Afghanistan's Upper House Approves Security Agreements with the US and NATO

On Thursday, December 6, Afghanistan's Upper House approved security agreements between the country and the United States and NATO, under which 12,500 foreign troops will remain in Afghanistan next year. These agreements had previously been approved by Afghanistan's Lower House on Sunday of the same week. Both agreements were a point of severe disagreement between former President Hamid Karzai and the US. However, Ashraf Ghani, who has recently assumed the presidency of Afghanistan, decided to sign these agreements. According to a report from France Press, Jens Stoltenberg, NATO's Secretary General, welcomed the approval of these agreements. He stated that a legal framework is now in place for NATO to carry out its mission in Afghanistan, which includes military training and advising, starting January 1. On the same day, Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, witnessed attacks and armed clashes, the latest being the explosion of a bomb-laden vehicle in a diplomatic area and a confrontation between a group of attackers and security forces. Reuters reported, citing an Afghan army official, that the target of this explosion was a foreign guesthouse in the Wazir Akbar Khan area of Kabul, where many embassies and foreign organizations are located. According to the commander of the 111th Brigade in Kabul, the attackers, numbering two or three, entered the area, and since Afghan forces were also present, both sides exchanged gunfire. The Afghanistan section of Radio Free Europe, Radio Liberty, also confirmed through a security source that the target of this explosion was a guesthouse in the Wazir Akbar Khan area. The report states that the number of casualties from this explosion and the subsequent gunfire is still unclear, and the area remains under siege by security forces. Radio Liberty also noted that Taliban militants claimed responsibility for this incident. On Thursday morning, Kabul also witnessed an attack on one of the vehicles of the British embassy, which resulted in the deaths of five people, including a British citizen. The Taliban also claimed responsibility for this attack. In this context, the Pentagon accused Iran and Pakistan of creating insecurity in Afghanistan. Obama ordered the extension of US military operations in Afghanistan. A suicide attack at a volleyball match in Afghanistan left 50 dead. Seven suspects were arrested in connection with the deaths of three police officers in Zhaq.