Afghanistan

(Reuters) --- A magnitude 4.6 earthquake shook Afghanistan on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, with tremors felt in the capital Kabul.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The earthquake hit at a depth of 17.6 km (11 miles) and its epicentre was in eastern Afghanistan.

KABUL, May 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to bring home all U.S. troops from Afghanistan by Sept. 11, as an attempt to irresponsibly pull the United States out of the quagmire of war, will create a security black hole and aggravate the already heavy scourge suffered by the country.

The abrupt announcement by the United States of a complete troop exit has deteriorated the security situation in the conflict-battered country, causing mounting militant attacks and ensuing civilian casualties.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — He served as an interpreter alongside U.S. soldiers on hundreds of patrols and dozens of firefights in eastern Afghanistan, earning a glowing letter of recommendation from an American platoon commander and a medal of commendation.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A three-day cease-fire marked by violent attacks — most claimed by the Islamic State group — ended Sunday in Afghanistan amid calls for renewed peace talks between the government and Taliban.

Taliban political spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the negotiating teams of the government and the Islamic Emirate, as the Taliban refer to their ousted regime, met briefly Saturday in the Middle Eastern State of Qatar. They renewed their commitment to finding a peaceful end to the war and called for an early start to talks that have been stalled, he said.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A bomb ripped through a mosque in northern Kabul during Friday prayers killing 12 worshippers, Afghan police said.

Spokesman Ferdaws Faramarz said the mosque’s imam, Mofti Naiman, was among the dead. Another 15 people were wounded.

The bomb exploded as prayers had begun. No one claimed responsibility for the bombing, but initial police investigations suggest the Imam may have been the target, Faramarz said.

An image circulating on social media showed three bodies lying on the floor of the mosque, which showed minor damage.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban Monday announced a three-day cease-fire for the Eid-al-Fitr holiday this week marking the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.

The cease-fire would begin on either Wednesday or Thursday. The Muslim calendar follows lunar cycles and the Eid holiday depends on the sighting of the new moon.

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) — The twisted remains of several all-terrain vehicles leaned precariously inside Baba Mir’s sprawling scrapyard, alongside smashed shards that were once generators, tank tracks that have been dismantled into chunks of metal, and mountains of tents reduced to sliced up fabric.

It’s all U.S. military equipment. The Americans are dismantling their portion of nearby Bagram Air Base, their largest remaining outpost in Afghanistan, and anything that they are not taking home or giving to the Afghan military, they destroy as completely as possible.

(Reuters) --- The Afghan foreign minister and prosecutors from the International Criminal Court have met in The Hague to discuss the ICC's war crimes investigation in Afghanistan, both sides said in a joint statement on Sunday.

The ICC is investigating alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Afghanistan since 2003 by all sides in the conflict, including by government forces, the Taliban, other armed groups, and U.S.-led forces.

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The death toll in a horrific bombing at a girls’ school in the Afghan capital has soared to 50, many of them pupils between 11 and 15 years old, the Interior Ministry said Sunday.

The number of wounded in Saturday’s attack has also climbed to more than 100, said Interior Ministry spokesman Tariq Arian.

Three explosions outside the school entrance struck as students were leaving for the day, he said. The blasts occurred in a mostly Shiite neighborhood in the west of the capital. The Taliban denied responsibility, condemning the attack.

HERAT, Afghanistan, May 4 (Xinhua) -- At least 12 people were killed as heavy rains and flash floods hit parts of Afghanistan's western province of Herat, the local government said on Tuesday.

"Flash floods engulfed vast areas in Adraskan district and neighboring districts in Herat province on Monday," it said in a statement.

Among the dead were one woman and four children, according to a local government source.