Russia Warns Of Rising ISIS Threat In Afghanistan, Citing Regional Security Risks

According to the event’s organisers, this year’s theme — “All Hands on Deck: Mediation in a Changing World” — reflects the urgent need to adapt peacebuilding efforts to an unpredictable and polarised global environment.

The two-day forum is jointly organised by Norway’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue (HD). It serves as an informal platform for high-level dialogue, allowing participants to exchange experiences, refine strategies, and explore solutions to some of the world’s most enduring conflicts.

Foreign ministers and officials from countries including Saudi Arabia, China, the Islamic Republic of Iran, Oman, Egypt, Syria, Qatar, and Ukraine are expected to attend.

Norwegian Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide underscored the importance of mediation in current global affairs, stating: “Mediation and diplomacy are frontline tools for global stability.”

“In an era of rising tensions, fractured alliances, and weakening respect for international law, gatherings like the Oslo Forum are both useful and necessary,” he added.

According to the embassy’s statement, the meeting aimed to strengthen collaboration between the two countries, particularly in healthcare services and the supply of medical equipment and pharmaceuticals.

Jalali arrived in Tehran on Monday and attended the Iran Health 2025 exhibition on Tuesday. During his visit, he also held talks with Saeed Reza Shahmoradi, Director General of the Department of Medical Equipment at Iran’s Food and Drug Administration.

Iranian media reported that Jalali was introduced to Iran’s latest developments and capabilities in medical technology and equipment manufacturing during the visit.

The meeting comes as Iran continues to expand its pharmaceutical exports to Afghanistan. Iranian officials have stated that the country currently supplies approximately 70 percent of Afghanistan’s medicine needs.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced on Tuesday that the raid took place on Monday night in the 15th security district of the Afghan capital. He said Taliban forces discovered and seized a cache of weapons and ammunition at the site.

Taliban sources told Afghanistan International that the operation lasted several hours and involved sustained gunfire. Videos from the area captured the sound of heavy shooting during the raid.

Al-Mirsad, a media outlet affiliated with the Taliban, also reported that two individuals were killed in the raid, citing unnamed sources.

However, doubts have been raised about the nature of the operation. Sarah Adams, a former CIA officer, previously alleged that a compound in the 15th district, claimed by the Taliban to be an ISIS hideout, actually belonged to a Taliban intelligence unit. She described such operations as potentially staged, aimed at garnering approval from the United States and the international community.

The Taliban has not commented on these allegations. Independent verification of the identities of those killed and the circumstances of the raid remains unavailable.

At least four independent sources confirmed that protesters chanted “Long live Dostum”, a reference to Abdul Rashid Dostum, the former vice president and leader of the Junbish-e Milli party, as they rallied on Monday and entered the district’s police command compound.

The protest was sparked by the arrest of several young men involved in a confrontation over the alleged harassment of girls during Eid celebrations in Dawlat Abad. Demonstrators gathered outside the Taliban police command to demand the release of the detainees. In response, Taliban forces reportedly detained more protesters, escalating tensions.

Multiple sources said some protesters forced their way into the police command building, prompting a swift and forceful reaction from Taliban personnel. The district centre has since been placed under lockdown, with Taliban fighters, many in civilian clothing, reportedly conducting house-to-house searches in search of demonstrators.

One source told Afghanistan International that dozens more have been arrested in these ongoing operations, and that residents are now afraid to leave their homes due to fear of arrest.

Video footage obtained by Afghanistan International shows large crowds gathered around the police command building, though the exact number of those detained remains unclear. Estimates vary widely, with one local source claiming around 100 people have been taken into custody, while another source close to the Taliban puts the figure at 35.

The Taliban has yet to issue an official statement on the incident.

During a visit to Washington, the Pakistan People’s Party chairman said his country continues to grapple with the consequences of the US exit, including the proliferation of American-made weapons left behind in Afghanistan.

“Pakistan has been harmed by the manner in which the United States exited Afghanistan,” Bhutto Zardari said, according to a report by The Economic Times on Tuesday.

In remarks that indirectly criticised both Washington and regional dynamics, the former minister stressed the need for a renewed international strategy. “We talk about terror, we talk about Afghanistan, we talk about other things. That’s what we’ve spent the last couple of decades of this relationship discussing,” he said.

Bhutto Zardari called for enhanced regional and international cooperation to confront the lingering threat of terrorism. “We need more cooperation, regional and international, on what we are going to do now, post-Kabul, to deal with the remnants of terrorism that are left over,” he stated.

Islamabad has repeatedly accused the Taliban of distributing American weapons to extremist groups, a charge the Taliban denies. His comments come as Pakistan and the Taliban-led Afghan government appear to be strengthening diplomatic ties, despite ongoing security concerns.