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ISLAMABAD The Afghan Taliban announced the beginning of their spring offensive on Friday, promising to build their political base in the country while focusing military assaults on the international coalition and Afghan security forces.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid announced the launch of the offensive in an emailed statement that boasted of Taliban control over more than half of the country, referring to a February report issued by Washingtons special inspector general for Afghan reconstruction.

That report said the Afghan government had control or influence over only 52 percent of Afghanistans 407 districts last year, down from 63.4 percent previously.

The Taliban dubbed this years offensive Operation Mansouri, named for the Taliban leader killed last year in a U.S. drone strike.

Hence, keeping the evolving situation in mind, this years Mansouri operations will differ from previous ones in nature and will be conducted with a twin-tracked political and military approach, said Mujahid. He did not make any mention of peace talks with the government.

Attempts to find a peaceful end to Afghanistans protracted war have been relentlessly unsuccessful.

On the political side, Mujahid said the Taliban were going to begin building institutions in areas under their control, establishing what he called social justice and development mechanisms.

He didnt offer specifics or indicate whether this meant the Taliban would step up their brand of justice, which during their rule included public executions and the chopping off of hands for those convicted of theft.

Recent Taliban attacks, including one earlier this week on an army base in northern Afghanistan that killed more than 140 Afghan soldiers, would seem to warn of a tough fighting season ahead. In the latest attack, the Taliban disguised as Afghan army soldiers slipped into the compound of the 209 Corps in northern Afghanistans Balkh province. While two militants exploded their suicide vests, the others opened fire on scores of soldiers.

As well as the Taliban, Afghanistan is also battling an emerging local affiliate of the Islamic State group known as Islamic State in Khorasan, which is an ancient name for a region that once included Afghanistan, Iran and parts of Central Asia.

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On Thursday two U.S. Army Rangers were killed and a third incurred minor injuries during a battle against Islamic State fighters in their stronghold in eastern Afghanistans Nangarhar province, according to the U.S. military.

The U.S. forces were accompanying Afghan troops when they came under attack by the Islamic State Khorasan, according to Navy Capt. Bill Salvin, the U.S. military spokesman in Kabul. He said dozens of IS fighters were also killed but because of the remoteness of the region it was impossible to independently confirm the deaths.

The attack occurred in the same area where two weeks ago the U.S. dropped its largest non-nuclear bomb on an IS complex.

The U.S. has been aiding the Afghan Security Forces in their battle against the IS in Afghanistan and estimates that the extremist group has about 800 fighters in the country.

Meanwhile Friday an Afghan Parliamentarian said the Taliban captured a remote district in the countrys northeastern Badakhshan Province. Mohammad Zekria Sawda said the district fell after heavy fighting. In an emailed statement the Taliban also claimed the district, while Badakhshans deputy governor Mohammad Bidar said fighting between Afghan Security Forces and the Taliban was still intense in the area. He also said it was difficult to determine the number of casualties because of the remoteness of the region.

The Talibans announcement of the offensive coincides with the anniversary of Afghanistans so-called Saur Revolution against its pro-Russian rulers, which led to a 10-year uprising by U.S.-backed Islamic insurgents or mujahedeen against an invading Soviet army. The Soviets withdrew defeated in 1989.

Associated Press writers Amir Shah in Kabul, Afghanistan, and Lolita C. Baldor in Washington contributed to this report.

Link:
Talilban announces spring offensive in Afghanistan - Inland Valley Daily Bulletin

New York Times

2 US Service Members Killed in Afghanistan, Pentagon Says New York Times WASHINGTON Two American service members were killed and a third was wounded Wednesday night in an operation in the same part of Afghanistan where the military dropped its most powerful conventional weapon two weeks ago, the Pentagon said. 2 US Servicemembers Killed While Fighting In AfghanistanNPR Four steps to winning peace in AfghanistanWashington Post Two US Army Rangers Killed in Anti-ISIS Raid in Eastern AfghanistanNBCNews.com Washington Examiner -TIME -CNN all 215 news articles »

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2 US Service Members Killed in Afghanistan, Pentagon Says - New York Times

Two soldiers were killed in fighting during an operation in eastern Afghanistan Thursday. One of the soldiers was identified as a 23-year-old from Kettering, Ohio. (Dept. of Defense/MGN Online)

A 23-year-old from a Dayton suburb was one of the soldiers killed during an operation in Afghanistan.

