Afghanistan’s regional neighbors, including American allies, appeared to unite against US President Donald Trump’s stated aim of taking over the Bagram military base near Kabul, according to a statement released after they met in Moscow.
The “Moscow Format” meeting on Afghanistan – the seventh such event hosted by Russia but attended for the first time by the Taliban administration’s foreign minister – included US partners India and Pakistan. The 10 nations also included Russia, China and Iran as well as Central Asian countries.
In a joint statement released by Russia’s foreign ministry late on Tuesday, the 10 countries did not name the United States or Bagram itself, but seemed to take aim at Trump’s plan for the base, endorsing the Taliban’s position on the issue.
“They (the countries meeting) called unacceptable the attempts by countries to deploy their military infrastructure in Afghanistan and neighboring states, since this does not serve the interests of regional peace and stability,” the joint statement read.
Taliban opposition to foreign forces
At a press conference on Tuesday in Moscow at the conclusion of the event, the Taliban’s Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi reiterated its position.
“Afghanistan is a free and independent country, and throughout history, it has never accepted the military presence of foreigners. Our decision and policy will remain the same to keep Afghanistan free and independent,” he said.
The US Department of State did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The Taliban’s first administration was ousted in 2001 by a US-led invasion of the country, triggering an insurgency by the group.
Bagram, just outside the capital Kabul, became the biggest and best-known US base in Afghanistan before the chaotic US withdrawal from the country in 2021 as the Taliban retook control.
Last month, Trump threatened “bad things” would happen to Afghanistan if it does not give back Bagram, and cited what he called its strategic location near China.
Current and former US officials have cast doubt on Trump’s goal, saying that re-occupying Bagram might end up looking like a re-invasion, requiring more than 10,000 troops as well as deployment of advanced air defenses.
Afghanistan’s neighbors signal opposition to US retaking Bagram base
https://arab.news/g9jsj
Afghanistan’s neighbors signal opposition to US retaking Bagram base
- Countries signing joint statement include India, Pakistan, China
- Statement criticizes attempts to deploy military infrastructure
12 killed, 20 injured in suicide blast outside district court in Pakistan’s capital – official
- According to the official, the explosion took place outside a district court in Islamabad’s G-11 sector
ISLAMABAD: Twelve people were killed while 20 others were injured in a suicide blast outside a court in Islamabad on Tuesday, a security official confirmed.
According to the official, the explosion took place outside a district court in Islamabad’s G-11 sector, saying the blast affected mostly passersby standing nearby at the time of the incident.
So far, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack. However, the official said the blast had been carried out by the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) outfit, which the military frequently describes as “Indian-sponsored” and “Fitna-ul-Khawarij.”
“The bodies of 12 people killed in the explosion have been shifted to Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) Hospital,” the security official said on condition of anonymity. “Twenty injured have been shifted to emergency room at PIMS Hospital.”
The official said that more wounded persons were being brought into the hospital.
“The alleged suicide bomber’s severed head was found on the road,” he added.
Earlier Tuesday, Pakistani security forces said they foiled an attempt by militants to take cadets hostage at an army-run college overnight, when a suicide car bomber and five other Pakistani Taliban fighters targeted the facility in the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa (KP) province.
The attack started on Monday evening, when a bomber tried to storm the cadet college in Wana, a city in KP near the Afghan border. The area had until recent years served as a base for the Pakistani Taliban, Al-Qaeda and other foreign militants.
According to Alamgir Mahsud, the local police chief, two of the militants were quickly killed by troops while three militants managed to enter the compound before being cornered in an administrative block. The army’s commandoes were among the forces conducting a clearance operation and an intermittent exchange of fire went on into Tuesday, Mahsud said.
The administrative block is away from the building housing hundreds of cadets and other staff.
The Pakistani Taliban, or TTP, denied involvement in the college attack. The group has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban seized power in Kabul in 2021, and many of its leaders and fighters are believed to have taken refuge in Afghanistan.
– with additional input from AP News
