ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack On Taliban Fighters in Badakhshan

According to the ministry, 2,831 migrants returned from Iran, while another 1,169 were repatriated from Pakistan.

These returns occurred on Tuesday and Wednesday through the Torkham, Spin Boldak, and Islam Qala border crossings, the Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation confirmed on Wednesday.

The ministry did not disclose the number of forcibly repatriated individuals from Iran, but did state that 1,169 of the returnees from Pakistan were expelled under force. Additionally, the ministry identified 24 orphaned children among those returning from Iran.

The statement also highlighted that migrants returning from both Pakistan and Iran were directed to aid organisations for assistance. With the intensification of the deportation process from Iran and Pakistan, many migrants are increasingly worried about their forced return to Afghanistan.

He attributed the attacks by militants to "the shortcomings of Pakistan's security apparatus”.

The Pakistani army announced on Tuesday that the suicide attack, which resulted in the deaths of five Chinese engineers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, was planned in Afghanistan and carried out by an Afghan perpetrator.

Nonetheless, the Taliban’s Ministry of Defence said that Khyber Pakhtunkhwa falls under the jurisdiction of Pakistan's military, and the targeting of Chinese citizens in this region "highlights the deficiencies of the country's security apparatus”.

Khwarizmi mentioned that they have discussed this attack with Chinese officials, and "they are also aware that Afghans are not involved in such matters”.

The Taliban Ministry of Defence rejected the planning and attacks of the TTP from Afghan soil into Pakistan. However, for the first time, this ministry accused the Pakistani government of not preventing ISIS from entering Afghanistan.

The Taliban spokesperson for the Ministry of Defence stated that ISIS has entered Afghanistan from Pakistani soil, and Pakistan should be held accountable for this.

Pakistan has previously accused the Taliban of sheltering militants in Afghanistan and organising attacks on Pakistan from Afghan soil.

Earlier this month, Asif Durrani, Pakistan's special envoy for Afghanistan stated that TTP attacks in Pakistan have increased by 65%, and suicide attacks have increased by 500% in the country.

He claimed the involvement of "Afghan citizens" in suicide attacks in Pakistan and called it concerning.

Residents of Faizabad reported that the blast destroyed at least one Taliban ranger vehicle.

According to our sources, a motorcyclist bomber detonated explosives near the convoy, leading to significant damage, including the destruction of a vehicle.

As of now, no group has claimed responsibility for the attack.

Taliban officials are yet to comment on the incident.

This attack coincided with a period of extensive anti-Taliban protests in several districts of Badakhshan, including Argo and Darayim. Protesters have criticised the deployment of Taliban forces from southern provinces, who reportedly do not speak the local language and have been accused of mistreating residents. The protesters are calling for the expulsion of these "non-native" Taliban forces from Badakhshan.

Additional reports indicated that Wednesday's explosion in the Pul-e Jozgun area specifically targeted Taliban forces of Pashtun descent.

The Front posted on the X social media network that the attack took place near one of the group's bases in the Sarai Shamali area of the city.

On Tuesday night, some Kabul residents informed Afghanistan International that they heard an explosion in the Khairkhana area.

According to the Front, the Taliban wanted to "transfer some detained citizens from the Khairkhana area to the center of the city”.

The Taliban has not yet commented on this matter.

Previously, the Pakistani police had been instructed to start the second phase of deportation of Afghan migrants.

However, according to an official letter from the Ministry of States and Frontier Regions of Pakistan on Monday, migrants with UNHCR registration cards will be allowed to stay in Pakistan for less than two additional months.

The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriations of Taliban reported on Monday that 913 individuals had been forcibly expelled from Pakistan.

According to reports from Pakistani media, since the approval of the bill to deport Afghan migrants in November last year, roughly half a million migrants have been repatriated to Afghanistan.

In the upcoming second phase of deportations, Pakistani media estimate that nearly one million Afghan migrants will be expelled from Pakistan.

UNHCR statistics indicate that approximately 2.18 million Afghan migrants reside in Pakistan, including 1.3 million registered refugees holding UNHCR cards.

Furthermore, an additional 880,000 refugees obtained temporary residence permits after registering in 2017.