KABUL (PAN): Acclaimed author and UNHCR Goodwill Ambassador Khaled Hosseini ended a five-day visit to Afghanistan today by highlighting the need for peace as the indispensable element in ensuring the safe and sustainable return of displaced Afghans.Finding long-term solutions to the Afghan refugee situation, including their sustainable return and successful reintegration, is directly linked to peace and stability across the ...

KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): A mass grave containing the remains of 30 bodies, believed to be the victims of communist era, has been found in northern Kunduz province, an official and witnesses said on Tuesday.The grave was discovered and dug up by the residents of Aliabad. Body parts including bones of hands, legs and skulls were seen at the site, witnesses ...

WASHINGTON (PAN): United States reiterated its calls for the patience among political parties and leaders as various Afghan institutions complete process of counting of votes and investigate allegation of voter's fraud of the August 20 polls."We have been calling on all sides to be patient, let the whole process play out. I am going to take our own advice and ...

ISLAMABAD (PAN): Pakistani security force claimed killing 14 Taliban insurgents and arresting 16 others during their operations in restive Swat valley and Bajaur Agency on Tuesday.Pakistan Army spokesman Major Gen Athar Abas told Pajhwok Afghan News nine Taliban fighters were killed and 16 others captured during today's operations in Kalagani, Mangaltan, and Shah Deri areas of Swat valley. Three soldiers ...

KABUL (PAN): Two Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed and as many wounded when their vehicle struck by an improvised explosive device the central Wardak province on Tuesday, an official said.A spokesman for the Governor, Shahidullah Shahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News the blast took place in Kashmeri Kala area on the outskirts of Maidan Shahr City, the centre of ...

JALALABAD (PAN): A truck plunged into a 50-metre deep ravine in Darunta area of eastern Laghman province on Tuesday, leaving the cleaner missing and driver injured, an official said.The truck was traveling on the Kabul-Jalalabad Highway to Turkham, the border town between Afghanistan and Pakistan.Qarghayo district chief Saleh Mohammad the wounded driver was rescued and shifted to a nearby hospital, ...

KABUL (PAN): Americas top diplomat at the United Nations mission in Afghanistan has been ordered out of the country after a row with his boss over how to respond to last months fraud-riddled presidential elections, it has been alleged.The alleged quarrel is threatening to spark a mutiny within the UN mission. At least a dozen senior staff are backing the ...

TIRINKOT (PAN): Eight Afghan security personnel working with foreign troops were killed in infighting in central Uruzgan province late Monday night.Those killed in the fighting were four Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers and as many Afghan Special Force (ASF) personnel, an official said.General Abdul Hamid, commander of the forth infantry battalion at the 205 Attal Military Corps told Pajhwok Afghan ...

QUETTA (PAN): The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) says a number of Afghans presently living in Balochistan province of Pakistan have obtained more than one registration cards which may create problems for them.The registration process of Afghan refugees was jointly launched by the National Database and Registration Authority (NADRA) of Pakistan government and the UNHCR three years ago.The ...

TIRINKOT/HERAT CITY (PAN): One person was killed in a roadside bomb blast in Chora district of central Uruzgan province while another bomb explosion in western Herat left two people injured and destroyed a bridge, officials said on Tuesday.Daud Zaheer, administrative head of Chora district, told Pajhwok Afghan News a vehicle carrying intelligence head of the district hit a roadside bomb ...

KABUL/KANDAHAR CITY (PAN): Up to 27 militants were killed in southern volatile province of Kandahar as Afghan and international security forces launched a second round of the Tolo Operation, the defence ministry said on Tuesday.In a statement the ministry said the operation was conducted in Zheri district against the insurgents to restore security there.Three Kalashnikovs assault rifles, a machine gun, ...

KHOST CITY (PAN): Security forces have recovered five stolen vehicles in southeastern Khost province and arrested four suspected car lifters, officials said on TuesdayPolice chief Col. Abdul Qayyum Baqizoi told journalists four car lifters were detained and the stolen vehicles were recovered from them during a raid in Khost city.He added the detainees were under investigations and the vehicles would ...

KABUL (PAN): The British Chief of Army General David Richards has stressed the need for surge in the Afghan security forces and lacing them with latest military equipment.In a meeting with President Hamid Karzai at the Presidential Palace here on Monday, Richards said his country was in favour of strengthening and equipping the Afghan Security Forces (ANF) in order to ...

