#Khost province

[beardedmrbean]

ISLAMABAD (AP) — An explosion ripped through a hotel in Afghanistan's eastern province of Khost on Monday, killing at least three people and wounding seven others, police said.

The blast occurred at a city hotel frequented by Afghan people and refugees from Pakistan's former militant stronghold of North Waziristan bordering Afghanistan, said Mustaghfir Gurbaz, a police spokesperson in Khost.

He said officers were investigating to determine what caused the blast and who was behind it.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though Afghanistan's Taliban government has blamed the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group — known as the Islamic State in Khorasan Province — for previous attacks.

Gurbaz provided no information about the Pakistani refugees staying at the hotel. Authorities in Pakistan have said members of the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan or TTP, are hiding in Khost and elsewhere in Afghanistan.

TTP is a separate group but is a close ally of the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in August 2021 as U.S. and NATO troops were in the final stages of their pullout from the country after 20 years of war.

Pakistani officials say many TTP leaders and fighters have found sanctuaries in Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover, which also emboldened the Pakistani Taliban.

[zobalex]

Caught in the Crossfire - In the rugged, unforgiving landscape of Khost Province, Afghanistan, the soldiers of Angel Company face the relentless dangers of war. - https://amzn.to/3XDalF7

[swldx]

BBC 0417 26 Feb 2024

12095Khz 0359 26 FEB 2024 - BBC (UNITED KINGDOM) in ENGLISH from TALATA VOLONONDRY. SINPO = 55445. English, ID@0359z pips and newsroom preview. @0401z World News anchored by Neil Nunes. A man has set himself on fire in front of the Israeli embassy in Washington DC, US emergency services say. Officers from the US Secret Service extinguished the flames before the man was taken to hospital with critical, life-threatening injuries, the city's fire department reported.A US Air Force spokeswoman was later quoted by US media as saying the man was an active-duty airman. “The (Israeli army) presented the War Cabinet with a plan for evacuating the population from the areas of fighting in the Gaza Strip, with the upcoming operational plan,” said a statement in Hebrew from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office. The announcement comes as Israel threatens a full-scale invasion of Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city, which has so far been untouched by ground troops. An Israeli military offensive in Gaza’s southernmost city of Rafah could be “delayed somewhat” if a deal is reached for a weekslong cease-fire between Israel and Hamas, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Sunday, and claimed that total victory in the territory would come within weeks once the offensive begins. Netanyahu confirmed that a deal is in the works, with no details. Taliban police authorities in the eastern Khost Province have banned girls from contacting local radio and television channels and warned local media outlets not to accept phone calls from girls. Former Brazilian President Jair Bolsonaro has claimed he has been a victim of political persecution since leaving office just over a year ago. He told tens of thousands of supporters in São Paulo that coup allegations against him were a "lie". Australian police have been searching a remote property for the bodies of a TV presenter and his boyfriend, after their suspected murders last week. Detectives allege Jesse Baird and Luke Davies were killed by a serving police officer in a Sydney house last Monday. Tuvalu on Monday announced former attorney general and fisheries official Feleti Teo as its new prime minister, after he was elected unopposed by lawmakers in the Pacific Islands nation, officials said. Former Prime Minister Kausea Natano lost his seat in a general election on Jan. 26 closely watched by Taiwan, China, the U.S. and Australia, amid a geopolitical tussle for influence in the South Pacific. More than 100 new species have been discovered on an underwater mountain range off the coast of Chile. The discoveries come from an international group of scientists who recently explored the seamounts along the Nazca and Salas y Gómez Ridge, a 2,900km long chain of underwater mountains that stretches from offshore Chile to Easter Island. @0406z "The Newsroom" begins. Backyard gutter antenna, Etón e1XM. 250kW, beamAz 315°, bearing 63°. Received at Plymouth, MN, United States, 15359KM from transmitter at Talata Volonondry. Local time: 2159.

