ISIS Claims Responsibility For Kabul Attack

Concurrently, a video received by Afghanistan International shows armed individuals breaching the border fence from Afghanistan into Waziristan.

According to reports, these militants, associated with Hafiz Gul Bahadur, a commander within the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), made their way into Waziristan by cutting through the border fence after Eid al-Fitr celebrations. Sources relayed to Afghanistan International that the group included both Pakistani Taliban fighters and some Afghans.

To date, the Taliban have not issued any statements regarding this incident. Meanwhile, senior Pakistani officials have repeatedly expressed concerns that Hafiz Gul Bahadur and other TTP militants in Afghanistan are operating under the protection of the Taliban, alleging that they have safe havens within the country.

Despite these claims, the Taliban have denied such accusations, asserting that Islamabad is shifting the blame for its own security failures onto the Taliban.

This past Wednesday, similar drone sightings were reported by other residents of Parwan. While no nation has officially recognised these drones as their own, the Taliban have consistently accused the United States of infringing on Afghanistan's airspace.

In related developments, individuals from Badakhshan, Panjshir, Kunar, and Laghman provinces have reported seeing drones in their skies to Afghanistan International.

Additionally, in Kandahar, there have been multiple observations of drones. Notably, on April 3, sources noted that unmanned aircraft loitered for several hours above the office of Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban leader, in Kandahar. These drone patrols reportedly unsettled the Taliban, prompting them to relocate their leader.

Top Taliban officials, including the Minister of Defence and the Army Chief, have reiterated claims that Afghanistan's airspace remains under "occupation" by the United States.

The train, loaded with 110 metric tonnes of mineral ore, was stopped at Rozanak railway station in Iran and was not allowed to proceed.

Neither Taliban officials nor the Islamic Republic of Iran have officially commented on the incident.

ILNA's report on Sunday highlighted the ambiguity surrounding Iran's decision to stop the train. Miad Salehi, CEO of Iran's Railway Company, stated that enhancing rail transit remains a priority. However, he noted that, for unspecified reasons, the first transit train and its official passage through the Khaf-Herat railway were halted at Rozanak station, and no locomotive was provided for the train's continuation.

An informed source suggested to ILNA that "financial issues" might be the reason for denying the train's passage.

Recently, the Taliban's railway authority announced the first-ever export of 1,100 metric tonnes of mineral ore to Mersin, Turkey, via rail. The shipment included talc, as specified by the authority.

The Taliban also noted that Afghanistan currently has railway connections to Iran and Turkmenistan, facilitating the daily export and import of hundreds of tonnes of commercial goods.

Zadran reported that the incident was triggered by an IED explosion in a passenger vehicle. He told the media that the explosion occurred in the Kote Sangi area, within police district 3 of Kabul, and that the magnetic bomb had been planted in a passenger vehicle.

Residents of Western Kabul had earlier reported a significant explosion in the area. Eyewitnesses shared videos on social media showing that Taliban members assaulted individuals who were filming the incident.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the incident. Additional sources reported that at least three people might have been killed in the explosion. The Taliban police spokesperson stated that the vehicle's driver died, and three civilians were injured. He noted that Taliban members were present at the site and an investigation into the explosion is ongoing.

Previously, residents of West Kabul told Afghanistan International that an explosion occurred around 7 PM local time near the Gulayee Dawakhana area.

In their statement, the TTP said that the ISI "eliminates scholars and clerics to please their Western masters”.

Expressing sorrow, the TTP referred to the killing of Mohammad Omarjan Akhundzada as "extremely saddening news" and extended condolences to his family.

According to the Pakistan’s Balochistan State Police, Mohammad Omarjan Akhundzada possessed a Pakistani identity card.

Following the assassination of Omarjan Akhundzada, an advisor to Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of the Taliban, BBC Urdu, citing the Quetta city police in Pakistan, reported that he held a Pakistani identity card.

Quetta police confirmed that Akhundzada was a long-serving Imam at a local mosque and resided at his own house in the city, highlighting that non-citizens typically cannot own property in Pakistan.

The police authorities told BBC Urdu that investigations into the perpetrators and motives behind the murder of this cleric are ongoing.

A police official said that Akhundzada was shot and killed by unidentified armed individuals on Thursday night.

For 15 years, Akhundzada served as the imam of a mosque in Quetta's Kali area, according to police records.

Taliban’s spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement on the social media platform X, expressing condolences over Akhundzada's death, on Friday.

However, Taliban spokespersons and officials have not provided details on the exact circumstances or identities of those involved in Akhundzada's killing.

When BBC Urdu inquired about Akhundzada's connections to the Afghan Taliban, Abdul Hai Baluch, a spokesperson for Quetta police, claimed ignorance on the subject.

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the assassination of this Taliban figure.

Who was Mohammad Omarjan?

Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), under Taliban control described Akhundzada as a member of the Taliban’s Supervisory Commission and a teacher at a jihadist school in Kandahar, although sources reported to Afghanistan International that he was a trusted advisor to the Taliban leader.

He had been a senior member of the Quetta Shura and was involved in establishing religious schools in Pakistan.

After the Taliban regained control of Afghanistan in August 2021, they transformed the Kandahar Mechanical Institute into a jihadist school, placing Mullah Mohammad Omar Akhundzada in charge. This school is located next to the Mandigak Palace, reportedly used by the Taliban leader as his office.

Sources noted that Hibatullah Akhundzada typically started his meetings with recitations from the Quran by Akhundzada, underscoring his significant role within the group.