Hamid Noori, the police chief of Zahedan in Iran’s Sistan and Baluchestan province, has announced that Iranian security forces have arrested 486 Afghan migrants as part of a social security enhancement initiative.
He stated that the detainees had been handed over to the relevant authorities for deportation.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, Noori emphasised that the detention and deportation of undocumented migrants remain a top priority for security forces in Sistan and Baluchestan. He added that the initiative aims to “increase public safety and citizen satisfaction.”
Earlier, Ali Akbar Habibifar, police chief of Zabol in Sistan and Baluchestan, reported that security forces had detained 172 undocumented Afghan migrants over the past week. He confirmed that they had also been transferred to the relevant authorities for deportation.
This comes as the Iranian government has intensified its crackdown on Afghan migrants in recent months. Under new regulations, renting homes to undocumented migrants or employing them has been criminalised.
Despite these restrictive measures, Iran has deported more than 1.2 million Afghan migrants back to Afghanistan this year alone.
On Tuesday night, former U.S. President Donald Trump announced in his first speech to Congress that the mastermind behind the August 26, 2021, suicide attack at the Abbey Gate entrance of Kabul Airport had been captured with Pakistan’s assistance.
Following Trump’s announcement, Kash Patel, Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), stated that on Tuesday night, 4 March (U.S. time), the FBI, the Department of Justice, and the CIA successfully extradited one of the terrorists responsible for the killing of 13 American service members at Abbey Gate during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Suspect Identified as ISIS-K Operative Mohammad Sharifullah
According to Axios, citing sources, the suspect has been identified as Mohammad Sharifullah, also known as “Jafar”.
The report states that Sharifullah was a member of ISIS-K and was accused of planning and coordinating the attack at Abbey Gate, which resulted in the deaths of at least 170 Afghan civilians and 13 U.S. service members.
Axios further reported that Sharifullah is expected to arrive in the United States on Wednesday, where his court hearing will be held publicly.
CIA and Pakistan’s Role in the Capture
U.S. officials revealed that after John Ratcliffe was confirmed as CIA Director in January, Trump ordered him to prioritise the capture of those responsible for the Abbey Gate attack. In his first communication with General Asim Malik, head of Pakistan’s ISI, Ratcliffe raised this issue.
Officials further stated that the CIA had been tracking Sharifullah for an extended period but only recently acquired precise intelligence on his whereabouts. This intelligence was shared with Pakistan’s security agencies, leading to his capture by a special unit near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border.
Reports indicate that ten days ago, after U.S. officials were informed of Sharifullah’s arrest, Ratcliffe and FBI Director Kash Patel contacted Pakistan’s intelligence chief from CIA headquarters to discuss his extradition.
According to the report: “Since then, the CIA, the Department of Justice, and the FBI have worked together on his extradition, with Ratcliffe, Patel, and Attorney General Pam Bondi personally involved.”
On Tuesday night, Trump publicly thanked Pakistan for assisting in Sharifullah’s capture.
Kash Patel, in a post on social platform X, stated that with this arrest, justice for “American heroes and their families” is one step closer.
Neither Trump nor Patel disclosed the suspect’s identity in their statements.
As of now, Pakistani officials have not commented on the matter.
This development follows a previous claim by U.S. officials in April 2023 that the Taliban had killed an ISIS-K leader responsible for the Kabul Airport attack. While the Biden administration confirmed the leader’s death, it did not disclose his identity.
A former Afghan army officer has alleged that he was severely beaten and tortured by Taliban forces in Kabul, showing visible marks of whipping and bruising on his body.
Speaking to Afghanistan International on Tuesday, the officer—who requested anonymity for security reasons—said he was arrested on 5 January in the district 5 of Kabul and released days later on bail. During his detention, he claimed he was subjected to severe physical abuse.
Fear and Threats Against Former Security Personnel
The army personnel stated that he lives in constant fear and anxiety, emphasising that all former military personnel remain at risk under the Taliban regime. He accused the Taliban of killing, imprisoning, and torturing many of his fellow servicemen.
Appealing to international organisations, including the United Nations and human rights groups, he urged them to address the plight of former Afghan security personnel. Additionally, he criticised leaders of Afghanistan’s former government, accusing them of abandoning the country and leaving ex-military members in dire conditions.
He also called on Western nations, which were allies of Afghanistan’s former government, to honour their commitments to former Afghan soldiers.
Reports of Abuse and Taliban Denials
In recent years, international organisations, including the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), have repeatedly reported on the detention, torture, and extrajudicial killings of former security forces. UNAMA recently stated that it has documented cases of murder and torture against these individuals.
Despite these reports, the Taliban continues to deny any wrongdoing, claiming that all former security personnel were granted general amnesty and face no threats. However, evidence suggests that in the past three and a half years, thousands of former soldiers and officials have been detained by the Taliban for various reasons.
