake strikes eastern Afghanistan -- France 24  

Afghanistan struck by deadliest earthquake in 2 decades -- DW 

At least 1,000 dead, 1,500 injured in earthquake in Afghanistan -- ABC News  

Afghanistan rocked by 6.1 magnitude quake leaving 1,000 dead, according to Taliban officials -- ABC News Australia  

Afghanistan earthquake: Deaths rise to more than 1,000 and Taliban ask for aid -- SKY News  

Afghanistan hit by deadliest earthquake in 20 years -- Al Jazeera 

Afghanistan earthquake kills at least 1,000 people, officials say -- Axios