• Afghan soldiers unload supplies from an Afghan Air Force Black Hawk helicopter at the Kajaki Dam in Kajaki, Helmand Province. Afghan legislators have voiced concerns about the ability of the military to withstand a Taliban offensive.
    Afghan soldiers unload supplies from an Afghan Air Force Black Hawk helicopter at the Kajaki Dam in Kajaki, Helmand Province. Afghan legislators have voiced concerns about the ability of the military to withstand a Taliban offensive.
  • Afghan Army special forces personnel graduate after a three-month training programme at the Kabul Military Training Centre. The Afghan military is under increased pressure as US forces are withdrawing after almost 20 years.
    Afghan Army special forces personnel graduate after a three-month training programme at the Kabul Military Training Centre. The Afghan military is under increased pressure as US forces are withdrawing after almost 20 years.
  • A graduation ceremony for Afghan Army special forces commandos at the Kabul Military Training Centre. The Afghan military is consolidating forces around cities, border crossings and vital infrastructure.
    A graduation ceremony for Afghan Army special forces commandos at the Kabul Military Training Centre. The Afghan military is consolidating forces around cities, border crossings and vital infrastructure.
  • This strategy reflects an attempt to hold provincial capitals in the face of a resurgent Taliban.
    This strategy reflects an attempt to hold provincial capitals in the face of a resurgent Taliban.
  • A member of Afghan security forces at a checkpoint in Kandahar. All US forces are due to have left Afghanistan by August 31.
    A member of Afghan security forces at a checkpoint in Kandahar. All US forces are due to have left Afghanistan by August 31.

Fighting rages for key Afghan cities as Taliban blamed for attack on UN


  • English
  • Arabic

An Afghan police guard was killed on Friday when a UN compound in the western city of Herat was attacked, officials said, as fighting raged between government forces and the Taliban.

Violence has surged across Afghanistan since May, when the Taliban launched an offensive and US-led foreign forces began their withdrawal.

The militants seized dozens of districts. In Herat province, they have captured two border crossings into Iran and Turkmenistan.

Unconfirmed local reports say the Afghan army has been supported by US air strikes around Herat, although the fledgling Afghan air force is known to be active over the battlefield and the US issued no statement about whether it was involved in the battle.

On Friday, the fighting in Herat city forced dozens of families to flee, residents said, as the insurgents advanced.

The UN's main compound was hit by rocket-propelled grenades and gunfire, a statement issued by the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (Unama) said.

"This attack is deplorable and we condemn it in the strongest terms," said Deborah Lyons, the UN Secretary General's special representative for Afghanistan.

"The perpetrators of this attack must be identified and brought to account."

Unama said the attack was carried out by "anti-government elements".

But it said the area was the scene of heavy fighting between the Taliban and government forces.

The US said it "strongly condemned" the attack.

An Afghani soldier stands guard outside the UN office in Herat, Afghanistan, 08 July 2020. EPA
An Afghani soldier stands guard outside the UN office in Herat, Afghanistan, 08 July 2020. EPA

"The United Nations in Afghanistan is a civilian entity focused on supporting peace efforts, promoting the rights of all Afghans and providing humanitarian and development assistance," said National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, urging the Afghan government and Taliban to resume peace talks.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres repeated the UN's "commitment to support the government and people of Afghanistan in their efforts to achieve peace and stability".

Concern for diplomatic missions

The Taliban said they would not single out foreign diplomats, but they have breached international protocol.

When the hardliners seized control of Kabul in 1996, they entered the UN compound and abducted the country's former leader, Najibullah Ahmadzai, who was tortured and murdered.

Two years later, after they established control over much of Afghanistan, Taliban fighters entered the Iranian consulate grounds in Mazar-i-Sharif and killed 10 diplomats and a journalist with the state news agency.

The EU delegation to Kabul blamed the Taliban for the attack on the UN compound in Herat.

"The Taliban have to account for the crime which will be considered an attack against all of us. It is contrary to all assurances given," ambassador Andreas Von Brandt, head of the EU delegation, wrote on Twitter.

