Afghanistan Freedom Front Claims Killing 4 & Injuring 7 Taliban Members in Parwan

The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior stated that these individuals had been imprisoned at Guantanamo for 14 years.

Abdul Matin Qane, a spokesperson for the Taliban Ministry of Interior, announced on Sunday that these two individuals had also been "under surveillance" in Oman for seven years.

Prisoner Identities

According to the spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, Mullah Abdul Ghafar Saber is from Logar province. He was arrested by American soldiers in May 2002 and transferred from Bagram to Guantanamo four months later.

It has been reported that Saber was transferred from Guantanamo to Oman in January 2017 and was under surveillance in this country without travel permission for seven years.

Qane stated that the return of these two individuals was the result of the Taliban's efforts.

According to information released by the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, the second individual, Abdul Karim, is a native of the Tanai district in Khost province. This Taliban member had been arrested by Pakistani security forces in August 2002 and handed over to the Americans after several months.

Abdul Karim was transferred to Guantanamo prison in early 2003 and, after 14 years, was released from this prison and transferred to Oman. Abdul Karim, too, has been "under surveillance" in Oman without travel permission for the past seven years.

Following the international coalition's attack on Afghanistan led by the USA in October 2001, many Taliban members were arrested and transferred to Guantanamo prison.

Since the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban have consistently released news about the release of their members from American prisons.

The group previously announced the release of Bashar Noorzai, a major drug trafficker and a figure close to the Taliban leadership, from a prison in the USA.

Earlier, Asadullah Haroon, a Taliban member, was also released from Guantanamo prison after 15 years.

The Iranian Labour News Agency (ILNA) quoted Shuja, as stating that these individuals lacked a valid residence permit.

In a report on Saturday, ILNA wrote that these immigrants were deported through the Dogharoun border and handed over to the Taliban representative.

The border guard commander of Khorasan Razavi province emphasised that Afghans are required to enter Iran through official and legal entry points. Otherwise, decisive measures will be taken against those who attempt unauthorised entry.

Aiki said that there are challenges that not only Tajikistan, but most of the countries are facing.

He added that Japan and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) are collectively working on the successful implementation of various projects in Tajikistan, including the "border management" project, with support from the government of Tajikistan.

According to the Japanese diplomat, the objective of this project extends beyond fortifying the secure and open borders between Tajikistan and Afghanistan; it also emphasises on promoting cross-border trade.

According to the UNDP, the "Border Management" project was initiated in 2015, and the third phase commenced in 2023, with an extension planned until 2025.

UNDP added that the training programmes for border guards and customs officers of Tajikistan have proven to be instrumental.

UNDP said that it aims to expand national capacities in preventing extremism in Central Asia with financial support from the Japanese government.

Kabulov said that he will guide his partners towards appropriate behaviour during this meeting.

The second Doha meeting for Afghanistan, hosted by Antonio Guterres, the Secretary General of the United Nations, is scheduled to be held on February 18 and 19.

During a press conference on Wednesday, Stéphane Dujarric, the spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, stated that the objective of the Doha meeting is to consolidate the approaches of various countries towards Afghanistan and to carry out independent assessments of the situation in the country.

The first Doha meeting by the United Nations on Afghanistan, hosted by Antonio Guterres, took place on May 1 and 2, 2023. Representatives of key stakeholders, including the United States, the European Union, Russia, and Afghanistan's neighbouring countries, participated in the meeting.

This human rights organisation once again demanded the immediate and unconditional release of Seddiqi.

Taliban detained Seddiqi on October 9, 2023 and transferred her to Pul-e-Charkhi prison in Kabul on December 5, 2023.

As per Amnesty International’s findings, she has not been charged with any offence and has been denied the right to access a lawyer or regular family visits. This organisation expressed deep concern about the risk of torture and mistreatment of Seddiqi in Taliban detention.

Since the takeover of power in August 2021, Taliban imposed severe restrictions on girls and women and have deprived them from their right to education, work, freedom of movement and social activities.

In reaction to the imposed restrictions, activists advocating for women's rights expressed their dissent through both street and indoor protests.

The Taliban, however, responded to these demonstrations with physical violence and intimidation, leading to the arrest of numerous protesting women.

Human rights organisations, based on their investigations, have reported that many women and girls are currently in Taliban custody. However, their identities remain undisclosed due to fear of the Taliban within their families.