KABUL (PAN): The foundation stone of a building for the public directorate of nomads or Kuchis in the central Madan Wardak province was laid on Tuesday.The spokesman for the provincial governor, Shahidullah Shahid, told Pajhwok Afghan News the single-storey building of 14 rooms with allied facilities would be constructed over a 2000-meter square of land at the cost of 150,000 ...

KABUL (PAN): Afghanistan Rights Monitor (ARM) has hailed a long-expected willingness by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to start garnering evidences on war crimes in Afghanistan.In a statement issued here on Tuesday, ARM invited the court to investigate rising civilian casualties in the country.The Court's Office of the Prosecutor has reportedly started gathering information about possible war crimes in Afghanistan, ...

KABUL (PAN): Mines minister on Monday rejected claims about extraction of uranium ore from the deposits in southern Helmand province by British forces as false and unfounded.Mohammad Ibrahim Adil made these remarks while announcing his next year's developing plans at the Lower House of the Parliament.Saddique Zada Nili, an MP from Dai Kundi province in Monday's session told the house ...

QALA-I-NAW/ HERAT CITY (PAN): As a rebel commander joined the government in western Badghis province, three people were arrested with explosives in neighbouring Herat, officials said on Monday.Police chief of Badghis, Brig. Gen. Syed Ahmad Sami, told Pajhwok Afghan News Mullah Abdul Salam surrendered yesterday with an ally named Mullah Bahauddin to anti-terrorism officials at the police headquarters.The commander handed ...

GHAZNI CITY (PAN): Police claimed killing a militant and injuring two others in a firefight in southern Ghazni province. But guerrillas, acknowledging the loss of one fighter, said that four policemen were killed the hour-long clash.Provincial police chief, Brig. Gen. Khyalbaz Sherzai, told Pajhwok Afghan News one motorbike and a car were recovered from the insurgents in the wake of ...

JALALABAD (PAN): Work on several projects got underway in central Kabul and eastern Nangarhar provinces, officials said on Monday.In Sarobi district of Kabul, renovation work of agriculture department building and construction of two buildings for police checkpoints and a community centre was launched today. Funded by French forces, the projects would cost 146,000 US dollars and would take three months ...

KABUL (PAN): United Arab Emirates contributed 31 tonnes of foodstuff to the Red Crescent Society (RCS) for their distribution to destitute families while construction work on a mosque launched in central Maidan Wardak province on Monday.Afghan RCS head Fatima Gillani who received the foodstuff delivery here said the assistance included tea, sugar, date, ghee and flour. The eatables would be ...

KUNDUZ CITY (PAN): Police in northern Kunduz province on Monday claimed arresting two fighters associated with Tahir Yuldash, leader of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan. Governor Eng. Muhammad Omar told Pajhwok Afghan News one fighter was captured while entering Kunduz City. After questioning the detainee, police arrested the second one in Gul Tepa area on the outskirts of the city.The ...

KABUL (PAN): The government has decided to start Haj flights to Saudi Arabia from October 26 and complete the operation by November 21.Minister for Haj and Auqaf Muhammad Siddiq Chakari said this while briefing a commission of the Wolesi Jirga or Lower House of Parliament on arrangements for Haj.The minister assured the commission that pilgrims would not face problems in ...

KABUL (PAN): With 14 points from nine matches, the Afghanistan Under-19 squad has finished second behind Ireland in the ICC World Cup Qualifiers, an event that concluded in Canada on Sunday, officials said on Monday.In the last match -- an utterly one-sided affair -- played in Pretoria, the national side lost to host Canada by five wickets, Afghanistan's deputy manager ...

KABUL (PAN): As many as 1.2 million children in southern, south-eastern, western and eastern Afghanistan are being targeted by a new three-day polio eradication campaign that got under way on Sunday.The immunisation drive -- coming shortly after Afghan health authorities reported a new case of the polio virus in the west of the country -- is part of an ongoing ...

PUL-I-ALAM (PAN): Two vehicles of US troops were destroyed as a series of roadside bomb explosions hit their convoy late Saturday, an official said Sunday.Taliban militants, asserting responsibility for the three blasts, claimed nine US soldiers were killed and three of their vehicles blown up.A security official confided to Pajhwok Afghan News the blasts that took place in Batkhab Shahna ...