logo
Russia says it will help Taliban fight Islamic State in Afghanistan

Russia says it will help Taliban fight Islamic State in Afghanistan

Russia will help the Taliban authorities in Afghanistan fight against the Afghan branch of Islamic State, Moscow's special representative for the country was quoted as saying on Friday.
Zamir Kabulov, a former Russian ambassador to Afghanistan, referred to Islamic State Khorasan (ISIS-K) as the 'common enemy' of Moscow and Kabul.
'We see and appreciate the efforts that the Taliban are making in the fight against the Afghan wing of ISIS,' Kabulov told the RIA state news agency in an interview.
'We will provide our best assistance to the authorities of (Afghanistan) through specialised structures.'
No country currently recognises the Taliban government that seized power in August 2021 as U.S.-led forces staged a chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan after 20 years of war.
But in a step towards recognition, Russia last month formally removed the Taliban from its list of terrorist organisations, to which it had been added in 2003.
Kabulov's comments underscore the dramatic rapprochement in recent years between Moscow and Kabul, which President Vladimir Putin said last year was now Russia's 'ally' in combating terrorism.
Russia has been left reeling from multiple Islamic State (ISIS)-linked attacks, including the shooting of 145 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in March 2024 which was claimed by ISIS. U.S. officials said they had intelligence indicating ISIS-K was responsible.
The Taliban says it is working to wipe out the group's presence in Afghanistan.
Kabulov said Moscow and Kabul were building up ties in multiple spheres and told RIA that Russia had offered to accredit an Afghan ambassador in Moscow and was waiting for Kabul's response.
He said Moscow's suspension of the ban on the Taliban 'finally removes all obstacles to full cooperation between our countries in various fields'.
'The arrival of the Afghan ambassador in Moscow will put a final end to this issue.'
Russia said last month it aims to strengthen trade, business and investment ties with Kabul, leveraging Afghanistan's strategic position for future energy and infrastructure projects.
Kabulov said joint economic projects would be discussed at a Russia-Afghan business forum later this month in the Russian city of Kazan, naming mineral development and gas pipeline projects as possible areas of cooperation.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Aussie shares fall as miners, gold stocks weigh; eye worst week since April
Aussie shares fall as miners, gold stocks weigh; eye worst week since April

Business Recorder

time14 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Aussie shares fall as miners, gold stocks weigh; eye worst week since April

Australian shares fell on Friday and were headed for their worst week in 16, dragged down by losses in gold stocks and miners, while markets awaited progress in U.S. trade talks. The S&P/ASX 200 index lost 0.5% to 8,935.1 by 0058 GMT, taking its decline to more than 1% so far this week and putting it on track for its steepest weekly drop since April 4. Miners dragged the index lower, with the sub-index down 1.2% as iron ore prices fell. Rio Tinto and BHP slipped 1% and 1.4%, respectively, while Fortescue, which released key production results this week, was down 1.8%. Whitehaven Coal eased 0.2%, outperforming the broader sub-index after reporting a 9% jump in its fourth-quarter output. Gold stocks fell 0.9%, with Northern Star Resources and Evolution Mining down 1.5% and 1.7%, respectively. Financials shed 0.7%, with the 'Big Four' banks down between 0.3% and 0.9%. Bucking the trend, energy stocks rose 1.1%, as oil prices climbed on hopes of a potential trade deal between the U.S. and the European Union and reports of Russian plans to restrict gasoline exports to most countries. Meanwhile, Australia agreed to open its market to U.S. beef, U.S. President Donald Trump said on Thursday. Reports said Canberra is considering using this easing of rules to wind back the 50% U.S. tariffs on steel and aluminium and fend off threats of a 200% duty on pharmaceuticals. Most Australian exports to the U.S. face a 10% baseline tariff. Across the Tasman Sea, New Zealand's benchmark S&P/NZX 50 index rose 0.1% to 12,815.76 points.

