KABUL -- Afghanistan August 18 celebrated its 97th Independence Day, media reported. The day commemorates the signing of the 1919 Treaty of Rawalpindi.
Officials including President Ashraf Ghani and government CEO Abdullah Abdullah attended a celebration at the Presidential Palace, TOLO News reported.
In his speech to the gathering, Ghani praised the sacrifices of the country's security forces and reaffirmed his commitment to defeating militants, including the "Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant" (ISIL).
