KABUL: Afghan troops clashed with Taliban guerrillas on Sunday in Ghazni, three days after the militants overran parts of the historical and strategic town in a major push, a lawmaker and a security source said.
Scores of fighters from both sides and at least two dozen civilians have been killed in the fighting, which also involves US air support since the Taliban began their four-pronged offensive on the town early Friday, the two men said.
The main hospital in Ghazni town is overwhelmed with casualties, with a shortage of medicine, and the entire town is reported to be shut because of the fighting.
Telephone towers and communication systems have been badly affected in the fighting and the main highway that runs through the province linking Kabul with the southern and southwestern region has remained closed, Mohammad Ali Alizada, a lawmaker representing Ghazni, told Arab News.
He said government reinforcements bound for the town have been stuck near a pass outside the town which lies some 120 km to the southwest of the capital.
“Unfortunately, the reports from Ghazni are not good. There are continued skirmishes inside the town and its surrounding areas. We do not have first-hand information because of poor communication, but one thing is clear: The Taliban have presence in many parts of the town.”
He said government authorities were confined to three main areas where the compound for the governor, the headquarters for the police and intelligence are located.
He said there were conflicting reports about the release of hundreds of Taliban prisoners after the militants captured the town’s main prison.
The Taliban, in messages to reporters, said the group had seized the prison and freed fellow comrades held by the government.
One government spokesman refused to speak, while others could not be reached to discuss the situation. But a security source said the Taliban were still inside the town and fighting had intensified in its various areas on Sunday.
The country’s army chief Sharif Yaftali promised in a news conference to reopen the highway in two days’ time and blamed the Taliban for sheltering in residential areas.
“Considering the capabilities of Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANSDF), we hope to bring significant changes in Ghazni’s security and open the highway in two days.
“Strategic and key areas of Ghazni are under the government control of the ANSDF. The reason for ANSDF’s slow clearance is preventing civilian casualties. The Taliban have hidden in houses and stores.”
Later on Sunday there were reports that the Taliban had even captured the main police headquarters, but that could not be immediately confirmed independently.
And before evening, a local TV channel reported that a convoy of government reinforcement from neighboring areas came under a Taliban ambush, causing casualties.
A video posted on social media showed a group of apparent government soldiers surrendering to the militants with their military equipment, while another showed Taliban armed fighters strolling on a main street of the town.
Residents late Friday reported that the Taliban had shot down a government military helicopter, but officials said the chopper went down for technical reasons.
The push by the Taliban on Ghazni is the main one on the town since the ouster of the militants in a US-led invasion in late 2001.
The developments in Ghazni come weeks after Taliban emissaries and US officials held direct talks for finding a way to end the 17-year US war in Afghanistan.
Both sides are expected to hold a similar meeting in the future too, and some observers believe the attack on Ghazni is part of the Taliban’s effort to gain the upper hand in the talks.
The attack comes amid escalation of violence elsewhere by the insurgents against the embattled government in recent months ahead of the long-delayed parliamentary polls set for October and the presidential polls six months later.
While the two sides fight for control of Ghazni, reports emerged from northwestern Faryab about the loss of more than 25 government soldiers in a Taliban attack early Sunday after a long siege.
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Afghan security forces clash with Taliban for third day in Ghazni
Afghan security forces clash with Taliban for third day in Ghazni
- The push by the Taliban on Ghazni is the main one on the town since the ouster of the militants in a US-led war in late 2001
- The Taliban, in messages to reporters, said the group had seized the prison and freed fellow comrades held by the government
China’s Xi to host South Korea’s Lee from Sunday amid Japan tensions
SEOUL/BEIJING: Chinese President Xi Jinping will host South Korean President Lee Jae Myung on a state visit starting on Sunday, signalling Beijing’s intent to strengthen ties with Seoul amidst strained relations with Japan over Taiwan. The visit marks the second meeting between Xi and Lee in just two months, an unusually short interval that signals China’s keen interest in reinforcing ties with Seoul and boosting economic collaboration and tourism, analysts say. Relations between China and Japan hit the lowest point in years after Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi suggested in November that Tokyo could take military action if Beijing attacked Taiwan.
Xi’s invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.
“China wants to emphasize South Korea’s importance slightly more than before,” said Kang Jun-young, professor of political economics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“China appears to have strategically decided that it would be better to have (Lee) visit China before South Korea holds a summit with Japan again,” he added.
Wi Sung-lac, Lee’s top security adviser, said on Friday that he expected the Lee-Xi summit to open a “new chapter” in bilateral ties.
He added that the two countries were preparing more than 10 deals on the economy, businesses and climate, although they were not working on a joint statement.
The Lee administration has said it aims to “restore” ties with Beijing, acknowledging China is South Korea’s largest trading partner. The pivot follows strained relations between the two countries under Lee’s predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, due to his closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo, as well as criticism of China’s handling of Taiwan.
Now, South Korea is trying to maintain a balance but leaning toward cooperation with China to avoid being forced into any troubles that would threaten the Asian industrial powerhouse. Lee said in December he wouldn’t take sides in the diplomatic dispute between China and Japan.
