Trump Considers Firing Commerce Secretary Lutnick; Intense Armed Conflict Breaks Out Again in Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Region
According to informed U.S. officials, President Donald Trump is dissatisfied with the performance of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and is considering firing him.
Previously, The Atlantic cited sources reporting that, following the dismissal of Attorney General Pam Bondi, several senior officials—including FBI Director Kash Patel, Army Secretary Dan Coughlin, and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer—may also leave Trump’s administration.
Politico, citing informed officials, reported: "President Donald Trump has expressed disappointment and dissatisfaction with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Labor Secretary Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and is considering further adjustments to his cabinet."
According to the official, this potential cabinet reshuffle would primarily target cabinet members whom Trump views as underperforming or receiving excessive negative media attention. The publication noted that final decisions regarding Lutnick and Chavez-DeRemer have not yet been made. Politico emphasized that Trump had previously considered dismissing some individuals but ultimately abandoned those plans.
Earlier this week, President Donald Trump dismissed Pam Bondi from her role as Attorney General, stating she would move to the private sector. This marks the second cabinet-level dismissal during Trump’s second term; previously, he had reassigned former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
+
According to the Telegram channel "Seda-ye Afghan," Afghan and Pakistani forces clashed fiercely along the Durand Line—the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan that Kabul does not recognize—on the evening of April 2, with military operations continuing into the morning of April 3.
The report stated: "Forces of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan launched attacks on Pakistani positions along the Durand Line from Khost and Paktia provinces in response to artillery fire by the Pakistani military."
According to the Telegram channel, at least three Pakistani soldiers were killed, and several outposts were destroyed.
Abdul Hamidullah Fitrat, deputy spokesperson for Afghanistan’s supreme leader, said that on the evening of April 2, the Pakistani military launched intense mortar and rocket attacks on Afghanistan’s Kunar, Paktika, and Khost provinces. The Pakistani military also conducted drone strikes against civilian facilities in Afghanistan.
Alemarah, an Afghan news website, quoted Fitrat as saying: "The attacks resulted in two civilian deaths and 25 injuries, most of them children."
He explained that 155 mortar and long-range artillery shells exploded in residential areas of two districts in Kunar Province, injuring two children and destroying a car. Dozens of additional shells detonated in two other residential areas, resulting in eight children injured and two fatalities. Drone strikes in Paktika Province injured three civilians.
Fitrat elaborated: "In the evening of April 2, the Pakistani military regime fired 185 long-range artillery shells at a district in Kunar Province, injuring ten civilians. Another 178 shells exploded across four districts in Kunar Province, although no casualties have been reported from these areas so far."
He also noted that a drone strike in the Zadimeidan area of Jandugara in Khost Province injured two civilians.
As tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan escalate once again, high-level delegations from both countries are holding new rounds of negotiations in Urumqi, China, aimed at peacefully resolving their border situation. As of now, there has been no announcement of any breakthrough in the talks.
Source: sputniknews
Original article: toutiao.com/article/1861434706024460/
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are solely those of the author.