Taliban Official Killed In Badghis, Claims NRF

According to the organisation, over 67% of births in Afghanistan are attended by a skilled health professional.

UNICEF said that giving birth outside of healthcare facilities and without the assistance of skilled healthcare providers puts pregnant women's lives at serious risk.

In a report, the organisation shared the story of Fahima, a midwife in Mazar-i-Sharif, who emphasised that pregnant women should meet with a skilled doctor at least four times before giving birth, but only one-third of women in Afghanistan do this.

Fahima told UNICEF that many pregnant women do not know how to provide themselves with healthy meals during pregnancy.

Previously, the World Health Organisation (WHO) had reported that every day, 24 mothers and 167 children in Afghanistan die from preventable diseases related to pregnancy and childbirth.

The United Nations has also described Afghanistan as one of the worst countries for maternal mortality rates during childbirth.

According to statistics released by WHO in December 2023, since 2017, 638 women in Afghanistan die annually per 100,000 live births.

Mujahid later deleted the news of Hibatullah's meeting with these officials, who had at times criticised the group's general policies.

He did not provide any explanation for deleting this post.

The Taliban’s spokesperson had announced that Hibatullah met Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Interior Minister; Yaqoob Mujahid, the Defence Minister; and Abdul Haq Wasiq, General Director of Intelligence, in Kandahar city.

During this meeting, "the heads of security organs presented their progress and activities to the leadership”.

The meetings and sessions of the Taliban leader have been closely watched by observers and the media, given the multiple reports of internal disagreements over the implementation of the Taliban's general policies.

Among the senior Taliban officials, Haqqani and Yaqoob have criticised the government's policies on several occasions.

Yaqoob had told Taliban members in Kabul not to blindly follow anyone’s orders.

He had previously said that arrogance and pride should be set aside, and legitimate demands of the people should be met.

Haqqani had complained about the "monopoly of power" within the Taliban government, saying such behaviour is unacceptable.

Furthermore, at a ceremony marking the second anniversary of the Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan, the Taliban’s Interior Minister acknowledged that there are differences of opinion among Taliban leaders on how to resolve "problems”.

However, Haqqani immediately emphasised that "the common goal of all is a stable and united Afghanistan”.

The Brookings Institution, a US research institute, had reported that there are serious disagreements among Taliban leaders regarding the group's policies. The report stated that Mullah Hibatullah, the Taliban leader, is stubborn and uncompromising, while Yaqoob is pragmatic and easier for the West to work with.

Nevertheless, following speculations about internal disagreements within the Taliban, the group officials have consistently emphasised unity among the group.

The Taliban Foreign Minister said in a meeting with the group’s spokespersons and supporters in Kabul on Sunday that disagreement and disrupting unity could lead to the downfall and deviation of the regime.

The Taliban police command in Badghis stated that the explosion was caused by a grenade thrown by an unknown individual.

According to the Taliban, no one was harmed in the explosion.

So far, no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the explosion.

However, the Taliban police command in Badghis has stated that efforts to identify and apprehend the perpetrator have begun.

The ministry also stated that over 600 foreign citizens have been employed in various sectors during this period.

On Sunday, the Taliban's Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs posted on the social media platform X, stating that a total of 22,427 people have been employed. Among them, 14,570 men and 1,221 women are working in government institutions under Taliban control, and another 6,023 people are engaged in the private sector.

According to the ministry, a total of 613 foreign citizens are employed in various fields.

This announcement comes amid reports that since the Taliban took power in Afghanistan, a large number of Afghan citizens have lost their jobs due to the cessation of foreign aid and the collapse of the former government. Consequently, many Afghans have resorted to migration in search of work.

Unemployment and poverty, along with the severe restrictions the Taliban have imposed on women's work and activities, are cited as some of the major humanitarian challenges in Afghanistan.

Khalid Zadran, spokesperson for the Taliban police command in Kabul, stated on Saturday that ISIS members were planning attacks during the month of Muharram.

Late on Saturday, Zadran wrote on the social platform X that in this operation, several ISIS members were arrested, and a large amount of explosives, weapons, and ammunition were seized.

Al-Mirsaad, a media outlet affiliated with the Taliban intelligence agency, provided details of the Taliban intelligence operation in Kabul.

According to Al-Mirsaad, citing Taliban intelligence sources, "On Wednesday, 10th July, special Taliban forces conducted an operation on an ISIS hideout in the 5th district of Kabul, arresting several members of a major ISIS network and discovering and seizing a large amount of explosives, weapons, and ammunition."

The report added that the head of this ISIS unit is an Afghan who had lived in a neighbouring country.

It claimed that this individual was recruited by the ISIS-Khorasan branch, which the report added is based in Balochistan, and sent to Afghanistan.

The Taliban-affiliated media added: "This man first married a Pakistani woman and then was sent to Afghanistan after being trained."

Al-Mirsaad noted that among the arrested individuals were those responsible for an attack a few months ago on a Shiite community vehicle in the Kote Sangi area of Kabul.

The report also mentioned a list of religious scholars, professors, prominent anti-government figures, and Pakistani politicians targeted for assassination by ISIS, some of whom had already been killed.

The network reportedly had a list of targets in Afghanistan and a neighbouring country. This news comes as the United Nations Security Council, in its latest report, highlighted the expanding influence of ISIS in Afghanistan and its penetration into Central Asian countries.

The UN Security Council stated that ISIS has infiltrated the Taliban’s Ministries of Defence, Interior, and Intelligence. According to the report, ISIS is quietly but rapidly recruiting new members.