Taliban Usurps 285 Houses & 12 Schools in Panjshir Province

Two significant explosions were reported around 1:30am on Wednesday in the Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari and Fars provinces.

The blasts occurred at Halvaei Pass in Borujen, Chaharmahal and Bakhtiari province, and Tang-e Ghaderabad in Khorrambid, located in Safashahr, Fars province.

No other details about the Salafi group's identity have been disclosed by Iran International.

Media reports and official statements in Iran highlight that the explosions led to the disruption of gas supply to dozens of villages, with gas distribution to state offices and industries being limited in both provinces.

Information obtained by Iran International suggests that the gas transmission line explosions were a result of deliberate sabotage.

Following the incidents, a notice from the Isfahan Gas Company informed Isfahan residents of an imminent nationwide gas outage, with an unspecified restoration time. The notice also recommended that people should stock up on food, water, and heating supplies.

Subsequently, a clarification message discredited the initial notice, reassuring residents that the gas supply and distribution faced no specific issues.

The CEO of the Isfahan Gas Company later declared the circulated outage notice to be a forgery during an interview.

Sa’id Agheli, director of Iran's Gas Network Operation Centre, characterised the explosions as "terrorist sabotage acts”.

As reported by Fars News Agency, the targeted pipeline is a critical conduit for natural gas from the Persian Gulf refineries to major cities like Tehran, Isfahan, and Mashhad.

The aftermath of the explosions included prolonged road closures near the sites and caused residents of adjacent villages to spend hours outdoors in fear.

The blasts were so powerful that the sound and the flames could be observed up to a 60-kilometre radius, leaving dozens of villages without gas supply.

He said that he will protest against the election results.

During a press conference in Islamabad on Wednesday, Fazal-ur-Rehman said that the defeat of his party was a result of fraud ordered by "international anti-Islamic powers".

He accused the United States and Israel of opposing his efforts to improve relations between the Taliban and Pakistan and preventing his victory.

Rehman said, "Our crime is that we played a role in the stability of the Islamic Emirate in Afghanistan and worked for peaceful relations between Pakistan and Afghanistan. Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam has supported the position of Hamas against Israel's state terrorism."

At the same time, in an interview with "Hum News" news channel, he also accused the Pakistan Army of interfering in the elections.

He declared his refusal to accept the election results, announcing a demonstration against the outcome in response to his party, Jamiat Ulama, securing only four seats in the elections.

Rehman, who was a candidate for the National Assembly from Dera Ismail Khan constituency, lost to Ali Amin Gandapur, an independent candidate affiliated with the Tehreek-e-Insaf party.

During his press conference, Rehman also said that bribes were taken from both successful and unsuccessful candidates during the February 8 elections.

Andrei Serdyukov, Chief of CSTO Joint Staff, added that the training camps of these groups have expanded in northern Afghanistan.

The Russian news agency, TASS, reported that Serdyukov made these remarks during a press conference on Wednesday.

"The main threat to the stability in Central Asia comes from international terrorist and extremist organisations, namely the Islamic State and Al-Qaeda and others," Serdyukov said.

He also added that in particular, an increase in the number of fighters of ISIS and TTP has been recorded near the southern border of Tajikistan.

According to him, the increase in the flow of immigration due to the suppression of ethnic and religious minorities along with the economic crisis in Afghanistan may contribute to the deterioration of the situation.

This CSTO official also stated that uncontrolled drug trafficking and illegal distribution of weapons had a negative impact on the crime situation in the region.

Recently, the United Nations Security Council had published a report which stated that the Taliban's relationship with Al-Qaeda is still close. It stated that Al-Qaeda has established four bases in Ghazni, Laghman, Parwan and Uruzgan provinces.

This report was denied by the Taliban.

The Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) is a military alliance comprising six member countries: Russia, Tajikistan, Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Kyrgyzstan. It was established in 1992, following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

Hassan Kazemi Qomi, while not providing specifics about these conditions, highlighted that dialogue with the Taliban could facilitate the achievement of peace in Afghanistan.

He noted on the social media platform X on Wednesday, "Should the approach of the regional contact group be embraced by others and engagement with the Taliban pursued, we anticipate encountering a stable Afghanistan."

Kazemi Qomi underlined the importance of determining the seriousness with which the objectives of the Doha meeting are regarded. He articulated that the conference offers an excellent chance to establish a just route for interactions with the Taliban.

The Taliban had previously expressed opposition to the appointment of the UN's new representative for Afghanistan, advocating for a "meaningful" role in the Doha discussions. They have indicated that their decision to participate will depend on further clarifications about the meeting provided by the UN, which is organising the event.

The Taliban had sought his extradition from the Iranian authorities to bring him back to Afghanistan.

Mohammadi shared in his communication that he is expected to reach his residence in Germany by Wednesday. He showed appreciation for the support from the public and the media's attention to his travel restrictions. However, Mohammadi noted his current unpreparedness for extensive dialogue owing to the prevailing conditions.

Previously, Mohammadi disclosed to Afghanistan International that he was under a travel ban by the Iranian government, which had twice thwarted his attempts to depart for Germany.

Residing in Germany, Mohammadi explained that his business endeavours were the reason behind his visit to Iran.