The Department of Defense confirmed Sgt. Cameron H. Thomas from Kettering, and Sgt. Joshua P. Rodgers, 22, from Bloomington, Illinois died "as a result of small arms fire".

The soldiers were assigned to 3rd Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment at Fort Benning in Georgia.

The Pentagon said the soldiers were killed during an operation against the Afghanistan-based Islamic State group in Nangahar Province in the eastern part of the country. The U.S. has been battling the Islamic State Khorasan group in Afghanistan for months. About two weeks ago, the U.S. dropped what's called the "mother of all bombs" on an IS complex in Nangahar Province, just days after a U.S. Army special forces soldier was killed in the region.

Ohio Senator Sherrod Brown released a statement about Thomas' death, saying: As parents, Ohioans and Americans, our hearts break for Sgt. Thomas family. Connie and I express our deepest sympathies to everyone who knew and loved him. No words can express the debt of gratitude we owe to Sgt. Thomas and his family, but we can promise their sacrifice will not be forgotten and we will work to honor their service to our country by supporting our veterans and all those still serving.

The Pentagon says the incident is still under investigation.

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Dayton-area native killed fighting against ISIS group in Afghanistan - ABC6OnYourSide.com

The Army announced Thursday it was deploying 1,500 soldiers to Afghanistan, where attacks by the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and the Taliban have threatened the stability of the U.S.-backed government.

In a press statement, the Army's Public Affairs office said approximately 1,500 soldiers of the1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, stationed at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, would be sent to Afghanistan this summer. The deployment is part of the U.S. military's ongoing Operation Freedom's Sentinel, designed to dislodge rival ultraconservative Sunni Muslim movements the Taliban and ISIS from the Central Asian nation.

The U.S. currently has 8,500 military personnel to "advise, train and assist missions, including counterterrorism and air support" for local security forces, according to the U.S. Naval Institute. The 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division will bolster the U.S.' efforts to stabilize the restive country.

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Related: The U.S. Military Bombed ISIS in Afghanistan, But ISIS Is Winning the War

"Since spearheading allied assaults in Sicily and Anzio in 1943, the Devil Brigade has accomplished its missions through disciplined initiative," said Colonel Toby Magsig, commander of the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, in a press release. "The same endures today. The 'Devils in Baggy Pants' are well-trained, well-equipped, and ready to assist our Afghan partners as part of the Resolute Support mission."

Paratroopers with the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, march up the ramp as they return home from Afghanistan at Pope Army Airfield in Fort Bragg, North Carolina November 5, 2014. The brigade will again be sent to Afghanistan to train, advise and assist local security forces in summer 2017. Chris Keane/Reuters

"This is a train, advise and assist mission for the brigade," Lt. Col. Joe Buccino, public affairs officer for the 82 Airborne Division, toldNewsweek. "They will be supporting local Afghan forces."

Buccino said the soldiers, who were due to head out in approximately fiveweeks, would largely be replacing personnel of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, which deployed around 1,400 troops to Afghanistan last year, and other units. The number of troops in Afghanistan has remained under 10,000 since a majorwithdrawal in recent years that concluded a major phase of the U.S.'s extended war in Afghanistan launched in the wake of the 9/11 attacks in 2001. The U.S. and its allies successfully ousted the Islamist government of the Taliban, an ally of Al-Qaeda, and have maintained a military presence in order to prevent a major resurgence.

Washington has since, however, diverted its attention toward defeating ISIS in Iraq and Syria, and the Taliban have made gains across the nation. The militants staged their deadliest attack since the conflict began in 2001 when Taliban fighters disguised themselves as Afghan soldiers to gain entry to a military base and launched a series of attacks Friday, killing at least 140 personnel and wounding at least 160 more.

