Zabihullah Ghazi

IS, Taliban Fight Displaces 1,000s in Eastern Afghanistan

Provincial government officials are working to help displaced families

Dozens of Taliban Join Government Forces in E. Afghanistan

Dozens of Taliban insurgents have put down their arms in eastern Afghanistan and joined the Afghan government. Officials said these armed insurgents had fought the Afghan and international forces for more than a decade. Now on the government's side, they would be providing security to their local communities in Nangarhar province. VOA's Zabihullah Ghazi reports from the region.

Nangarhar Report: 700-plus Civilians Killed, Hurt in '18

Afghan officials say their operations in province have been cautiously planned and executed to avoid civilian casualties

Afghan Soldier Clinches Bomber to Save Others

Earlier this week a 23-year-old Afghan army soldier tried to thwart a suicide attack in eastern Nangarhar province by throwing himself at the bomber just before the attacker triggered a blast. The soldier, Mohammad Omar, spotted the bomber in a crowded market, clinched him and pushed him away from before the bomber detonated his explosives, killing Omar and three other people. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack. VOA’s Zabihullah Ghazi reports from Nangarhar.

Taliban-Afghan Selfies Get Mixed Reaction

Afghan Taliban fighters roamed around the cities across Afghanistan during the three-day armistice and celebrated the Eid festival with Afghan soldiers and civilians. During the feasts, Taliban insurgents and Afghan security forces were seen hugging and taking selfies, which reportedly angered some senior leaders of the group, but later was played down. Zabihullah Ghazi in Nangarhar, Afghanistan, and Mohammad Habibzada in Washington report.

11 Members of Same Family Killed, Wounded in Afghan Blast

An explosion of an artillery shell in Afghanistan's eastern Nangarhar province killed or wounded 11 members of one family, most of them children. The ordnance reportedly had been left behind unexploded after a fierce firefight between Afghan security forces and Taliban militants in the area. The family claims neither the Afghan government nor the international community has offered them any assistance. Zabihullah Ghazi reports.

Senior Taliban Commander Killed in Eastern Afghanistan

Provincial spokesperson for eastern Nangarhar province says Gul Mohammad Sangari was killed Thursday during a night raid by Afghan security forces

Poppy Harvest Season Underway in Eastern Afghanistan

Poppy harvest season is underway in Afghanistan, the world’s largest producer of opium. Farmers in eastern Nangarhar province say they do not have any other options but to cultivate poppy to make a living. U.S. and Afghan forces continue to target drug-processing labs across Afghanistan in order to target Taliban financial streams. Zabihullah Ghazi reports.

Afghans Smell Profits in Orange Blossom Perfume

Afghanistan is set to exploit its unique agricultural climate by refining and exporting another kind of flower, orange blossoms! An Afghan investor found a way to extract the citrusy, floral bouquet from the delicate flowers to create perfumes. As VOA's Zabihullah Ghazi reports in Jalalabad, not only is the perfume diversifying the country's agricultural output, it's also providing employment opportunities. Shaista Sadat Lami narrates.

Mission of Afghan Mine Removal Expert, and Struggles of 12-Year-Old Bomb Survivor

A group that monitors landmines says more than 25,000 people have been killed or injured in landmine accidents in Afghanistan since 1978. An Afghan expert on unexploded ordinances told VOA he has made it his life's mission to defuse the devices before they maim and kill. But as VOA's Azizullah Popal and Zabihullah Ghazi found in this report from Afghanistan, Seraj Ahmad Afghanmal can't save everyone from the terrible consequences of a landmine explosion. Shaista Sadat Lami narrates their story.

12-Year-Old Afghan Girl Loses Both Legs to Land Mine

Improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and land mines kill and injure thousands of Afghans every year in Afghanistan. One of its victims is 12-year-old Noorzya, a resident of eastern Nangarhar province, who stepped on an IED and lost her legs. It has not been determined who planted the mine that exploded on Noorzya, but Islamic State and Taliban militants were active in the area where Noorzya sustained her injuries. VOA’s Zabihullah Ghazi spoke with Noorzya about how her experience.

Young Afghan Girl Has Lived in Prison All Her Life

Eleven years ago a little girl named Mina was born in an Afghan prison and to this day, she has never seen the outside world. The child, who lives with her mother in the Nangarhar Prison in the city of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, is curious to see what life is like outside the prison's four walls. VOA reporter Zabihullah Ghazi talked to the girl and her mother at the Nangarhar Prison.

Afghan Civilians Bear Brunt of Taliban, IS Clashes in Eastern Nangarhar

Dozens of civilians have been killed and wounded, and hundreds of families displaced by fierce fighting between the Islamic State and Taliban in eastern Afghanistan in recent days

Afghanistan's Displaced Children Return to Destroyed Schools

Hundreds of children in Afghanistan who had fled their homes after Islamic State attacked their villages have returned to ruined and abandoned schools in eastern Nangarhar's Achin district. VOA's Zabihullah Ghazi reports from the former IS hideout.

Islamic State Seeks Foothold in Eastern Afghan Provinces

After defeats in Nangarhar province, extremist fighters have been moving into mountainous areaas of three neighboring provinces near the border with Pakistan

US Drone Strike Reportedly Killed 4 Key IS Commanders

Drone strike - which has not been immediately confirmed by Pentagon - targeted gathering of IS militants in eastern Kunar province, killing 11 fighters, including four commanders

Many Families Flee IS in Eastern Afghanistan

Many Afghan Families Flee IS

About 25,000 families in eastern Nangarhar province fled their homes as Afghan and U.S. forces launched operations against Islamic State. Many Families left the area when they were warned before the U.S. dropped a massive bomb on IS. Zabihullah Ghazi reports from Nangarhar.

US, Afghan Forces Attack IS Stronghold in Eastern Afghanistan

Islamic State fighters reportedly cleared from much of the remote Achin region

Closed Pakistan-Afghan Border Causes Pain, Trade Losses

Travelers, traders have been stuck for nearly two weeks on both sides of crossings at Torkham, Ghulam Khan and Chaman; Pakistan cites effort to force Afghanistan to act against extremist groups