Chief Executive Abdullah met with and welcomed Ali Shamkhani, the Secretary of Supreme National Security Council of Islamic Republic of Iran.

According to Dr Abdullah’s statement on social media, the two discussed bilateral relations, security developments, peace & regional connectivity and the statement added “We agreed to join efforts to fight terrorism & radicalism”.

Mulavi Hamidullah, Taliban’s shadow district governor for Garziwan district of Faryab province was killed along with three other armed Taliban following a clash with Afghan National Police, the Ministry of Interior reported.

During the clash, three other armed Taliban were wounded and no ANP member was harmed, MoI’s statement added.

Photo from archive

The clash took place in Sarchakan region, Garziwan district, northern Faryab province.

In a separate report, eight armed Taliban were killed and five other armed Taliban were wounded following in an encounter with Afghan National Police.

The encounter took place in Almar district, Faryab province.

Unfortunately, four Afghan National Policemen were martyred and two other policemen were wounded.

The Ministry of Defense released multiple statements to inform that a total of 53 insurgents were killed across Helmand, Logar and Ghazni province as a result of ANA airstrikes and clearing operations.

In Helmand, 1 key Taliban commander was among the 27 killed while 7 others were wounded and 4 weapons, 2 vehicles and 3 hideouts were destroyed as well. This happened in Kajaki district.

In Ghazni’s Andar and Qarabagh districts, 16 insurgents were killed and 19 others wounded while 1 suspect was arrested and 2 vehicles were destroyed.

Finally, in Logar, 10 insurgents were killed and 1 motorbike was destroyed in Mohammad Agha district.

Officials from Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat have informed that Uzbekistan has cut 100 megawatts of the 300-megawatt power which it exports to Afghanistan.

The officials cited the reason for reduction in export as the need for power in Uzbekistan.

The Independent Election Commission (IEC) on Wednesday confirmed to TOLONews that the upcoming Presidential elections which were originally due to be held on April 20, 2019, might face some delay.

Hafizullah Hashemi, member of the IEC, said the commission has discussed the matter with donor countries and the United Nations to delay the presidential elections for two or three months for “some certain reasons”.

He said the decision has been made to bring more reforms to the Independent Election Commission.

This comes after the IEC informed that there has been no response in the registration process for presidential candidates ever since it was started last week.

US Ambassador to Kabul John Bass released a statement on social media condemning the attack on Monday in PD16 of Kabul and expressed his condolences to families, friends and colleagues of the victims. He added that the US stands with government and people of Afghanistan and remains steadfast in their commitment to peace.

The US Embassy statement was as follows: “The United States condemns in the strongest possible terms the December 24 attack on a government building in PD16. We extend our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and colleagues of the victims and honor the brave first responders who risked their own lives to help the injured. The United States stands with the government and people of Afghanistan in the face of this kind of violence. We remain steadfast in our commitment to the cause of peace and will continue to support our Afghan partners to achieve an end to the conflict in Afghanistan.”

A trilateral MoU was signed today between the Afghan Medical Council, Ministry of Public Health and Attorney General at GMIC. The MoU is for handling and managing complaints of medical offences.

Ferozuddin Feroz, the Minister of MoPH said at the occasion, “Over the past year, we have provided treatment of 1 million Afghans from across the country, of which 9,00,000 were treated in country and rest were sent overseas for treatment”.

He further declared that from now on, all practicing doctors need to be approved by Afghan Medical Council to be able to practice medicine.

The Attorney General, Mohammad Farid Hamidi said “Under the provisions of this MoU, the rights of every single Patient, doctors and other health staffs will be observed and a safe environment will be created for them all.”

The director of AMC, Nasrin Oryakhil said that “In order to process and manage the complaints and medical offenses, Medical Council needs the cooperation of MoHE, MoPH and AGO.”

The Ministry of Defense released a statement informing that 49 insurgents including 3 ISIS terrorists were killed in ANA airstrikes and clearing operations in Khogyani, Pachir WA gam, Muhmand Dara and Batikut districts of Nangarhar.

In the operations, 1 hideout was also destroyed.

The Chinese Ambassador in Kabul, Liu Jinsong announced that an Afghan-China friendship association will be officially launched next year.

Mr Jinsong made the announcement at a meeting marking the 40th anniversary of reform and opening up of the economy at the Chinese embassy in Kabul.

The meeting was attended by former deputy foreign minister Hekmat Khalil Karzai, Sultan Ahmad Baheen, some members of political parties, university teachers and media representatives.

Jinsong reiterated that his country was prepared to cooperate with Afghanistan and regarding peace process and assured that China has always supported Afghan-owned and Afghan-led peace.

The trilateral meeting between Afghanistan, China and Pakistan recently was successful, he added.

President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday met with the elders of Uzbeks and Turkmen in the Presidential Palace.

In this meeting, these elders spoke with the president concerning the insecurity in the northern and northeastern provinces, the consideration of the case of Nizamuddin Qaisari, the blockade of the roads in several districts, the problems of internally displaced persons and drought-affected areas, the prevention of extraction of mines in an unprofessional and illegal manner, job creation for the youth, and the construction of dams.

The president said that providing security to the northern and northeastern provinces of the country is one of the top priorities for the new management of defense and interior ministries.

No one is beyond the law and that the activities of irresponsible armed individuals and groups are by no means acceptable, the president reiterated.

On the case of commander Qaisari, he said that he has directed the NDS chief to investigate the case

Iran’s Secretary of the Supreme National Security Council Rear Admiral Ali Shamkhani, accompanied by a number of high-ranking officials, arrived in Kabul at the invitation of National Security Adviser of Afghanistan Hamdullah Mohib, as per Iranian media.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi has arrived in Moscow, on final leg of his four-nation tour.Shah Mehmood Qureshi will meet his Russian counterpart today to discuss Afghan issue of peace.

Earlier, while talking to APP in Beijing the Foreign Minister said all regional countries have appreciated Pakistan’s efforts for peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan.

The Foreign Minister Qureshi told, “I have so far visited Afghanistan, Iran and China during my regional outreach and all these countries have endorsed our efforts for resolution of Afghan issue.”

Shah Mahmood Qureshi further said that the regional countries supported an Afghan-led and Afghan-owned peace process.

The economic adviser to the president of Afghanistan has reported an annual production of 10,000 tons of fish in the country.

Ajmal Ahmadi, an economic adviser to the Afghan president quoting the Directorate of Livestock and Animal Health, wrote on Twitter: “An estimated 10,000 tons of fish are produced annually in Afghanistan.”

Ahmadi further said that the number of fish farming farms reaches 2,000, and most of them are in the provinces of Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Nangarhar, Laghman, Balkh and Nimroz.

The Turkish parliament on Tuesday ratified a motion to extend the deployment of Turkish troops in Afghanistan for another two years as part of the NATO’s support mission in the war-torn country.

A legislation will put into effect on Jan. 6, 2019, allowing the Turkish government to send troops to Afghanistan to support the NATO-led mission Resolute Support.

As the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force ended its combat mission in Afghanistan at the end of 2014, the mission has evolved into training and advising of the Afghan security forces.

Around 12,000 foreign troops from 28 NATO allies and 14 other partner nations agreed to support the NATO mission in Afghanistan.

The legislation that was first passed in 2015 also grants the government the authority to permit foreign army personnel to be transported to and from Afghanistan through Turkey.