Taliban Officials in Herat Warn Of Migrant Crisis As Iran Deports Thousands

Representative Bill Huizenga criticised the Biden administration’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, calling it rushed and stating that it had fundamentally altered the region’s terrorist threat landscape. Speaking during a subcommittee hearing, Huizenga said Afghanistan has once again become a safe haven for terrorist groups.

He identified ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) and Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) as the most significant threats in South and Central Asia, warning that these groups are expanding their operational capabilities to conduct attacks both regionally and globally.

“Groups like ISIS-K and TTP are now more prominent than ever,” Huizenga said, highlighting Pakistan as the country that has suffered the highest number of terrorist attacks in recent years.

While the Taliban claim to have defeated extremist threats, Huizenga pointed to their failure to contain ISIS-K. He noted that the group continues to launch attacks and actively radicalise and recruit individuals, including from migrant communities outside Central Asia.

The congressman cited ISIS-K’s deadly 2021 attack at Kabul airport, as well as its operations in Russia, Iran and its failed plot targeting the Paris Summer Olympics, as examples of its expanding reach.

Huizenga emphasised the continued leadership role of the United States in global counterterrorism efforts, saying Washington works with international partners through bilateral agreements and multilateral frameworks to combat terrorism.

“The United States remains committed to supporting our allies in the region as they confront these persistent threats,” he said.

The study, High-Risk Drug Use in Afghanistan, mapped 651 drug-use “hotspots” roughly 2.6 per 100000 people each hosting an average of 41 high-risk users. Kabul recorded the largest concentration with about 4700 users, followed by Faryab province with 3200. UNODC said around 2500 people, or 9 per cent of users in these areas, inject drugs, heightening the risk of infectious diseases.

Women account for 10 per cent and children eight per cent of all high-risk users, groups UNODC labelled “especially vulnerable”.

Production and supply

Afghanistan has long been a major producer of illicit opium. Between 2018 and 2022 it yielded an estimated 5,000–6,500 tonnes annually, contributing up to 11 per cent of national GDP in 2020. The Taliban’s April 2022 ban on poppy cultivation prompted a 95 per cent drop in production, from 6200 tonnes in 2022 to about 333 tonnes in 2023, the report said.

The clamp-down on opium has coincided with a rise in synthetic drugs. While methamphetamine production was formally banned in 2022, precursors such as ephedrine and pseudoephedrine remain readily available. Recent large seizures in Afghanistan and neighbouring states suggest meth output and trafficking continue largely unabated.

UNODC noted Afghanistan’s historic role in cannabis cultivation, once the world’s second-largest source between 2014 and 2018, but said no reliable data exist on the crop’s status since the Taliban ban.

The agency urged greater support for treatment services, with a focus on women and children, and called for continued monitoring of shifting drug trends in the country.

Abdul Mateen Qani, spokesperson for the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior, made the announcement during an event marking the International Day Against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. He claimed that the arrests were made without support from the international community or regional countries.

Speaking to Taliban-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA), Qani said, “Without the cooperation of the international community, regional, and neighbouring countries, we managed to control narcotics, which we inherited from the past, in a short time and with limited resources.”

He said the Taliban has carried out over 98000 counter-narcotics operations across the country since taking power.

In April 2022, the Taliban’s supreme leader issued a nationwide ban on the cultivation and production of narcotics.

Following the ban, the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) reported a sharp increase in opium prices. In 2024, the price of opium in Afghanistan reached $750 per kilogram, ten times higher than in 2022.

While UNODC acknowledged a decline in drug production, particularly opium, it noted that high market prices continue to benefit large-scale traffickers.

Singh said that New Delhi’s immediate priorities are delivering humanitarian assistance and continuing its development support to the Afghan people. He highlighted India’s role as Afghanistan’s largest regional development partner and noted that India remains engaged in empowerment and capacity-building efforts despite current political uncertainties.

Addressing SCO member states, Singh stressed the importance of building mutual trust and enhancing cooperation to tackle regional and global challenges. He also underscored the need to hold accountable those who plan, sponsor or finance terrorist activities, including cross-border terrorism.

India has not officially recognised the Taliban government but has maintained informal diplomatic engagement since the group’s return to power in 2021.

The incident occurred on the evening of Monday, 23 June, when a 31-year-old Belarusian man reportedly picked up the child, who had fled conflict in Iran with his pregnant mother, and slammed him violently onto the floor of the airport terminal.

According to Russian media, the child sustained severe head injuries and remains in a coma. Authorities have arrested the suspect and launched an investigation into attempted murder.

In a statement shared by the Afghan Embassy in Australia on Thursday, 25 June, the council described the assault as a “brutal and inhumane act” and a clear violation of human dignity. It urged Russian officials to uncover the full circumstances of the attack and ensure justice is served.

“It is imperative to uncover the truth, establish the motives behind this crime, and ensure that the perpetrator is held accountable under the rule of law,” the council said.

The statement stressed that the incident highlights the vulnerability of Afghan refugees and the need for greater international attention to their safety and dignity, particularly that of children and other at-risk groups.

“We urge the Russian authorities to act with the necessary transparency and decisiveness to deliver justice in this case,” the council added.

The motive behind the Belarusian man’s actions remains unclear. Reports suggest the suspect had recently travelled from Kabul to Moscow and was exhibiting erratic behaviour at the time of the incident.

The child was reportedly alone in the terminal when the attack occurred, as his mother had stepped away briefly to collect their luggage. The family had recently arrived in Moscow after fleeing the war in Iran.