For two days, the insurgents and government forces have clashed on the outskirts of Herat, Afghanistan's third-largest city, with 600,000 inhabitants.

AFP reported that the Taliban and Afghan forces were also fighting on the road leading to the city airport on Friday, while residents reported clashes in the districts of Injil and Guzara.

"People there are terrified," said Abdul Ansari, who fled to the city from Guzara.

"The fighting is heavy but they have not captured the district of Guzara so far," said Mohammad Allahyar, who also sought shelter in Herat.

Afghan forces and militiamen of veteran warlord and anti-Taliban commander Ismail Khan were reported around the city in recent days.

Mr Khan, who fought the Soviet occupation forces in the 1980s and the Taliban in the 1990s, has vowed to fight the insurgents again.

Fighting has also raged in the southern provinces of Helmand and Kandahar since Thursday.

In Helmand, the Taliban attacked the provincial capital of Lashkar Gah from several directions on Thursday, police officer Daud Shah said.

He said the insurgents fired on police checkpoints but were repelled by strikes carried out by the Afghan Air Force.

At least 33 people were wounded in fighting in the past 24 hours across Kandahar province, hospital authorities said.

In a tweet, Unama expressed concerns around "escalating violence" in and around Kandahar city, and said there were "credible reports of civilians killed".

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Ian Rush 346
Roger Hunt 285
Mohamed Salah 250
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Saturday's results

Women's third round

  • 14-Garbine Muguruza Blanco (Spain) beat Sorana Cirstea (Romania) 6-2, 6-2
  • Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
  • 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4. 6-0
  • Coco Vandeweghe (USA) beat Alison Riske (USA) 6-2, 6-4
  •  9-Agnieszka Radwanska (Poland) beat 19-Timea Bacsinszky (Switzerland) 3-6, 6-4, 6-1
  • Petra Martic (Croatia) beat Zarina Diyas (Kazakhstan) 7-6, 6-1
  • Magdalena Rybarikova (Slovakia) beat Lesia Tsurenko (Ukraine) 6-2, 6-1
  • 7-Svetlana Kuznetsova (Russia) beat Polona Hercog (Slovenia) 6-4, 6-0

Men's third round

  • 13-Grigor Dimitrov (Bulgaria) beat Dudi Sela (Israel) 6-1, 6-1 -- retired
  • Sam Queery (United States) beat Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (France) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 7-5
  • 6-Milos Raonic (Canada) beat 25-Albert Ramos (Spain) 7-6, 6-4, 7-5
  • 10-Alexander Zverev (Germany) beat Sebastian Ofner (Austria) 6-4, 6-4, 6-2
  • 11-Tomas Berdych (Czech Republic) beat David Ferrer (Spain) 6-3, 6-4, 6-3
  • Adrian Mannarino (France) beat 15-Gael Monfils (France) 7-6, 4-6, 5-7, 6-3, 6-2
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Best part of life in the UAE: The weather. The constant sunshine is amazing and there is always something to do, you have so many options when it comes to how to spend your day.

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Company info

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Co-founders: Vidyuth Srinivasan, co-founder/chief executive, Ashlesh Sharma, co-founder/chief technology officer, Lakshmi Subramanian, co-founder/chief scientist

Based: New York, New York

Sector/About: Entrupy is a hardware-enabled SaaS company whose mission is to protect businesses, borders and consumers from transactions involving counterfeit goods.  

Initial investment/Investors: Entrupy secured a $2.6m Series A funding round in 2017. The round was led by Tokyo-based Digital Garage and Daiwa Securities Group's jointly established venture arm, DG Lab Fund I Investment Limited Partnership, along with Zach Coelius. 

Total customers: Entrupy’s customers include hundreds of secondary resellers, marketplaces and other retail organisations around the world. They are also testing with shipping companies as well as customs agencies to stop fake items from reaching the market in the first place. 

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
Updated: August 01, 2021, 3:55 AM