US ALLIANCE AND NORTH KOREA Still, China and South Korea face complex issues as China challenges the US, South Korea’s major ally in the region, and as nuclear-armed North Korea remains unpredictable.
China is North Korea’s major ally and economic lifeline.
Shin Beom-chul, a former South Korean vice defense minister and a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said Xi and Lee might discuss some contentious issues such as efforts to modernize the South Korea-US alliance.
Currently, about 28,500 US troops are based in South Korea to counter any threat from North Korea. US officials have signalled a plan to make those US forces more flexible to respond to other threats, such as defending Taiwan and checking China’s growing military reach.
“Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula,” General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, said at a forum on Dec. 29. “Korea sits at the crossroads of broader regional dynamics that shape the balance of power across Northeast Asia,” he said. Wi, the security adviser, said South Korea would also try to reassure China that its plans to build nuclear-powered submarines were aimed only at deterring North Korea. Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee’s outreach.
TECH, SUPPLY CHAINS AND K-POP Lee’s visit to Beijing is also expected to address cooperation in areas including critical minerals, supply chain and green industries, his office said earlier.
Seoul sources nearly half of its supply of rare earth minerals, critical to semiconductor manufacturing, from China. Beijing also accounts for a third of Seoul’s annual chip exports, the largest market by far. Last month, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao agreed to work toward stable rare earth supplies, South Korea said.
The visit may also foster partnerships on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, experts said. China’s Huawei Technologies plans to roll out the Ascend 950 AI chips in South Korea this year, aiming to provide an alternative to Nvidia for Korean firms, Huawei’s South Korea CEO Balian Wang told a press conference last month.
Wang mentioned ongoing discussions with potential customers, without naming those clients. Huawei did not respond to questions from Reuters about Wang’s comments.
Xi’s invitation to Lee for a state visit from Sunday is a calculated move aimed at deepening bilateral relations especially before the South Korean leader visits Japan, analysts say.
“China wants to emphasize South Korea’s importance slightly more than before,” said Kang Jun-young, professor of political economics at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies.
“China appears to have strategically decided that it would be better to have (Lee) visit China before South Korea holds a summit with Japan again,” he added.
Wi Sung-lac, Lee’s top security adviser, said on Friday that he expected the Lee-Xi summit to open a “new chapter” in bilateral ties.
He added that the two countries were preparing more than 10 deals on the economy, businesses and climate, although they were not working on a joint statement.
The Lee administration has said it aims to “restore” ties with Beijing, acknowledging China is South Korea’s largest trading partner. The pivot follows strained relations between the two countries under Lee’s predecessor Yoon Suk Yeol, due to his closer alignment with Washington and Tokyo, as well as criticism of China’s handling of Taiwan.
Now, South Korea is trying to maintain a balance but leaning toward cooperation with China to avoid being forced into any troubles that would threaten the Asian industrial powerhouse. Lee said in December he wouldn’t take sides in the diplomatic dispute between China and Japan.
US ALLIANCE AND NORTH KOREA Still, China and South Korea face complex issues as China challenges the US, South Korea’s major ally in the region, and as nuclear-armed North Korea remains unpredictable.
China is North Korea’s major ally and economic lifeline.
Shin Beom-chul, a former South Korean vice defense minister and a senior research fellow at the Sejong Institute, said Xi and Lee might discuss some contentious issues such as efforts to modernize the South Korea-US alliance.
Currently, about 28,500 US troops are based in South Korea to counter any threat from North Korea. US officials have signalled a plan to make those US forces more flexible to respond to other threats, such as defending Taiwan and checking China’s growing military reach.
“Korea is not simply responding to threats on the peninsula,” General Xavier Brunson, commander of US Forces Korea, said at a forum on Dec. 29. “Korea sits at the crossroads of broader regional dynamics that shape the balance of power across Northeast Asia,” he said. Wi, the security adviser, said South Korea would also try to reassure China that its plans to build nuclear-powered submarines were aimed only at deterring North Korea. Lee’s agenda with Xi includes persuading China to facilitate dialogue with North Korea, experts said, at a time when North Korea has dismissed Lee’s outreach.
TECH, SUPPLY CHAINS AND K-POP Lee’s visit to Beijing is also expected to address cooperation in areas including critical minerals, supply chain and green industries, his office said earlier.
Seoul sources nearly half of its supply of rare earth minerals, critical to semiconductor manufacturing, from China. Beijing also accounts for a third of Seoul’s annual chip exports, the largest market by far. Last month, South Korean Industry Minister Kim Jung-kwan and Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao agreed to work toward stable rare earth supplies, South Korea said.
The visit may also foster partnerships on artificial intelligence and advanced technologies, experts said. China’s Huawei Technologies plans to roll out the Ascend 950 AI chips in South Korea this year, aiming to provide an alternative to Nvidia for Korean firms, Huawei’s South Korea CEO Balian Wang told a press conference last month.
Wang mentioned ongoing discussions with potential customers, without naming those clients. Huawei did not respond to questions from Reuters about Wang’s comments.
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