The German Foreign Ministry has stated the Taliban transforming Afghanistan into a “social dungeon” for women and girls, citing their escalating restrictions on female participation in public life.
On Tuesday, 4 March, the ministry released images of a meeting in Berlin between German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock and a group of Afghan female activists. Referring to the Taliban’s oppressive policies, the ministry wrote on its X page: “Walling up windows, erasing women’s public images: The Taliban are building a social dungeon for Afghan women & girls.”
The German Foreign Ministry reaffirmed its commitment to listening to Afghan women’s voices and consulting with Afghan civil society activists regarding human rights violations in the country.
138 Taliban Decrees Against Women Since January
Meanwhile, Afghan and international civil society organisations issued a joint statement on Tuesday, referencing a report by the US Institute of Peace that revealed the Taliban has issued 138 decrees against women and girls since 31 January 2025. These decrees, the statement noted, have resulted in the systematic exclusion of women from public life and imposed severe discrimination.
The statement praised an initiative by Australia, Canada, Germany, and the Netherlands, urging the Taliban to halt violations of the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). It suggested that this initiative could pave the way for legal action against the Taliban at the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Calls for Justice and Accountability
Afghan and international civil society groups also welcomed virtual and in-person consultations with Afghanistan’s human rights community and emphasised the need for continued, inclusive, and meaningful dialogue. They called for urgent accountability and justice to address the worsening women’s rights crisis in Afghanistan.
The statement underscored that Afghan women and girls must be recognised as “agents of change” and included in evidence collection, case documentation, strategic communications, and future legal proceedings related to their rights.
International Condemnation of Taliban Policies
In September 2024, the foreign ministers of Germany, Australia, Canada, and the Netherlands issued a declaration condemning the Taliban’s grave and systematic human rights violations, particularly their gender-based discrimination against women.
A group of nations, including Albania, Belgium, Iceland, Malaysia, Morocco, Panama, Sierra Leone, and Slovenia, has backed the joint declaration, reinforcing international pressure on the Taliban to uphold women’s rights in Afghanistan.
Ongoing clashes between Pakistani security forces and Taliban fighters at the Torkham border crossing have displaced thousands of local residents, officials and locals report.
A Pakistani official stated that approximately 15,000 people have fled their homes and taken refuge in the city of Landi Kotal.
According to sources, Taliban border guards opened fire without prior warning, targeting government buildings and civilians, triggering widespread panic.
Impact on Local Communities
Ali Shinwari, a Pakistani resident, told Reuters “The tensions between the two countries and the continuous closure of the border have created multiple problems for people in the border area. Many are poor and rely on border-related businesses.”
He added that since the Torkham crossing’s closure, tribal families in a nearby city have been hosting dozens of their displaced relatives.
Border Closure and Casualties
Pakistani officials, speaking anonymously, stated that the Torkham border crossing has been closed since 21 February due to a dispute over the Taliban’s construction of a new checkpoint.
On Monday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior announced that one of their fighters had been killed and two others injured. Pakistani security officials confirmed that one of their soldiers had also been wounded.
Pakistan’s Dawn newspaper reported on Tuesday that at least six security personnel and two civilians had been injured. Additionally, one civilian reportedly suffered a fatal heart attack amid gunfire and the ensuing chaos.
Trade Disruptions and Economic Losses
Torkham is the main transit route for passengers and goods between landlocked Afghanistan and Pakistan. According to Pakistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, trade between the two countries exceeded $1.6 billion in 2024.
Yousaf Afridi, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industries in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where Torkham is located, stated that the closure of the crossing has stranded 5,000 trucks carrying essential goods, causing at least $15 million in losses.
Intense clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces at the Torkham border have resulted in the destruction of a mosque on Pakistani soil, reportedly due to Taliban shelling.
According to local sources, mortars fired by Taliban forces damaged the mosque’s walls and interior, leaving it in ruins. The mosque was reportedly struck on Monday night, following Taliban gunfire directed towards Pakistan.
Images obtained by Afghanistan International show that the mosque’s walls and interior courtyard have been completely destroyed.
Ongoing Clashes and Casualties
The clashes between Taliban border forces and Pakistani troops began on Sunday night, 2 March, continuing until 11:00 AM on Monday. After a brief pause, the fighting resumed later that night.
Reports indicate that both sides have deployed light and heavy weaponry during the confrontation. The Taliban’s Ministry of Interior confirmed that during the clashes, one Taliban fighter was killed, and two others were injured. However, independent sources suggest the Taliban suffered at least three fatalities.
Tensions Over the Torkham Border Crossing
Torkham, one of the two main trade crossings between Afghanistan and Pakistan, has been closed for over a week due to a dispute over the Taliban’s construction of a new checkpoint.
Tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan have escalated in recent months over border control, security concerns, and trade restrictions, leading to repeated clashes at key border points.