By Chathushka Perera
Kabul (CWBN)_ Hell, loose, Helmand, Afghanistan
Provincial leadership has issued warnings that if the government continues to keep a blind eye over the region, the threats to the city would intensify. Nonetheless, Afghan forces have made several assurances stated that operations to retake lost territory are underway. Members of the Afghan National Army Commando Corps. and Special Operations Corps. are also deployed in the region.
Adding to short list of victories, the Afghan Ministry of Defence, commando units successfully lifted the siege on an army base in Jalriz, Maidan-Wardak, yesterday (19th October), with multiple casualities reported on both sides.
Meanwhile, during his visit to Iran, the Chairman of the High Council for National Reconciliation, Abdullah Abdullah, garnered the support of Iranian President, Hassan Rouhani, toward a long-standing peace in the war-torn state. In addition, during a meeting held at the Afghan Embassy in Tehran, Abdullah stressed that Taliban’s escalations of violence were unacceptable factor to the ongoing peace process.
However, Abdullah’s state visit follows accusations raised against Iran by US Special Representative for Reconciliation in Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad for attempting to “keep the US in an unwinnable and costly war in Afghanistan”.
Moreover, subsequent to discussion held between the Afghan National Army Trust Fund Board, NATO Allies and partners, yesterday, the coalition extended its financial support through to 2024. According to NATO Secretary General, Jens Stoltenberg, the total of contributions made by the coalition to date stands over 3.2 billion USD.
Stoltenberg went on to say that “international funding support to the Afghan forces is a key pillar” to NATO’s commitment to peace in Afghanistan.
The raw reset to turmoil began about two weeks ago when peace talks came to an abrupt halt with the parties disagreeing over religious concerns and the effect of the Taliban-US Agreement. According to the Refugees and Repatriations Directorate in Helmand, about 5000 families have been forcefully displaced by the conflict.
Edited by Michelle Alles
