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TALIBAN FORCES HAVE killed a top Islamic State commander who allegedly planned attacks against diplomatic missions in Afghanistan’s capital, a government official said.
Violence in Afghanistan dramatically dipped after the Taliban seized power in August 2021.
But in the past year, security has worsened, with a spate of mass casualty attacks claimed by Islamic State’s regional chapter.
Taliban forces killed Qari Fateh, the regional IS “intelligence and operations chief”, during an operation on Sunday night, the Taliban government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.
Fateh “directly masterminded recent operations in Kabul, including against diplomatic missions, mosques and other targets”, Mujahid said.
One other IS member was killed in the operation against the cell, which was based in Kabul’s Khair Khana area, according to the statement.
Residents in that neighbourhood had reported loud gunfire on Sunday night.
Taliban officials posted footage on Twitter of two bodies lying in debris.
A United Nations Security Council report in July 2022 described Fateh as a key IS leader, charged with military operations in an area spanning India, Iran and Central Asia.
IS has emerged as the biggest security challenge to Taliban rule, staging attacks on foreigners, religious minorities and government institutions.
Both groups share an austere Sunni Islamist ideology, but IS is fighting to establish a global “caliphate” whilst the Taliban have a more inward-looking goal of ruling an independent Afghanistan.
IS claimed responsibility for a December gun raid on a Kabul hotel that wounded five Chinese nationals.
Also in December, the group attacked the Pakistani embassy in Kabul. Islamabad described it as an “assassination attempt” on its ambassador.
And in January, the group claimed a suicide bombing near the foreign ministry in Kabul that killed at least 10 people.
Two Russian embassy staff members were killed in a suicide bombing outside their mission in September last year, another attack claimed by IS.
The Taliban have blamed the group for a September 2022 suicide attack in Kabul that killed 54 — including 51 women and girls.
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Hundreds also cued for the opening of Spongbob Squarepants The Movie.
Doesn’t imply any quality or significance.
@David McShite: and even more queued for donuts in Blanchardstown last week
@Eon Cocker: And still queuing almost a week later – the place was like Christmas yesterday with the roads blocked by the drive through cars and long queues queues of people as far back as the old extravision. Madness.
@David McShite: hundreds cued for doughnuts in Blanchardstown.
Actually i think he should look for the leadership of the conservatives. Might be fun.
Ok i if mostly because I have an evil streak. I also like to see people get what they wish for.
@Thomas Maher: Borris and Donald now there’s a challenge.
As Macron rightly said in Salzburg
“These people are liars”
@Ooby Dooby: Coming from a Rothschild EU bureaucrat.
@PaddyOverABarrel: Even a stopped clock is right twice a day.
@PaddyOverABarrel: doesn’t change the fact, they are!
He talks a good talk,a self-assured sabre rattler with no real bite, He ,like the British press for years have tried their best to poison a successful Europe ,the little Englander mindset still prevails in the upper classes, the toffee nose brigade that sees only their own demise in a modern outward looking and classless Europe . its up to the younger generation of the British people to fight their corner and call for a second referendum .they are the future, Boris belongs to the past just like the dup
@Anthony Gallagher: “Classless Europe” ? So no social or economic divisions ? – really ?
@wattsed: utopia does not exist ,but since the end of world war two europe has been at the forefront of providing stability, economic integrity and a classless vision .ireland has changed for the better under its umbrella.
@Anthony Gallagher: Sorry, didn’t think you meant “vision”, assumed you meant it was already there. Ah well, bit more time so. Glad it’s eh, on the way.
Trump and Bojo as world leaders…… I can only imagine what the odds would have been.
Come on Boris, throw your weight behind a leadership bid, would be very entertaining
Britain needs a Winston Churchill at this moment but instead has Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn, God help them
@John Fahy: yeah, because sending in the Black and Tans to Europe might sort that lot out.
@John Fahy: Churchill? he was a warmongering drunkard.
RTE showing boris live. and nothing on corbyns speech lastweek.
@Sean Conway: yeah, Boris is light entertainment, corbyn is current affiars and news
Guaranteed he will, just waiting on May to embarrass herself a little more. Won’t bode well for the negotiations with this untrustworthy tw@t
Why do the leave side get all the Cool names – Brexit and Chuck Chequers ?
The Remainers need to hire some good marketing company to come up with something.
The hatred the have for the poor. praising thatchers disasterous housing policy that reached here under FF/L/FG. leaving people homeless. and then blaming them for it. you charge rent and build.
Clown
Hes right on one count though – The Chequers plan is terrible – but then all their options seem equally bad…
Interested in seeing how they dig their way out of all this.
@Anthony Clark: Not ALL their options are bad. There is one obvious choice that would fix everything. The UK’s problem is that they are looking for their long-lost glory days of oppression and exploitation, or to be more habitable, something better than they already have – but that doesn’t exist. And because a vocal wealthy segment of the population will never accept that fact, the only viable option – scrapping Brexit – would lead to the most unimaginably toxic political environment. But at least it wouldn’t include the economic implosion that faces them – and more importantly us – now.
Guaranteed he will, just waiting on May to embarrass herself a little more. Won’t bode well for the negotiations with this untrustworthy twit
soundbites with no substance. Typical Boris. Typical Brexit waffle. Why does he (they) not come up with an alternative to Checkers?
What gets me is these british politicians blaming the EU for all their woes. Who the hell was running Britain? The same politicians who now want to shift blame to the EU? The same politicians who post brexit will blame someone else for the state of the nation.
“Taking back control”.. What a load of absolute rubbish. Its interesting the conservatives want to restrict immigration to highly qualified people. So who will do all the manual labour the Brits wont do? You know all the roles filled by EU citizens in the agriculture and tourism sectors. Will they be replaced by Asian immigrants? Why do the electorate not ask Boris and co these questions?
There is a lot bad with the EU but there is a hell of a lot good also. Brexit is a English Trump moment. A right wing, English nationalist, mainly white middle class moan which will backfire spectacularly. I hope the British people hold those politicians who have promised the holy grail responsible for the lies.
C’mon he doesn’t have a plan.
We’d better believe him. He knows everything there is to know about fantasy.
Boris wants have his cake …and eat it..grow up
https://i2-prod.walesonline.co.uk/news/local-news/article14525049.ece/ALTERNATES/s1200/184693017.jpg
Click link for a speech from Boris nonsense
Even the hardline Brexiteers shudder when Boris rattles out his punchlines, almost all impractical politically & economically.
The practicalities are:-
1/ A hard N. Ireland border is militarily & financially indefensible, & not even the DUP will be able to force that through.
2/ A Britain separated from the EU will descend into an economic depression, & the notion that trade outside the EU will boost their economy is complete fantasy, at least in the short- medium term, & even in the long term, little Britain would become a vassal economy to the new markets, rather than a dominant economy.
3/ Limiting EU immigration will have to be replaced with non EU immigration for labour intensive industry, especially food production, health services & construction.
4/ Scotland & NI will leave the UK.
have your say