Security 2020-01-31 Rescued Afghan soldiers speak of appalling torture, brutality in Taliban prison Among the crimes, the Taliban extorted money for the soldiers' families to pay for food, and then left the prisoners to starve.
Terrorism 2020-01-30 Details emerge on identity of new ISIS leader Previously named as Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, the terrorist leader is now said to be an Iraqi Turkmen named Amir Mohammed Abdul Rahman al-Mawli al-Salbi.
Security 2020-01-30 Herat civilians maimed by Taliban attacks call for swift punishment The number of those disabled by Taliban attacks rose by 30% over the past solar year.
Crime Justice 2020-01-29 Afghan government reclaims thousands of jeribs of illegally seized land Strongmen have been illegally taking public and private property in areas mostly controlled by the Taliban.
Politics 2020-01-29 Mohaqiq fails to drum up support for Tehran in Pakistan The politician recently led a 10-member delegation to Pakistan to lobby for Iran's interests. His efforts failed miserably, analysts say.
Health 2020-01-28 New polio case surfaces in Baghlan as Taliban continues to prevent vaccination A four-year-old child contracted the virus after militants refused to allow health officials to mobilise in areas they control in the province.
Elections 2020-01-27 Iran's president denounces country's conservative rulers after candidates banned The Guardian Council, a body close to the country's hardliners, blocked almost 10,000 candidates from contesting upcoming polls in what the president has called a threat to the nation.
Security 2020-01-27 Afghans from Herat to Baghlan call on Taliban to accept ceasefire Religious scholars and concerned citizens from across Afghanistan are calling for an immediate ceasefire and intra-Afghan talks between the Taliban and the government.
Security 2020-01-24 Truck drivers call Taliban 'looters' as group continues extortion on highways Law enforcement officials have vowed to crack down on the group's 'tax' collection checkpoints on highways throughout the country.
Protests 2020-01-24 Gunmen kill Iranian militia commander as internal tension builds Faced with an increasingly disaffected population and a tailspinning economy, Iranian leaders are scrambling to maintain control while at the same time posturing to appear tough.
Security 2020-01-23 Afghan officials push Taliban for full ceasefire The Taliban's commitment to anything less than a complete ceasefire will fail to produce the desired outcome in peace talks, officials say.
Diplomacy 2020-01-22 Grieving Afghans demand justice for Iran's downing of passenger plane Iran's Revolutionary Guard admitted mistaking the Ukrainian airliner for a cruise missile, and the families of the 13 Afghans killed in the incident are demanding justice and compensation.
Protests 2020-01-22 Unrest grows as Iranian leaders ignore internal distress over failing economy Iran's Supreme Leader and other top leaders are trying to divert public anger toward its showdown with the West, leaving core issues of discontent unaddressed.
Security 2020-01-21 Iranian-made rockets found ready to fire on Kandahar airport Discovery of these weapons further proves the Iranian regime's support of the Taliban, say officials.
Security 2020-01-21 Hundreds of Herat residents urge crackdown on Iranian-backed 'spies' Protesters denounced attempts by Tehran's supporters to promote the deceased leader of the Quds Force, Qasem Soleimani, as a hero.
Economy 2020-01-20 Herat vocational project helps war-affected women achieve self-sufficiency The programme is aimed at helping those internally displaced by conflict earn an income by learning trades.
Security 2020-01-17 Tehran's timid response to Soleimani killing underscores regime's fragility The need for Iranian leaders to go to such lengths to exaggerate the regime's capabilities and the timidity of the military's 'terrible vengeance' have exposed major cracks in the facade.
Security 2020-01-16 Afghan forces clear Taliban from over 50 villages in Kunduz Joint Afghan forces killed about 100 Taliban fighters over the course of the six-week-long operation.
Women's Rights 2020-01-15 Women 'pioneers' demand greater participation in peace process The peace talks are at a critical juncture and women's voices must be heard, women from Herat, Farah, Ghor and Badghis provinces said.
