Afghanistan

A newborn baby girl receives treatment for the gun wound in her right leg received during the attack on a maternity clinic in Kabul this week. The gunmen killed her mother.

OPINION: We Shouldn't Have To Ask That Babies And Mothers Not Be Killed. Yet We Must

8:21am May 16, 2020

After a brutal attack in Kabul, activists in Afghanistan write: "Our people are targeted and killed on a daily basis. Afghan women are calling for an end to it."

An Afghan security officer carries away a baby after an attack Tuesday on a hospital's maternity section in Kabul.

World News

'Unforgivable': Attack On Afghan Hospital Kills At Least 16, Including Newborns

4:09pm May 12, 2020

by Diaa Hadid

The assault in Kabul targets a maternity ward and shocks a country grimly accustomed to violence. And it isn't the only attack Tuesday as a suicide blast tears through a funeral in another province.

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Jailed Taliban are seen inside the Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul in December. Prisoner release is a key pillar of the U.S.-Taliban agreement.

The Risk Of Coronavirus In Afghanistan's Prisons Is Complicating Peace Efforts

2:04pm May 06, 2020

The Taliban accuse the government of spreading COVID-19 in prisons and warn of revenge if their prisoners are harmed. With prisoners on both sides at risk, peace efforts have become more complicated.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks earlier this month in Jalalabad. Ghani's dispute with Abdullah Abdullah over election results has been cited as one reason for the delay in organizing prisoner releases with the Taliban, a key stipulation in a peace de

World News

Afghanistan, Taliban To Begin Prisoner Releases At End Of Month

3:34pm March 25, 2020

The prisoner swaps, stipulated in last month's peace deal between the U.S. and Taliban, were in doubt for weeks amid Afghan government discord. They're expected to kickstart inter-Afghan peace talks.

Family members sob for their loved ones after an attack on a Sikh place of worship Wednesday in Kabul, Afghanistan. More than two dozen people were killed in the assault, for which Islamic State militants claimed responsibility.

At Least 25 People Dead After Hours-Long Attack On Sikh Complex In Kabul

2:51pm March 25, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The Islamic State militant group claimed responsibility for the attack, which targeted members of the Sikh religious minority in the Afghan capital Wednesday.

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo (left) stands with Afghan President Ashraf Ghani at the Presidential Palace in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Monday. Pompeo says the U.S. will cut $1 billion in aid to Afghanistan.

U.S. 'Disappointed' In Afghan Leadership, Will Slash $1 Billion In Aid, Pompeo Says

11:50am March 24, 2020

by Scott Neuman

The secretary of state's announcement follows meetings in Kabul with Afghanistan's rivals to the presidency, Ashraf Ghani and Abdullah Abdullah. Pompeo said another $1 billion could be cut next year.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani opens his coat after explosions were heard during his speech after he was sworn in for a second term. He told supporters he wasn't wearing a bulletproof vest.

Dueling Simultaneous Afghan Presidential Inaugurations Bode Ill For Peace Talks

5:49pm March 09, 2020

by David Welna

As Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had himself sworn in for a second term, rival Chief Executive Abdullah Abdullah took the presidential oath of office in a competing ceremony.

Emergency response workers load an injured man into an ambulance after an attack Friday in the Afghan capital, Kabul, left more than two dozen people dead.

World News

At Least 32 Dead After Shooting In Kabul; ISIS Group Claims Responsibility

3:31pm March 06, 2020

by Colin Dwyer

The attack interrupted a memorial for a Shiite leader that the country's chief executive had been attending. The Taliban, which just signed a peace deal with the U.S., said they were not involved.

Afghan Taliban militants and villagers celebrate the U.S. peace deal Monday in the Alingar district of Laghman Province. The group resumed offensive operations against Afghan security forces this week, ending a partial truce.

Despite Bloody Week In Afghanistan, U.S. Pushes Taliban Peace Talks Forward

3:27pm March 06, 2020

by David Welna

Afghanistan's president is resisting a promised prisoner swap, the Taliban has resumed attacks, but U.S. officials are pushing both sides to sit down for a political settlement to end the war.

The International Criminal Court in The Hague has cleared the way for an investigation into possible war crimes in Afghanistan.

World News

International Criminal Court Allows Investigation Of U.S. Actions In Afghanistan

5:35pm March 05, 2020

by Merrit Kennedy

Secretary of State Mike Pompeo blasted the decision, calling it a "breathtaking action by an unaccountable political institution." Human rights groups are applauding the move.