Taliban threatens provincial capital of Helmand
The Taliban continues to press its offensive in southern Afghanistan and is reported to have advanced within miles of the city of Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand.
Tag Archives: Afghanistan
Are we losing Afghanistan again?
An opinion piece originally published at The New York Times. As the Taliban expands its influence in Afghanistan, al Qaeda has re-emerged as a force in the country. More US forces, and not less, are required to turn the tide.
Islamic State promotes training camps in ‘Khorasan’
While the locations of the Shaykh Abu Omar al Baghdadi and Shaykh Abu Musab al Zarqawi camps are unknown, they are likely situated in the eastern Afghan province of Nangarhar, where the jihadist group has established a presence.
Taliban seizes another district in western Afghanistan
The Afghan Taliban claimed it overran the district center of Ghoryan in the western province of Herat. Afghan forces later retook the district. Thirteen districts have fallen to the jihadist group in the past several weeks.
US adds Taliban leader linked to ‘groups of Arab fighters’ to terrorism list
Torek Agha is “a long-standing Taliban member [who] has been central to spearheading brutal military attacks and raising millions of dollars to support the Taliban’s ruthless acts of terrorism,” Treasury stated.
Another Afghan district falls to the Taliban
The jihadist group continues to fight for control of the northwestern Afghan province of Faryab, where two other districts fell to the Taliban over the past 10 days.
US military confirms it killed senior al Qaeda strategist Sanafi al Nasr in airstrike in Syria
The Department of Defense confirmed that the senior al Qaeda strategist, who was dispatched years ago by al Qaeda from the Afghanistan-Pakistan region to Syria, was killed in an airstrike on Oct. 15. Nasr’s death is a blow to al Qaeda.
Taliban controls or contests 70 districts in Afghanistan
A New York Times map, based on data provided by The Long War Journal, shows the deteriorating situation in Afghanistan. President Obama’s decision to keep 5,500 troop in country past 2017 will not be enough to turn the tide.
US drone strike kills mufti of Islamic State Khorasan Province
Jalaluddin, the former mufti for Khorasan Province, rose thought the jihadist ranks in the Afghan-Pakistan region and was mentored by Sheikh Aminullah, an influential Taliban leader and al Qaeda facilitator, before defecting to the Islamic State. He taught at the Ganj Madrassa, which is listed by the US as a terrorist facility.
Taliban overruns district in Farah province
The district of Bala Buluk fell to the jihadist group after more than a week of fighting. The fate of dozens of policemen who were surrounded for days is unknown.
Taliban announces withdrawal from center of Kunduz city
The Taliban admitted earlier today that its forces have withdrawn from the center of Kunduz city. The group still controls all of the surrounding districts, however, meaning the city center is still under threat. While the Taliban portrayed its decision to withdraw as being somewhat altruistic, Amnesty International has accused the group of committing various crimes during its multi-day siege.
US military strikes large al Qaeda training camps in southern Afghanistan
The US military’s raid on two large al Qaeda camps in the Shorabak district of the Kandahar province highlights al Qaeda’s significant footprint in Afghanistan more than 14 years after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Taliban claims control of district in Kandahar
The Taliban control or contest a belt of districts in the south spanning from Farah to Helmand, Uruzgan, and now Kandahar, and may use this to threaten Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital of Helmand, or Kandahar city.
Taliban’s shadow governor for Badakhshan denies reports of his death
Qari Fasihuddin, the “Jihadi-in charge” of Badakhshan, is the second shadow governor to deny reports that he was killed in a US airstrike since the Taliban took control of Kunduz and several districts in the Afghan north.
Taliban controls or contests scores of districts in Afghanistan
Based on an analysis by The Long War Journal, 29 of Afghanistan’s 398 districts are under Taliban control, and another 36 districts are contested. An interactive map details the locations.
Taliban overruns another 2 districts in Afghan north
Wardoj and Baharak are the latest districst to fall to the Taliban since the provincial capital of Kunduz was overrun on Sept. 28. The Taliban has seized control of 10 districts in five provinces.
District in western Afghanistan falls to Taliban, group claims
If the Taliban’s takeover of Khaki Safid in Farah province is confirmed, the jihadist group has seized five districts in three provinces and the provincial capital of Kunduz in the span of three days.
US Special Forces engage Taliban in fighting at Kunduz airport
A senior Afghan military official confirmed that US Special Forces engaged the Taliban outside of Kunduz Airport. Maintaining control of the airport is vital if Afghan security forces hope to regain control of Kunduz city.
Taliban claims it seized 3 districts in Takhar province
The Taliban reports cannot be independently confirmed as media reporting in the Afghan north has focused on Kunduz. But the Taliban has been accurate in its reporting of districts it has taken in the past.
Photos show Taliban in control of Kunduz city
Photos released on Twitter by Taliban fighters and supporters show the jihadist group in control over the northern city. The Taliban raised its white banner over several buildings in Kunduz.
Taliban storms Kunduz city
Reports from Afghan officials, residents and Taliban fighters inside Kunduz indicate that Afghan forces have been driven out of the city and the Taliban is in full control.
Taliban overruns outpost in eastern Afghanistan
As the jihadist group mounts offensives in the northern province of Kunduz and the southern province of Helmand, it has also been consolidating its grip on areas in eastern Afghanistan, including within the Haqqani Network stronghold of Paktika.
Haqqani Network publicizes training camp in Afghanistan
Jihadist groups in Afghanistan continue to operate training camps despite the presence of coalition troops.
Mullah Omar’s brother and son swear allegiance to new Taliban emir
Mullah Manan and Mullah Yacoub’s pledge to Afghan Taliban emir Akhtar Mohammad Mansour closes a major rift that existed after Omar’s death was announced on July 31.
Al Qaeda leader killed in eastern Afghanistan, NDS claims
The raid that killed “Khuram,” the al Qaeda leader, took place in the same district in Paktika province where 15 Pakistani Taliban fighters were reported killed last week.
Taliban suicide assault team overruns prison, frees hundreds
The Taliban freed more than 140 of its fighters and 200 prisoners in a coordinated suicide assault on a jail in the southeastern Afghan province of Ghazni.
US airstrike kills 15 Pakistani Taliban fighters in eastern Afghanistan
Both the Taliban in Pakistan and its ally, al Qaeda, have stepped up their presence in eastern Afghanistan over the past several years.
Debunking the myth that al Qaeda doesn’t seek to control territory like the Islamic State
Al Qaeda’s branches and allies have held or continue to control ground in Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Mali, Pakistan, Afghanistan, and Libya, contrary to the narrative that only the Islamic State seeks to take territory.
Taliban flaunts al Qaeda links in latest issue of its official magazine
Among those who eulogized Mullah Omar in the September 2015 edition of Al Sumud include al Qaeda emir Ayman al Zawahiri, former Islamic Caucasus Emirate leader Abu Usman Gimrinsky, al Qaeda-linked cleric Abdullah al Muhaysini, and Specially Designated nationals Hani al Siba’i and Sheikh Hamid bin Abdallah al ‘Ali.
Dissident Taliban commander claims Pakistani intel ordered him to conduct assassinations, attacks in Afghanistan
Mullah Mansour Dadullah, who has rejected the appointment of Mullah Mansour to replace Mullah Omar, also said that the Taliban’s leadership is based in Pakistan. He has not expressed a desire to join the Islamic State.