[thxnews]

Afghanistan Crisis: Resilience and Global Challenges

  A Meeting of Global Minds

On the 18th of October 2023, a gathering of Special Representatives and Envoys from nine nations - Canada, the European Union, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Norway, the United Kingdom, and the United States - convened in Rome with a shared mission: to confront the dire humanitarian and economic crisis unfolding in Afghanistan.   A Joint Statement for Afghan Relief In a unified stance, these envoys released a joint statement reflecting their commitment to addressing Afghanistan's pressing humanitarian issues. Their key objectives included: - Ensuring Unhindered Aid Access: The envoys called upon the Taliban to facilitate unimpeded access for all humanitarian aid workers, emphasizing gender equality, to reach vulnerable populations in every corner of the nation. - Sustaining Humanitarian Aid: Acknowledging their respective governments and organizations' contribution of approximately $6.3 billion since August 2021, they underlined the importance of continued robust donor support, even as humanitarian needs outpace available aid. - Supporting Earthquake-Affected Communities: Expressing solidarity with areas devastated by recent earthquakes, they pledged an additional $33 million in aid to support affected communities, with more assistance in the pipeline. - Addressing Macroeconomic Woes: Recognizing that humanitarian aid alone won't resolve Afghanistan's economic woes, they urged expanding support to cover basic needs, women's empowerment, private sector growth, and livelihood generation. Multilateral development banks were called upon to play a significant role in this effort, in addition to the $2.1 billion already allocated by their governments and organizations. - Upholding Human Rights: Expressing grave concern for the human rights situation in Afghanistan, they called upon the Taliban to reverse their restrictive educational policies, affirming education as a human right, and emphasizing equal access to quality education for all.   A Plea for Political Progress In their statement, the envoys voiced disappointment over the lack of serious steps taken by the Taliban to initiate an inclusive political process. They emphasized the necessity of the Afghan people's involvement in crafting a new constitution through a transparent and inclusive national consultative dialogue, seeking guidance from the UN and OIC.   Countering Narcotics and Climate Challenges The envoys welcomed the Taliban's opium cultivation ban and a significant drop in opium production. They called for sustained efforts in this regard and collaboration with UNAMA's Technical Working Group on Counternarcotics. Additionally, they stressed Afghanistan's vulnerability to climate change and the need for sustainable solutions.   Concerns Over Security and Refugee Protection Expressing concerns about ongoing terrorist threats within Afghanistan, the envoys urged the global community, including Afghanistan's neighbors, to uphold their obligations regarding refugee protection and the right to seek asylum. They called for measures to develop a registration system for undocumented Afghans, especially for those at risk of persecution or torture.  

United for a Resilient Afghanistan

The envoys emphasized the importance of international unity in addressing Afghanistan's multifaceted challenges, including not normalizing relations with the Taliban. They expressed their appreciation to Italy for hosting this pivotal meeting on Afghanistan and looked forward to further international collaboration.  

An Earthquake's Toll on Afghanistan

On June 22, 2022, a devastating 5.9 magnitude earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan, claiming over 1,000 lives and injuring thousands. This catastrophe, the deadliest in decades, further exacerbated Afghanistan's already dire humanitarian crisis.   The Impact of Disaster The earthquake ravaged the provinces of Paktika and Khost, leaving a trail of destruction that included homes, schools, and essential infrastructure. Many were rendered homeless, lacking access to food, clean water, and medical care. Landslides and blocked roads hindered the aid response.  

The Humanitarian Response Unveiled

The humanitarian effects were staggering. Over 362,000 people were affected, with more than 60,000 displaced, and over 18,000 homes and 200 schools destroyed or damaged. In response, the Afghan government and the international community launched a major recovery operation.   A Bumpy Road to Recovery Challenges abounded, from financing the recovery amid an economic crisis to addressing insecurity in inaccessible areas. Nevertheless, progress emerged: as of November 2, 2023, over 10,000 homes were rebuilt, and more than 100 schools reopened. International pledges exceeded $110 million.  

The 2023 Herat Earthquake

On October 15, 2023, a powerful 5.3 magnitude earthquake rocked the western Herat region of Afghanistan, causing widespread devastation and claiming over 250 lives while injuring thousands more.   Vulnerable Rural Areas Hit Hard The earthquake's epicenter in rural Herat exacerbated the crisis, affecting vulnerable mud-brick homes that were prone to collapse. This disaster compounded Afghanistan's existing humanitarian challenges.  