ISIS, which has attempted to rival the Taliban's influence, also has established a presence in Afghanistan. The U.S. military targeted fighters loyal to the global jihadist group earlier this month when the Air Force dropped the largest non-nuclear weapon in its arsenal, the Massive Ordinance Air Blast (MOAB), or "mother of all bombs" on a system of caves and tunnels believed to be used by ISIS fighters operating in the restive eastern province of Nangarhar, killing 36 militantsby Afghan estimates.

Both the Taliban and the Islamic State group (ISIS), two ultraconservative Sunni Muslim groups, have undermined the security of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan. Institute for the Study of War/Reuters

The U.S. military has repeatedly clashed with ISIS militants in the region, and two U.S. soldiers were killed Wednesday battling the jihadists in the Achin District of Nangarhar in an anti-ISIS operation that also wounded one other U.S. service member, according to ABC News. Days earlier, Defense Secretary James Mattis visited Afghanistan Monday to offer strategic advice to local forces.

"We are under no illusions about the challenges associated with this mission," Mattis said, according to CNN, adding that "2017 is going to be another tough year for the valiant Afghan security forces and the international troops who have stood and who will continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Afghanistan against terrorism."

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US Army Will Send 1500 Troops To Afghanistan For Summer 2017 - Newsweek

What caused the current crisis in Afghanistan?

Since the international community withdrew numerous humanitarian and security operations in 2014, Afghanistan has struggled with a declining economy and dwindling security.

In October 2015, a massive earthquake destroyed thousands of homes, killed hundreds of people and displaced many more.

Violent conflict continues to disrupt the lives of millions who increasingly must fend for themselves. In addition, Afghanistan has had to cope an influx of 110,000 people fleeing fighting in neighboring Pakistan.

Despite many years of humanitarian aid, Afghanistans government has struggled to provide clean water, electricity, safe roads and education services for its people. As a result, nine million Afghans remain in need of food, medical care, and other lifesaving support.

Due to ongoing conflict and frequent natural disasters, more than 1 million Afghans remain displaced.

Women and children are frequently subjected to violence, abuse and forced labor. Most lack access to health care, education and legal services.

Our mission is to help people whose lives are shattered by conflict and disaster to recover and gain control of their futures.

The IRC began work in Afghanistan in 1988, launching relief programs for people displaced by the invasion of the Soviet Union. We continued to provide aid under Taliban rule and expanded our community development projects after the Taliban was ousted. We now work with thousands of villages across nine provinces, with Afghans making up more than 99%of IRC staff in the country.

As Afghanistan struggles to recover from ongoing conflict and natural disasters, the IRC:

As Afghanistan emerges from decades of neglect and modest gains, the IRCs experience and expertise are more valuable than ever. We pledge to put the needs of those most vulnerablewomen, children and the elderlyat the forefront of our efforts, and to achieve measurable improvements in education, health, decision-making power and economic well-being..

We will continue to support Afghans forced from their homes by crisis, expanding our reach to rural regions that have received little or no aid. Well also continue to partner with local communities to help them launch their own development projects.

Our work will focus on the following areas:

Education

The IRC will build on our extensive experience in community-based education by training teachers and supplying classrooms.

We will work to ensure that women and girls have equal access to literacy and numeracy training, as well as social-emotional and livelihoods skills training.

Health

The IRC will build safe and easily accessible water and sanitation facilities. We will also promote hygiene and prevention programs to curtail the onset of illness and spread of disease.

Power

The IRC will continue to foster governing systems that empower underrepresented voices. We will also educate communities about property and other rights.

We will provide women and girls with the skills they need to make the best decisions for their health, education, and livelihoods.

Economic wellbeing

In order to ensure all people have opportunities to earn an income, meet basic needs and eventually build assets, the IRC will provide skills-based training and apprenticeship programs for high-demand jobs.

As in all our efforts, the IRC will strive to reach more people more quickly, increase the effectiveness of our work, listen to the concerns of those affected by our work, and hold ourselves accountable for results.

Download the IRC Afghanistanstrategy action plan to learn more about our program priorities from through 2020.

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Afghanistan | International Rescue Committee (IRC)