Mawlawi Abdul Kabir, the Deputy Prime Minister for Political Affairs of the Taliban, left Tehran for Doha, Qatar, on Thursday, to attend the funeral of Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas' political bureau.
Abdul Kabir and Haniyeh had initially travelled to Tehran for the inauguration ceremony of Iran's president. However, Haniyeh was killed early Wednesday morning in a missile attack targeting his residence in a protected area of Tehran.
On Thursday, a funeral ceremony for Haniyeh was held in Tehran, attended by senior officials from the Islamic Republic. The body of the Hamas leader is scheduled to be interred in Doha on the following day.
Pakistan's National Counter Terrorism Authority (NACTA) has officially designated the Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group and the Majid Brigade as terrorist organisations, thereby prohibiting their activities.
These groups had previously been linked to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and Baloch insurgents, respectively.
As reported by the Pakistani newspaper Dawn on Thursday, the inclusion of these groups has increased the total number of banned organisations on NACTA's terrorist list to 81. This year alone, three new groups have been added to this list.
The Hafiz Gul Bahadur Group, identified as a significant anti-Pakistan faction, was once considered a militant wing of the TTP. The group has been responsible for numerous deadly assaults against Pakistani security forces. Pakistani authorities assert that this group, along with the TTP, operates bases and training camps within Afghanistan.
The Majid Brigade, now recognised as an independent entity on NACTA's terrorist list, was formerly known as a formidable military wing of the Baloch Liberation Army. Since 2011, the group has been involved in numerous lethal attacks targeting the Pakistani military.
Earlier in March, NACTA also classified the Zainebiyoun Brigade—affiliated with Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC)—as a terrorist organisation.
The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan has asserted that the "behaviour, actions, and mindset" of the Taliban have remained unchanged over the past 25 years.
On the anniversary of the Taliban's 1999 assault on the northern provinces, the council urged the international community to recognise the group's actions as war crimes.
In a statement released on Wednesday, the council stated that upon entry into the northern region in late 1990s, the Taliban committed "grave crimes".
The statement detailed the Taliban's atrocities, including "massacres, imprisonments, the capture of women, burning of orchards, and destruction of infrastructure and flora," in the northern regions of Afghanistan, insisting that history will not forget these criminal acts.
The National Resistance Council condemned these crimes and highlighted that since the Taliban's return to power, they have continued to oppress, kill, torture, and imprison individuals. The council emphasised that the Taliban have transformed Afghanistan into a safe haven for terrorism, actively promoting and exporting it.
The National Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan was formed in exile following the Taliban's takeover of the country. Prominent members include former Vice-President Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum; former governor of Balkh province Atta Mohammad Noor; prominent Hazara leader Mohammad Mohaqiq; anti-Taliban jihadi leader Abdul Rab Rasul Sayyaf, and former Vice-President Sarwar Danish.
A former officer of Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security (NDS) has accused the Taliban of attempting to kill his brother in Mehtarlam, Laghman.
He told Afghanistan International that the Taliban police chief for the city's first district, along with five other fighters, severely injured his brother by stabbing him.
The former NDS officer, now residing in the United States, claimed that the Taliban have been harassing his family since the collapse of the previous Afghan government.
He reported to the Pashto service of Afghanistan International that his family has been repeatedly threatened by local Taliban members.
"The Taliban imprisoned my brother once, and this time they tried to kill him. He is now in critical condition in the hospital," the ex-intelligence officer stated.
He emphasised that he holds no personal animosity toward the local Taliban officials, particularly the police chief in Laghman. He believes the harassment stems from his former role in the Afghan intelligence service.
A video obtained by Afghanistan International shows Hikmatullah, the injured brother, in critical condition. The former intelligence officer noted that doctors in Laghman assessed Hikmatullah's condition as severe. Initially taken to Nangarhar for treatment, Hikmatullah was later transferred to Kabul due to a worsening prognosis.
The former NDS officer called on the Taliban leadership to ensure justice is served. However, Taliban officials have not yet made any public statements regarding the incident.
Despite the Taliban's declaration of a general amnesty, numerous reports have emerged since their takeover of Afghanistan, detailing arrests, torture, and killings of former security forces personnel.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report documenting at least 60 cases of arbitrary detention, 10 instances of torture and mistreatment, and five killings of former government officials and security personnel between April and June of this year.
The Taliban condemned the assassination of Ismail Haniyeh, the Chief of Hamas' Political Bureau, describing it as a "significant loss for the Islamic community and the jihadist movement”.
In a statement, the Taliban declared that defending Palestine and Hamas is both an Islamic and human responsibility.
On Wednesday, the Taliban released a statement praising Haniyeh as a "wise and prudent Palestinian Muslim who made significant sacrifices in his successful struggle and jihad, fulfilling his commitment to this cause”.
The statement further noted, "Martyrdom is the highest victory for a Muslim and a Mujahid." The Taliban emphasised that "Haniyeh succeeded in teaching his followers practical lessons in resistance, sacrifice, patience, endurance, struggle, and devotion”.
The Taliban extended their condolences to the people of Palestine, reiterating their commitment to defending Palestine and Hamas as an Islamic and humanitarian obligation.
The group called on Muslim and Arab countries to exert all efforts to stop Israeli attacks, warning that the continuation of "Israeli crimes" would result in increased instability in the region, for which Israel and its supporters would be held accountable.
The Taliban have maintained close relations with Hamas, with Ismail Haniyeh serving as a key liaison between the two groups. Haniyeh had held multiple meetings with senior Taliban officials, including Mullah Baradar, Deputy Prime Minister; Amir Khan Muttaqi, Foreign Minister, and Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Taliban. Most recently, Haniyeh met with Abdul Kabir, the Taliban's Deputy Prime Minister, on Tuesday during the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian, in Tehran.
Ismail Haniyeh was killed on Wednesday morning in an attack in Tehran.
The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) announced the death of Ismail Haniyeh, the Chief of the Hamas Political Bureau, in an attack on his residence in Tehran. The incident also claimed the life of one of Haniyeh's guards.
The Palestinian group Hamas and Haniyeh's brother, Musa Abu Marzouk, accused Israel of orchestrating the "assassination”.
Abu Marzouk condemned the act as "cowardly" and vowed that it "will not go unanswered”.
In a statement, Hamas claimed that their political leader was killed in an "Israeli airstrike”.
According to the official Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), citing the IRGC's public relations office, Haniyeh's residence was "hit" early Wednesday morning.
The IRGC's public relations office confirmed the incident in a statement but withheld details about the attack. They indicated that the cause and circumstances of the attack, along with Haniyeh's death, are under investigation, and results will be announced later.
Haniyeh was in Tehran to attend the inauguration ceremony of Iran's new president, Masoud Pezeshkian.
Just hours before the attack, Hamas reported that Haniyeh had met with Pezeshkian to discuss the latest political and military developments in the Gaza conflict, expressing gratitude for Iran's support for the Palestinian people.
As of now, Israeli political, military, and security officials have not commented on Haniyeh's death. However, Amichai Eliyahu, Israel's Minister of Heritage, remarked that Haniyeh's death "makes the world a slightly better place”.