Intra-day update: rupee gains ground against US dollar
Intra-day update: rupee gains ground against US dollar

Business Recorder

time15 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Intra-day update: rupee gains ground against US dollar

The Pakistani rupee strengthened against the US dollar, appreciating 0.25% during the opening hours of trading in the inter-bank market on Friday. At 10am, the currency was hovering at 283.50, a gain of Re0.72. On Thursday, the currency settled at 284.22. Globally, the US dollar steadied near two-week lows on Friday, on track for its biggest weekly drop in a month, as investors contended with US tariff negotiations ahead of a deadline while looking ahead to central bank meetings next week for clues on policy. Both the US Federal Reserve and the Bank of Japan are expected to hold rates at next week's policy meetings, but traders are focusing on the subsequent comments to gauge the timing of the next move. The prospect of rate hikes by the BOJ had improved, she added, after a trade deal struck with the United States this week lowered tariffs to 15% on auto imports from Japan. The yen stood at 147.10 to the dollar, on course for a weekly gain of 1%, its strongest such performance since mid-May. The dollar index, which measures the US currency against six other units, was at 97.448, set for a drop of 1% this week, its weakest performance in a month. Oil prices, a key indicator of currency parity, rose on Friday, buoyed by optimism over a potential trade deal between the US and the European Union and reports of Russian plans to restrict gasoline exports to most countries. Brent crude futures gained 17 cents, or 0.3%, to $69.35 a barrel by 0027 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures climbed 15 cents, or 0.2%, to $66.18 per barrel. Oil settled 1% higher on Thursday, driven by media reports of expected cuts to Russian gasoline exports. This is an intra-day update

Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery as fighting rages for a second day
Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery as fighting rages for a second day

Business Recorder

time17 hours ago

  • Business Recorder

Thailand, Cambodia exchange heavy artillery as fighting rages for a second day

SURIN: Thailand and Cambodia exchanged heavy artillery on Friday as their worst fighting in more than a decade stretched for a second day, despite calls from the region and beyond for an immediate ceasefire in an escalating border conflict that has killed at least 15 people. Thailand's military reported clashes from before dawn in the Ubon Ratchathani and Surin provinces and said Cambodia had used artillery and Russian-made BM-21 rocket systems. Authorities said 100,000 people had been evacuated from conflict areas on the Thai side. 'Cambodian forces have conducted sustained bombardment utilising heavy weapons, field artillery, and BM-21 rocket systems,' the Thai military said in a statement. 'Thai forces have responded with appropriate supporting fire in accordance with the tactical situation.' Both sides blamed each other for starting the conflict on Thursday at a disputed border area, which quickly escalated from small arms fire to heavy shelling in at least six locations 209 km (130 miles) apart along a frontier where sovereignty has been disputed for more than a century. Reuters journalists in Surin province reported hearing intermittent bursts of explosions on Friday, amid a heavy presence of armed Thai soldiers along roads and gas stations in the largely agrarian area. A Thai military convoy, including around a dozen trucks, armoured vehicles and tanks, cut across provincial roads ringed by paddy fields and moved toward the border. The fighting erupted on Thursday just hours after Thailand recalled its ambassador to Phnom Penh the previous night and expelled Cambodia's envoy, in response to a second Thai soldier losing a limb to a landmine that Bangkok alleged had been laid recently by rival troops. Cambodia has dismissed that as baseless. Death toll rises The Thai death toll had risen to 14 as of late Thursday, 13 of them civilians, according to the health ministry. It said 46 people were wounded, including 14 soldiers. Cambodia's national government has not provided details of any casualties or evacuations of civilians. A government spokesperson did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the latest clashes. Thailand F-16 jet bombs Cambodian targets as border clash escalates Meth Meas Pheakdey, spokesperson for the provincial administration of Cambodia's Oddar Meanchey province, said one civilian had been killed and five were wounded, with 1,500 families evacuated. Thailand had positioned six F-16 fighter jets on Thursday in a rare combat deployment, one of which was mobilised to strike a Cambodian military target, among measures Cambodia called 'reckless and brutal military aggression'. The United States, a long-time treaty ally of Thailand, called for an 'immediate cessation of hostilities, protection of civilians and a peaceful resolution.' Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, the chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, of which Thailand and Cambodia are members, said he had spoken to leaders of both countries and urged them to find a peaceful way out. 'I welcome the positive signals and willingness shown by both Bangkok and Phnom Penh to consider this path forward. Malaysia stands ready to assist and facilitate this process in the spirit of ASEAN unity and shared responsibility,' he said in a social media post late on Thursday.

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store