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A28 WORLD NEWS
Monday 3 august 2020
Islamic State gunmen, suicide bomber attack Afghan prison

By RAHIM FAIEZ of war.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — That deal was struck to al-
The Islamic State group on low the U.S. to end its 19-
Sunday claimed responsi- year involvement in Af-
bility for a complex attack ghanistan, and calls on
by a suicide car bomber the Taliban to guarantee
and multiple gunmen its territory will not be used
against a prison in eastern by terrorist groups. The deal
Afghanistan, which Afghan is also expected to guar-
officials said killed at least antee the Taliban's all-out
three people and injured participation in the fight
24 others. against IS.
The hourslong gunbattle Still, a United Nations report
between Afghan secu- last week said Afghani-
rity forces and insurgents stan saw a 13% drop in the
in Jalalabad, the capital number of civilians killed
of Nangarhar province, and wounded in violence
was still ongoing Sunday across the country in the
evening, and casualties first six months of the year,
were likely to rise, accord- compared to the same pe-
ing to Attaullah Khogyani, riod last year.
spokesman for the provin- The report credited the
cial governor. A wounded man receives treatment at a hospital after a suicide car bomb and multiple gunmen drop in casualties in part to
Tariq Arian, spokesman for attack in the city of Jalalabad, east of Kabul, Afghanistan, Sunday, Aug. 2, 2020. the reduction of operations
the Interior Ministry, said at Associated Press by international forces —
least three people were which now only act when
killed, while Zahir Adil, the killed by Afghan special Adha. in Afghanistan, and that called upon and in support
spokesman for the provin- forces near Jalalabad. The Taliban had also de- while the group is in "territo- of the Afghan forces — and
cial Health Ministry, provid- The Taliban's political nied involvement in a sui- rial retreat" and its leader- also to a decrease in the
ed the figure of 24 wound- spokesman Suhail Shaheen cide bombing in the east- ship has been depleted, it number of attacks by IS.
ed. told The Associated Press, ern Logar province late "remains capable of carry- The report said the U.N.
The Islamic State affiliate "We have a cease-fire and Thursday, which killed at ing out high-profile attacks had recorded 17 attacks
in Afghanistan, known as are not involved in any of least nine people and in various parts of the coun- by IS that caused civilian
IS in Khorasan province, these attacks anywhere in wounded at least 40, au- try, including Kabul." casualties during the first
claimed responsibility for the country," but said he thorities said. Efforts to get peace talks six months of 2020, down
the attack. The IS affiliate is was not aware of the de- Afghanistan has seen a re- underway between the from 97 attacks in the same
headquartered in Nangar- tails of the Jalalabad at- cent spike in violence, with Taliban and the Kabul gov- period last year. Overall,
har province. tack. most attacks claimed by ernment have stalled after the U.N. said 1,282 people
Sunday's attack comes a The Taliban declared a the local IS affiliate. the Taliban and the U.S. were killed in violence in
day after the Afghan in- three-day cease-fire start- A United Nations report last signed a deal in February, the first six months of 2020
telligence agency said a ing Friday for the major month estimated there are seen as a blueprint to end- in Afghanistan and 2,176
senior IS commander was Muslim holiday of Eid al- around 2,200 IS members ing Afghanistan's decades were wounded.q

Ethiopians celebrate progress in building dam on Nile River

of the capital Addis Aba- and for all." Hashtags like with neighboring countries.
ba on Sunday afternoon, #ItsMyDam, #EthiopiaNile- Ethiopia says the dam will
waving Ethiopia's flag and Rights and #GERD are also provide electricity to mil-
holding up posters. People trending among Ethiopian lions of its nearly 110 mil-
in cars honked their horns, social media users. Ethiopi- lion citizens and help them
others whistled, played ans around the world con- out of poverty. The dam
loud music, and danced in tributed to the festivities should also make Ethiopia
public spaces to mark the on social media. Sunday's a major power exporter.
occasion. Similar events celebration, called "One Downstream Egypt, which
were held in other cities in voice for our dam," came depends on the Nile River
Ethiopia. Ethiopia's Deputy after Ethiopian officials an- to supply its farmers and
Prime Minister, Demeke nounced on July 22 that booming population of 100
Mekonnen, called on the the first stage of filling the million with fresh water, as-
public to rally behind the Grand Ethiopian Renais- serts that the dam poses it
dam and support the com- sance Dam's reservoir was an existential threat. Sudan,
Ethiopians celebrate the progress made on the Nile dam, in Ad- pletion of its construction. achieved due to heavy between the two countries,
dis Ababa, Ethiopia, Sunday Aug. 2, 2020. "Today is a date in which rains. Officials in the East Af- is also concerned about its
Associated Press we celebrate the begin- rican nation say they hope access to the Nile waters.
ning of the final chapter the $4.6 billion dam, fully Negotiators have said key
ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) filling. in our dam's construction," financed by Ethiopia itself, questions remain about
— Ethiopians in the capital In joyful demonstrations Demeke told scores of will reach full power gener- how much water Ethiopia
are celebrating progress urged by posts on social people who gathered at ating capacity in 2023. will release downstream if a
in the construction of the media and apparently en- a hall in the capital. "We With 74% of the construc- multi-year drought occurs
country's dam on the Nile dorsed by the government, want the construction to tion completed, the dam and how the countries will
River, which has caused re- tens of thousands of resi- complete soon and began has been contentious for resolve any future disputes.
gional controversy over its dents flooded the streets solving our problems once years and raised tensions q