A Swift Humanitarian Response

In the wake of the earthquake, the Afghan government, with international aid agency support, launched a rapid response operation. Relief efforts included medical assistance, food, and shelter, despite daunting logistical and security challenges.   A Long Road to Recovery Despite the resilience of the Afghan people, the path to recovery is steep. The earthquake amplified Afghanistan's humanitarian crisis, and ongoing economic and political challenges remain formidable obstacles. The international community must stand steadfast in providing both immediate relief and long-term development aid.   Sources: THX News & US Department of State. Read the full article

[news-sportsbook]

"Afghanistan's Victory Over Pakistan: A Turning Point in World Cup"

In the cricketing world, it was a night to remember as Afghanistan pulled off a thrilling victory over Pakistan in the 2023 ICC World Cup. The residents of Khost province in Afghanistan celebrated late into the night, lighting up the sky with fireworks and gunshots. For a country that has been marred by years of conflict, these moments of jubilation were rare and precious. Read more

[every-day-updates]

Magnitude 4.3 earthquake jolts Fayzabad in Afghanistan

An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 jolted Afghanistan early on Saturday. According to the National Center for Seismology, the earthquake tremors were felt 213 km east of Fayzabad at 6:51 am today.

There were no reports of any damage to property or loss of lives due to the earthquake.

Much of Afghanistan is situated on an earthquake-prone zone and seismic activity in the country is influenced by the subduction of the Arabian Plate to the west and the oblique subduction of the Indian Plate to the east.

In the past decade, more than 7,000 people in Afghanistan have died due to earthquakes.

On June 22, 2022, an earthquake measuring 6.2 on the Richter Scale struck southeastern Afghanistan, affecting the provinces of Paktika and Khost, along with parts of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan. The tremors were also felt in parts of India.

Between 1,052 and 1,163 people died and more than 2,000 people were injured in Afghanistan and Pakistan due to the impact of the earthquake. Read More On..

[best2daynews]

Commanders among six TTP terrorists killed in IED attack

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan militants travel on a pickup truck. — Reuters/File KABUL: At least six terrorists including commanders were killed and 15 others wounded Thursday in an improvised explosive device (IED) attack targetting the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) in Afghanistan’s Khost province. According to sources, the killed militants were identified as Abdul Manan, Alam Khan Mudakhel,…

[crimemore]

A radio station in the province of Khost has stepped in to broadcast literary programming as girls are not allowed to attend school across Afghanistan

[kimskashmir]

6 Pak Army officials killed in helicopter crash in Balochistan

The incident occurred near Khost in the Harnai area of the province on Sunday night during a flying mission, it said.

ISLAMABAD — Six Pakistan Army officials, including two pilots, were killed in a helicopter crash in southwestern Balochistan province, the military said on Monday. The incident occurred near Khost in the Harnai area of the province on Sunday night during a flying mission, it said. All the “six personnel on board, including 2 pilots” were killed in the crash, the army said. No reason for the crash…

[imranhalim003]

[timesofocean]

Over 1,000 killed, 1,600 injured as earthquake jolts Afghanistan

New Post has been published on https://www.timesofocean.com/over-1000-killed-1600-injured-as-earthquake-jolts-afghanistan/

Over 1,000 killed, 1,600 injured as earthquake jolts Afghanistan

Kabul (The Times Groupe)- More than 1,000 people have died and nearly 1,600 have been injured in a deadly earthquake in eastern Afghanistan, officials said on Wednesday. paktika

“More than 1000 people were killed and over 1500 others injured in Paktika province,” the Head of Information and Culture Department of the province told state-run Bakhtar News Agency.

As rescue operations continue in the Gayan and Barmal districts of the province in Afghanistan, the death toll could rise.

Currently, 29 people have died and 95 have been injured in Khost province, bringing the total number of deaths to 1029 and 1,595 injuries.

After last night’s magnitude 6.1 earthquake, hundreds of houses were destroyed in Paktika and Khost provinces.

At least 218 people have been killed and more than 300 injured in Giani district alone, according to Maulvi Sharafuddin Muslim, deputy minister of state for disaster management.

Khost and Paktika, two eastern border provinces, were shook by earthquakes last night, causing massive damage.

The death toll could rise as dozens of people are in critical condition, according to Afghan officials.

“I have tragic reports from my native Paktika province, where hundreds of people are killed and wounded in the devastating earthquakes. The homes are destroyed, and people are under the rubbles,” Khalid Zadran, a police spokesman in the capital Kabul, said in a tweet.

“Aid teams from Kabul have reached the area and rescue work is underway. All aid organizations should direct their aid to Paktika,” he added.

Quake-hit areas have also requested immediate assistance from Taliban officials.

Last night’s devastating earthquake was captured in videos and photos circulating on social media.

