13 Taliban Fighters Killed in Attack in Panjshir Province, Says NRF

The statement comes in the wake of a phone conversation on Thursday between India’s External Affairs Minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, and Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. During the call, Jaishankar expressed India’s intent to increase its direct humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan.

According to The Hindu, Indian officials are reviewing a list of requests submitted by the Taliban, which was previously shared with India’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Vikram Misri, during a meeting with Muttaqi in Dubai on 8 January 2025.

While India does not officially recognise the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan, it maintains a functional relationship with the group. Analysts see the phone call as a significant development, particularly given its timing ahead of Muttaqi’s planned visits to Iran and China.

Discussions between the two ministers also reportedly touched on economic cooperation, including the strategic Chabahar Port in Iran, an important access point for Indian trade with Afghanistan, especially given restrictions through Pakistan’s border.

Following the call, India allowed 160 Afghan freight trucks carrying dried fruit to enter the country via the Attari border crossing.

India has gradually re-engaged with the Taliban after initially withdrawing all diplomatic personnel from Afghanistan in August 2021, following the collapse of the Western-backed Afghan government. Before the Taliban takeover, New Delhi had strong ties with Presidents Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, providing substantial development aid and security support.

Since 2021, India has delivered more than 50000 tonnes of wheat, 350 tonnes of medicines, 40000 litres of fertiliser, and 28 tonnes of relief materials to Afghanistan. Indian authorities have also allowed Taliban-appointed diplomats to manage Afghan embassies and consular offices in New Delhi, Mumbai, and Hyderabad.

Although the Indian Embassy in Kabul is currently operated by a technical team, consulates in Kandahar and Mazar-e-Sharif remain closed. India is also reportedly considering support for Afghan migrants deported from Pakistan, further signalling a broader shift in its approach to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The three-day forum will convene legal experts, judicial officials, and justice ministers from various countries.

According to a statement issued by the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice on Saturday, 17 May, Sharei is expected to deliver a speech during the forum, which focuses on global legal challenges and international cooperation.

The presence of Taliban officials at international legal and diplomatic forums continues to generate mixed reactions, particularly given the group’s lack of formal recognition and widely criticised human rights record.

Several human rights organisations have condemned the Taliban’s participation in such events, questioning the legal and political legitimacy of their representatives. Critics highlight the Taliban’s severe restrictions on civil liberties, especially the systematic erosion of women’s rights under its rule.

Abdul Hakim Sharei is currently under international sanctions. In 2023, the European Union sanctioned him for overseeing the “systematic deprivation of Afghan women from work and education.” The Taliban’s Minister of Education and Attorney General were also sanctioned at the same time for “gender-based violence.”

The EU has accused Sharei of restructuring Afghanistan’s judicial system to suppress women. According to the EU, he revoked women’s legal licences, barred them from accessing defence attorneys, and hindered the enforcement of laws against gender-based violence, creating a legal vacuum that has led to widespread human rights abuses and the undermining of equality before the law.

According to the commission’s statement, 1934 Afghans were deported from Iran, while 1423 were expelled from Pakistan. The returnees entered Afghanistan through various official border crossings, including Torkham, Spin Boldak, Bahramcha, Angoor Ada, Pul-e Abrisham, and Islam Qala.

The Taliban authorities stated that returning migrants collectively received over six million Afghanis in cash assistance. Of those deported, 1725 individuals who had been residing in Kabul were relocated to several provinces, including Paktia, Khost, Nangarhar, Laghman, Baghlan, Kunduz, Takhar, Samangan, Balkh, Badakhshan, Faryab, and Sar-e Pol.

The mass deportations come amid intensified efforts by both Iran and Pakistan to reduce the number of undocumented Afghan migrants within their borders.

Iran’s Ministry of Interior has announced plans to deport up to two million undocumented Afghan nationals. Meanwhile, Pakistan has tightened its visa extension process and increased arrests and forced removals of Afghan refugees and asylum seekers.

These actions have drawn criticism from human rights organisations, which warn that many of the deportees face potential threats, persecution, or economic hardship upon their return to Taliban-ruled Afghanistan.

The visit comes at the invitation of Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi. The forum is expected to bring together regional leaders and policymakers for discussions on diplomatic, security, and economic cooperation.

Accompanying Muttaqi on the trip is Abdul Latif Nazari, the Taliban’s Deputy Minister of Economy, who will also take part in bilateral meetings during the delegation’s stay in Tehran.

The visit is part of the Taliban’s ongoing diplomatic outreach in the region, despite the group’s lack of formal international recognition.

The photos show both commanders in full military uniform and equipped with combat gear. At least two NRF sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that the images are recent and that the commanders are currently active within Afghanistan’s mountainous terrain.

In a video shared on his X (formerly Twitter) account, Hasib Panjshiri declared, “Our country is under the occupation of terrorist Taliban forces.” He added, “We are fighting to reclaim and liberate our land and geography from the grip of this criminal group, and we have full faith in victory.”

The appearance of the two commanders comes just one day after it was reported that NRF leader Ahmad Massoud travelled to Mashhad, Iran. According to sources, the Islamic Republic of Iran hosted a gathering of Afghan political figures, including Atta Mohammad Noor. The sources stated that Massoud was received by Iranian officials and held meetings with representatives from the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Khalid Amiri is a senior NRF commander who played a key role in organising and leading resistance operations against the Taliban following the fall of Kabul in August 2021. A former elite officer in the Afghan National Army, Amiri moved to Panjshir shortly after the Taliban takeover and led intense combat missions in the region.

In June 2022, Amiri shared an image of a downed Taliban helicopter in the Hindu Kush mountains, a symbolic act of defiance. He also released videos showing captured Taliban fighters, whom he later reportedly released.

Before the Taliban’s return to power, Amiri served as a commander of special forces in the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and received military training both domestically and abroad.

Hasib Panjshiri, widely known as “Hasib Qowaye Markaz”, is another key NRF commander under the leadership of Ahmad Massoud. After completing military training, Hasib joined Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) special units and participated in numerous operations across the country. Following the Taliban’s capture of Kabul, he returned to his native Panjshir and continued the armed resistance.