Diplomacy 2020-01-14 European countries launch dispute process over Iran nuclear deal violations Iran has been scaling back its commitments and defying restrictions that it previously agreed to obey, said the diplomats.
Security 2020-01-14 Wives, children of ISIS fighters in Nangarhar return to Pakistan Afghan authorities helped 55 women and 76 children return to their families in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.
Security 2020-01-14 Increased military pressure forces 70 Taliban fighters to surrender in Ghor Before the clearing operations began in the area, the Taliban had been extorting and killing residents in Shahrak District, officials say.
Economy 2020-01-13 Bati Kot citrus farms get major boost after liberation from Taliban Farmers harvested 1,600 tons of oranges in previous years. After Afghan security forces liberated the district from the Taliban, orange yields increased to 5,200 tons.
Human Rights 2020-01-13 'Death to the dictator': angry protesters in Iran demand end to the regime Videos posted on social media showed thousands of demonstrators calling for the Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei and top military leaders to step down.
Security 2020-01-10 Coalition air strike kills commander of Taliban splinter group in Herat Mullah Nangialai was killed in Shindand District, say officials.
Security 2020-01-10 Civilian casualties caused by Taliban in 2019 topped 7,000 The Taliban's targeting of civilians is a war crime, say observers.
Diplomacy 2020-01-10 Iran's new Quds Force commander under investigation by Afghan government Qaani purportedly tried to pass himself off as a deputy ambassador of Iran in order to conduct clandestine military affairs in Afghanistan.
Security 2020-01-09 Herat residents express support for killing of Iranian commander Soleimani The Iranian general stirred up violence and unrest across Afghanistan, and threatened a number of key Afghan infrastructure projects.
Security 2020-01-09 Dozens of Taliban fighters surrender to authorities in Nangarhar, Badakhshan 'I could not tolerate oppression, torture, injustice, selfishness, harassment and violence against civilians,' said one of the surrendered fighters.
Security 2020-01-08 Taliban claims of capturing districts in 2019 'outright lies' The Taliban's claims are baseless propaganda designed to cover up the group's losses, say officials in those provinces.
Security 2020-01-08 Iran is undermining Afghan peace process: Pompeo Taliban and Iranian officials have publicly admitted that the militant group is receiving support from Tehran.
Security 2020-01-08 Tensions ease after Iran’s retaliation on US military fails to inflict casualties Leaders described Tehran's missile attacks as dangerous and urged dialogue to prevent further escalation.
Health 2020-01-07 Boom in meth addiction adds to Afghanistan's opium and heroin woes Ibn Sina, Afghanistan's largest addiction treatment facility, is treating about 900 men, many of whom say they became hooked while living in Iran.
Security 2020-01-07 Russia, China refuse to condemn Iranian attack on US embassy in Baghdad All member nations had repeated their long-standing concerns about Iran's destabilising activities in the Middle East, said NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg.
Security 2020-01-06 Taliban set fire to telecom towers in Darzab District Taliban fighters also wanted to burn down the civilian hospital in the district but were prevented from doing so by local elders.
Security 2020-01-06 Iran abandons nuclear commitments as European powers back United States Britain, France and Germany are backing the United States in its growing confrontation with Tehran, as new details have emerged about Gen. Qasem Soleimani's plots to kill Americans.
Security 2020-01-03 Afghans condemn Taliban leaders for resisting calls for ceasefire Even Taliban fighters and their families are fed up with war and want peace, say observers.
Security 2020-01-03 Killing of top militant commander sends stark warning to Tehran Despite repeated warnings, Iran and its proxies have launched numerous attacks against US personnel and its allies for nearly a year. The attack on the US embassy was the last straw.
Security 2020-01-02 Afghan troops regain control of western districts long held by Taliban Winter operations have killed almost 200 Taliban fighters and restored government control in several areas in Ghor and Badghis provinces.
Women's Rights 2020-01-01 In photos: female Afghan army officers receive tactical, weapons training overseas This is the third straight year that female Afghan army cadets are taking part in a military training programme in Chennai, India.