[afghannewswire]

PEOPLE OF KHOST AND BAGHLAN PROVINCE HAVING PROBLEM WITH TALIBAN

PEOPLE OF KHOST AND BAGHLAN PROVINCE HAVING PROBLEM WITH TALIBAN

SUPPORT THE FREEDOM OF AFGHANISTAN HELP THE AFGHAN PEOPLE DIRECTLY Become a Patron! HELP THE CHILDREN OF AFGHANISTAN DIRECTLY https://afghannewswire.com/ Email Address: Subscribe

[molkolsdal]

Mangal Tribe (eastern Paktia and Khost provinces)

(Traditional Dresses of Afghanistan, from the calendar of Ariana Airlines. Circa 1973)

[peopleofafghanistan]

Afghan man wearing flowers in his hat, Khost Province

Source: Gideon Nol

[warningsine]

Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada said hundreds of houses were destroyed and the death toll was likely to rise.

It is the deadliest earthquake to strike Afghanistan in two decades.

The head of information for Paktika province, Mohammad Amin Hazifi, told the BBC that 1,000 people had died and 1,500 more are injured.

Rescue teams are still searching for others buried under the ground, he added.

The earthquake struck about 44km (27 miles) from the south-eastern city of Khost shortly after 01:30 local time (21:00 Tuesday GMT), when many people were asleep at home.

"Every street you go, you hear people mourning the deaths of their beloved ones. Houses are ruined," a local journalist in badly-hit Paktika province said to the BBC.

Earthquakes tend to cause significant damage in Afghanistan, where dwellings in many rural areas are unstable or poorly built.

Communication following the quake is difficult because of damage to mobile phone towers and the death toll could rise further still, another local journalist in the area told the BBC.

"Many people are not aware of the well-being of their relatives because their phones are not working," he said. "My brother and his family died, and I just learned it after many hours. Many villages have been destroyed."

Taliban officials called for aid agencies to rush to the affected areas in the nation's east.

Decades of conflict have made it difficult for the impoverished country to improve its protections against earthquakes and other natural disasters - despite efforts by aid agencies to reinforce some buildings over the years.

Even before the Taliban takeover, Afghanistan's emergency services were stretched to deal with natural disasters - with few aircraft and helicopters available to rescuers.

In remote areas, helicopters have been ferrying victims to hospitals.

Speaking to the BBC, a doctor from one of the worst hit districts in Paktika province said medical workers were among the victims.

"We didn't have enough people and facilities before the earthquake, and now the earthquake has ruined the little we had," they said. "I don't know how many of our colleagues are still alive."

[beardedmrbean]

A powerful earthquake struck a rural, mountainous region of eastern Afghanistan early on Wednesday, killing 1,000 people and injuring 1,500 more, according to a state-run news agency. Officials warned that the already grim toll would likely rise as rescuers dig through collapsed dwellings.

The 5.9 magnitude quake struck hardest in the rugged terrain of the east, where people already live hardscrabble lives in a country in the grip of a humanitarian disaster made worse by the Taliban takeover in August.

Information remained scarce but quakes of that strength can cause severe damage in an area where homes and other buildings are poorly constructed and landslides are common. Experts put the depth at just 10 kilometres (6 miles) – another factor that could increase the impact.

The death toll given by Afghanistan's state-run Bakhtar News Agency was equal to that of a quake in 2002 in northern Afghanistan that struck immediately after the US-led invasion overthrew the Taliban's earlier government.

Footage from Paktika province near the Pakistan border showed men carrying people in blankets to waiting helicopters. Others were treated on the ground. Some images showed residents picking through clay bricks and other rubble from destroyed stone houses, some of whose roofs or walls had caved in.

"The death toll has reached 1,000 and the number is rising. People are digging grave after grave," said the head of the information and culture department of Paktika province, Mohammad Amin Huzaifa, in a message to the press.

The quake struck about 44 kilometres (27 miles) from the city of Khost, near the Pakistani border, at a depth of 51 kilometres, the US Geological Survey said. The European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said shaking was felt by about 119 million people in Pakistan, Afghanistan and India.

In Kabul, Afghan Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund convened an emergency meeting at the presidential palace to coordinate the relief effort, and Bilal Karimi, a deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, wrote on Twitter to urge aid agencies to send teams to the area.

The “response is on its way”, the UN resident coordinator in Afghanistan, Ramiz Alakbarov, wrote on Twitter.