"Taliban"

U.S. airstrikes against the Taliban surged in August, rising to levels not seen in nearly a year as part of the final, failed attempt to prevent the Afghan armys collapse as militants rapidly took over the country, according to data disclosed Friday.

In view of the challenging humanitarian situation in Afghanistan, India on Saturday dispatched the first consignment of humanitarian assistance consisting of medical supplies to the war-torn country.

LONDON - A group of LGBTQ Afghans who fled their home country have arrived in Britain, the first in a wave that London has said it will evacuate, as advocates warn they have received calls from hundreds more people who fear being persecuted for their sexual orientation and gender identity after the Taliban takeover.

Where do we go from here? On quality-of-life issues pertaining to women and girls in Afghanistan, the world is now wondering.

Zalmay Khalilzad, who negotiated the U.S. withdrawal agreement with the Taliban under Donald Trump, has resigned as special envoy to Afghanistan, effective Tuesday.

KABUL - A bombing outside Kabul main mosque left at least two Afghan civilians dead and others wounded on Sunday, the Taliban said, the latest in a series of blasts apparently intended to undermine the militants ability to bring security to the capital and other cities.

Although the Taliban takeover in Afghanistan has not resulted, so far, in the kind of massive refugee influx that Pakistan feared, thousands of refugees are still willing to brave harsh uncertainties in Balochistan’s remote lands to find their way, eventually, to safety in Iran or Europe. But what do they hope awaits them on the other side?

"We enjoy good security, but we are concerned as living condition worsens in both urban and rural areas," a resident in Afghan capital Kabul said. "Good governance is the key to win the hearts and minds of the people. It is a key to change the current difficult situation."

"Strategically, the war is lost, the enemy is in Kabul. So you have a strategic failure while you simultaneously have an operational and tactical success," said Mark Milley, chairman of the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff, referring to the massive personnel evacuation since mid-August.

The Kabul International Airport is now fully operational for international flights and all airliners can resume airlifts, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Taliban caretaker government announced.

According to the Afghan Ministry of Education in Afghanistan, boy students and male teachers are required to return to schools in all 34 provinces. While the secondary and high schools for girls are still closed, a Taliban spokesman said the issues including the allocation of teachers and classrooms for the girls are still being discussed.

The Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan claimed responsibility Sunday for a series of blasts over the weekend in the countrys east that reportedly killed several people and injured tens more in another escalation of violence as the Taliban works to consolidate its control.