Taliban Members Remove & Tear Up Shia Mourners’ Flags In Herat

This action has led to widespread dissatisfaction among money exchangers, prompting around 400 of them to close their shops in protest. As a result, the currency exchange market in this district is now completely shut down.

Sources reported that on Sunday morning, the Taliban entered the shops with weapons and threatened the owners.

Some shopkeepers stated that the Taliban have made the licensing conditions excessively difficult, preventing them from obtaining licenses.

The exchangers also complained that the Central Bank has set high costs for obtaining a license. They fear that if this situation continues, they will be forced out of business, leading to thousands of people becoming unemployed.

Local Taliban officials have not yet commented on the matter.

This Iranian state-owned company is responsible for selling train tickets.

Officials of the Islamic Republic of Iran primarily use the term "foreign nationals" to refer to Afghan immigrants in Iran.

According to Shahrara News, Raja Railway Transportation Company stated in an announcement, "At all railway stations, tickets will be checked and matched with identification documents before boarding."

The announcement specifies that passengers must carry a copy of their ticket along with valid identification, and those without tickets or with mismatched tickets will be denied entry to the train.

According to Bakhtar News Agency, which is controlled by the Taliban, four of the deceased were children.

The report, published on Monday, stated that the accident occurred when the vehicle carrying the family members collided with a fuel tanker.

Saeedi cited the main cause of the incident as the drivers' high speed and recklessness.

The lack of standard roads and the drivers' recklessness are considered primary causes of traffic accidents.

On April 15, Taliban’s General Directorate of Traffic announced in a statement that 50 people lost their lives in various parts of Afghanistan during Eid al-Fitr this year.

According to local residents, on Saturday night, the Taliban defaced the statue of Mazari with a drill and then covered it with plaster.

Residents told Afghanistan International that on Sunday, the presence of Taliban members at the Pul-e Sokhta square was higher than usual, preventing people from taking photos of the damaged statue.

Witnesses said that on Saturday night, Taliban members struck the face of Abdul Ali Mazari’s statue with a drill and nails, causing damage to it.

They added that another group of Taliban members then attempted to cover the damaged part of the statue with plaster.

Locals say that some other statues at the Pul-e Sokhta intersection have been destroyed too.

The Taliban has not yet commented in this regard.

In a similar move in November 2021, the Taliban destroyed Abdul Ali Mazari’s statue in Bamiyan province and replaced it with a stone plaque bearing verses from the Quran.

Abdul Ali Mazari was the former leader of Hezb-e Wahdat party who was imprisoned and subsequently killed during the Taliban’s first reign in the 1995. The Islamic Republic of Afghanistan had given him the title of “Martyr of National Unity”.

In another incident on Saturday, July 6, the Taliban destroyed the image of Amanullah Khan, a former king of Afghanistan, in Torkham, Nangarhar province, and replaced it with their flag.

The UNHCR and Pakistani officials confirmed that Grandi is visiting Pakistan to discuss the challenges faced by Afghan refugees.

The senior UN official's visit coincides with the Pakistani government's decision of the second phase of the mass deportation of Afghan refugees from the country.

During his visit, Grandi is expected to meet with Pakistani officials and Afghan refugees to discuss their issues and plans for their return to Afghanistan.

Grandi is anticipated to meet Afghan refugees in Peshawar on Monday before travelling to Islamabad.

Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), under Taliban control, has quoted Taliban officials describing Grandi's visit to Pakistan as "important" for resolving Afghan refugee issues.

Recent reports indicate that the second phase of deporting undocumented Afghan refugees from Pakistan has begun. According to these reports, around 800,000 Afghan refugees are expected to be returned to Afghanistan in this phase.

The UN Refugee Agency has expressed concern about the deportation of undocumented refugees, particularly Afghans. Meanwhile, Pakistani officials have accused some Afghan citizens of being involved in "violent incidents" in Pakistan, emphasising the need for the deportation plan. The Taliban have denied Afghan involvement in violent incidents in Pakistan.

According to Pakistani officials, over 500,000 Afghans were deported from Pakistan in the first phase of the Afghan refugee deportation.