Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Militants stormed a maternity hospital in the western part of Kabul on Tuesday, setting off an hours-long shootout with the police and killing 16 people, including two newborn babies, their mothers and an unspecified number of nurses, Afghan officials said.

MAZAR-I-SHARIF, Afghanistan, May 5 (Xinhua) -- A Taliban key commander Mullah Yaqub along with 15 of his men were killed as military planes struck a gathering of militants in Kushindi district of northern Afghanistan's Balkh province on Tuesday, army spokesman in the northern region Mohammad Hanif Rezai said.

The air raid, according to the official, was conducted on tip-off at 01:00 a.m. local time, killing the insurgents including Mullah Yaqub, the commander of the Red Unit of Taliban outfit, on the spot.

KABUL (Reuters) - The Taliban on Monday claimed responsibility for an attack at a military centre in southern Helmand province in Afghanistan where at least 150 members of Afghan army and intelligence wing were stationed.

The bombing occurred on Sunday night, government officials and Taliban said.

“Dozens of members belonging to the enemy forces have been killed and wounded in the attack,” said Qari Yousuf Ahmedi, a spokesman for the hardline Islamist group in a statement.

2 May 2020; AFP: A bitter feud between Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and his rival Abdullah Abdullah appeared closer to resolution Friday after Abdullah said the two men had moved forward in talks.

"We have made progress in negotiations & reached tentative agreement on a range of principles. Work on details is underway to finalize the agreement," Abdullah said on Twitter.

29 April 2020; AFP: Two months after the US and the Taliban signed a deal Washington heralded as the way to end Afghanistan's war, violence is spiralling out of control and experts say a fragile peace process risks collapse.

Dozens of Afghan security forces and Taliban fighters have been dying almost daily with civilian casualties rising across the country as both sides ramp up operations.

KABUL (Reuters) - A suicide bombing in Kabul province not far from Afghanistan’s capital killed three people and wounded 15 on Wednesday, the Ministry of Interior said.

“A suicide bomber detonated his explosives among civilians in Reshkhor area of Char Asiab district of Kabul on Wednesday morning,” Ministry of Interior spokesman Tariq Arian said in a statement, referring to the district which is about 11 km (7 miles) from Kabul city.

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan, April 26 (Xinhua) -- Unidentified gunmen have killed seven members of a family and wounded two others from the same family in Afghanistan's northern Kunduz province, a local official said on Sunday.

The incident happened on Saturday morning in Imam Sahib district, where armed men broke into a house, killing four men, two women and a teenage girl and wounding two others, Mahbobollah Sayyedi, district chief of Imam Sahib told Xinhua.

The official noted that the reason behind the mass murder was not clear.

MAIMANA, Afghanistan, April 25 (Xinhua) -- The Afghan government forces following cleanup operations launched Friday in Qaisar district of the northern Faryab province have driven the militants out of five villages and restored law and order there, provincial police office said in a statement released here Saturday.

The villages recaptured from the insurgents include Arzoloq, Belalbek, Yaqarbagh, Rigration and Sufi Qala, the statement asserted, adding law and order have been restored there.

KABUL, April 22 (NNN-AGENCIES) — Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has tested negative for the coronavirus, an official said, days after news leaked out of an outbreak among his staff.

“The President is healthy and is leading government efforts on all fronts. All precautions are in place to make sure his work environment is safe and healthy,” Ghani’s spokesman Sediq Sediqqi said on Twitter.

Kabul, Apr 20 (AP) At least 20 employees at Afghanistan's presidential palace have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a senior government official who asked to remain anonymous because he was not authorized to comment on the subject.

It wasn't clear whether President Ashraf Ghani had been in contact with any of the employees or whether he had been tested himself. The presidential palace has refused to comment.