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.
"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".
Sole survivors
- Cecelia Crocker was on board Northwest Airlines Flight 255 in 1987 when it crashed in Detroit, killing 154 people, including her parents and brother. The plane had hit a light pole on take off
- George Lamson Jr, from Minnesota, was on a Galaxy Airlines flight that crashed in Reno in 1985, killing 68 people. His entire seat was launched out of the plane
- Bahia Bakari, then 12, survived when a Yemenia Airways flight crashed near the Comoros in 2009, killing 152. She was found clinging to wreckage after floating in the ocean for 13 hours.
- Jim Polehinke was the co-pilot and sole survivor of a 2006 Comair flight that crashed in Lexington, Kentucky, killing 49.
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Recipe
Garlicky shrimp in olive oil
Gambas Al Ajillo
Preparation time: 5 to 10 minutes
Cooking time: 5 minutes
Serves 4
Ingredients
180ml extra virgin olive oil; 4 to 5 large cloves of garlic, minced or pureed (or 3 to 4 garlic scapes, roughly chopped); 1 or 2 small hot red chillies, dried (or ¼ teaspoon dried red chilli flakes); 400g raw prawns, deveined, heads removed and tails left intact; a generous splash of sweet chilli vinegar; sea salt flakes for seasoning; a small handful of fresh flat-leaf parsley, roughly chopped
Method
▶ Heat the oil in a terracotta dish or frying pan. Once the oil is sizzling hot, add the garlic and chilli, stirring continuously for about 10 seconds until golden and aromatic.
▶ Add a splash of sweet chilli vinegar and as it vigorously simmers, releasing perfumed aromas, add the prawns and cook, stirring a few times.
▶ Once the prawns turn pink, after 1 or 2 minutes of cooking, remove from the heat and season with sea salt flakes.
▶ Once the prawns are cool enough to eat, scatter with parsley and serve with small forks or toothpicks as the perfect sharing starter. Finish off with crusty bread to soak up all that flavour-infused olive oil.
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Dirham Stretcher tips for having a baby in the UAE
Selma Abdelhamid, the group's moderator, offers her guide to guide the cost of having a young family:
• Buy second hand stuff
They grow so fast. Don't get a second hand car seat though, unless you 100 per cent know it's not expired and hasn't been in an accident.
• Get a health card and vaccinate your child for free at government health centres
Ms Ma says she discovered this after spending thousands on vaccinations at private clinics.
• Join mum and baby coffee mornings provided by clinics, babysitting companies or nurseries.
Before joining baby classes ask for a free trial session. This way you will know if it's for you or not. You'll be surprised how great some classes are and how bad others are.
• Once baby is ready for solids, cook at home
Take the food with you in reusable pouches or jars. You'll save a fortune and you'll know exactly what you're feeding your child.
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This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
TRAP
Starring: Josh Hartnett, Saleka Shyamalan, Ariel Donaghue
Director: M Night Shyamalan
Rating: 3/5
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The biog
Favourite films: Casablanca and Lawrence of Arabia
Favourite books: Start with Why by Simon Sinek and Good to be Great by Jim Collins
Favourite dish: Grilled fish
Inspiration: Sheikh Zayed's visionary leadership taught me to embrace new challenges.
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Paris%20Agreement
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Western Region Asia Cup Qualifier
Results
UAE beat Saudi Arabia by 12 runs
Kuwait beat Iran by eight wickets
Oman beat Maldives by 10 wickets
Bahrain beat Qatar by six wickets
Semi-finals
UAE v Qatar
Bahrain v Kuwait
FIGHT CARD
Fights start from 6pm Friday, January 31
Catchweight 82kg
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Women’s bantamweight
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Catchweight 80kg
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Lightweight
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Lightweight
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Featherweight
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