Three NATO Soldiers Killed by a Suicide Bomber

PARWAN – Three NATO soldiers were killed in a suicide bombing in parwan Province of Afghanistan while on foot patrol, NATO’s Resolute Support Mission said in a statement.

Wahida Shahkar, spokeswoman for the Parwan governor, said that the attack happened at around 6am local time when the convoy was driving in the Khala Zai area of Parwan.

According to Shahkar there were no civilian casualties and no reports have been received on whether there were casualties among the foreign forces.

Shahkar said an American and two ANA soldier sustained Injuries.

Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack.

SaharNews

1,500 Drug Smugglers Detained in Five Months: MoI

KABUL – Around 1,500 people have been arrested across Afghanistan in connection with 107 tons of drugs during the past five months, an official said on Monday.

Maj. Gen. Abdul Khalil Bakhtyari, secretary counter-narcotics at the Ministry of Interior, told an award-giving ceremony for martial arts players in Kabul, said counter-narcotics officials had big achievements during the past five months.

He said the detainees possessed 107 tons of drugs, and they were arrested during 1,300 operations.

Around 525 raids took place in Kabul alone where 725 smugglers were detained with four tons of different types of drugs, he added.

Bakhtyari added that at present, nearly 30 percent of prisoners in the country’s jails were drug smugglers, citing statistics with the prisons department.

He called drug addicts a major problem and called on citizens to assist police in dealing with the phenomenon.

Meanwhile, Lt. Gen. Janan Barikzai, first deputy interior minister, told the ceremony that smugglers were attempting to distribute some plants to farmers for producing drugs, but the people and the government would not allow them to succeed.

In a recent report, UN highlighted that the cultivation of poppy in Afghanistan, the world’s main source of heroin, has risen to its third-highest level in more than 20 years, as the Taliban insurgency gains ground. Afghanistan’s area under opium-poppy cultivation has increased 63% since 2016, rising to 810,505 acres, while its potential opium production increased 87% to an estimated 9,000 tons — both records for the country despite years of anti-narcotics efforts.

The Afghan government has shifted its focus to combating anti-government elements in densely-populated areas at the expense of rural areas, which may have also allowed cultivation to increase, according to the UNODC.

Among the main factors driving the increase are corruption, lack of government control and security, and challenges to the rule of law, like political instability. Local issues, like a lack of job opportunities, low-quality education, and limited access to markets and financial services, also help push farmers toward opium cultivation.

SaharNews

Iran is Ready to Talk to the U.S. “Right Now”: Rouhani

TEHRAN, Iran – Iranian President Hassan Rouhani said that Iran is ready to talk to the U.S. “right now”, CNN reported Monday.

His statement comes as U.S. sanctions on the country are set to take effect today (Tuesday). They were previously relaxed under the 2015 Iran Nuclear Deal.

Rouhani said, “I do not have preconditions. If the U.S. government is willing, let’s start the talk right now.”

Talks will not “make sense” once Iran is under sanctions, He added.

White House Security Adviser John Bolton told CNN, “If the Iranians are really willing to come and talk about all of their foreign policy in the region and around the world, I think they’d find the President willing to do it.”

Recently talking about Iran-US talks, during a joint news conference Trump had said, “I believe in meeting, speaking to other people, especially when you’re talking about potentials of war and death and famine and lots of other things, you meet. There’s nothing wrong in meeting.” 

Monitoring Desk/SaharNews

51 Taliban Militants Killed in Farah Province

FARAH – At least 51 Taliban militants were killed or wounded during the clashes in Bala Bolok district, local officials said on Tuesday.

Provincial governor’s spokesman, Nasir Mehri, said the clashes took place late on Monday night after a large group of militants launched coordinated attacks on security posts.

Mehri further added that the Afghan forces responded to the attack by the Taliban militants, leaving at least 19 of them dead and 32 others wounded.

According to Mehri, the Afghan forces called in airstrikes during the attack which inflicted heavy casualties on the militants.

Taliban have not commented regarding this incident so far.

This comes as recently Taliban launched a coordinated attack on the Afghan capital of Farah province on May 15, 2018. Forcing the US to send in A-10 Warthogs in a show of force.

Dozens of Taliban fighters have been killed, and Afghan forces have suffered casualties during the month of May.

SaharNews

Abdullah Meets with German Ambassador

KABUL – CEO Abdullah Abdullah in a farewell meeting with Walter Hassmann, German outgoing ambassador to Afghanistan, praised Germany for its assistance to Afghanistan and stated the country as one of key donors and partners of the people and government of Afghanistan.

In the meeting, the outgoing German ambassador to Afghanistan expressed happiness of his works and mission in Afghanistan, saying that his country would continue its support for the people of Afghanistan.

Meanwhile during the meeting he expressed happiness of his works and mission in Afghanistan, saying that his country would continue its support from the people of Afghanistan.

Both sides discussed peace talks with the Taliban group and upcoming parliamentary elections. The German outgoing ambassador to Kabul stressed on his country’s support to fair and free elections in Afghanistan. Both sides also considered the Afghan owned and Afghan-led peace process as key.

SaharNews

ANSF Kill Taliban Militants and Commanders

KANDAHAR – ANSF killed at least nine Taliban militants in Kandahar province Monday night.

The insurgents were suppressed in a conflict by ANSF in Arghistan district of the Kandahar province, Qaseem Azad, press in-charge of Kandahar security command, said in a statement.

He added that six other insurgents were also injured in the clash.

According to the statement by Azad, four policemen were killed and six others were injured in the conflict.

Another report said that five local commanders of Taliban were killed in Diakundi province Monday night.

“The insurgents were killed in Patou district of the province while they stormed on police checkpoint of the district,” said Ali Akbar Nateqi’s, Daikundi governor office spokesman.

He added that the clash continued for five hours, in which five local commanders of Taliban were killed and other insurgents were forced to escape the area.

SaharNews

Export of Pakistani Goods to Afghanistan Rises: APP

ISLAMABAD – Pakistan’s export of goods to Afghanistan increased by 31.02 percent during July-May (2017-18) to US $1.402 billion against the export of goods worth $1.07 billion in same period of the preceding year, Associated Press of Pakistan (APP) reported on Monday.

According to the report, the import of goods from Afghanistan also witnessed an increase of 117.9 percent. It rose to $118.48 million in 11 months of previous fiscal year from $54.355 million in July-May (2016-17).

On yearly basis, the export of goods to Afghanistan increased to $119.571 million in May 2018, against the exports worth of $115.649 million in same month of previous year, showing an increase of 3.43 percent, APP report found.

The report added that the imports also witnessed an increase of 169 percent which rose to $10.683 million in May 2018 against the imports worth of $3.97 million in same month of last year.

“The export of services to Afghanistan during the period under review, also increased by 76 percent to $17.87 million during July-May (2017-18) against export of services worth $10.15 million during same period of last year,” the report read.

It also highlighted that total import of services from Afghanistan during the corresponding year increased to $13.58 million from $9.9 million during same period of the preceding year.

On yearly basis, the export of services declined from $727,000 in May 2017 to $502,000 in 2018, showing a decline of 30.9 percent, the report revealed. It also added that the import of services from Afghanistan witnessed an increase of 44.26 percent to $1.15 million in May 2018 from $0.641 million in same month of previous year.

SaharNews