Bid to Recover Afghanistan’s Aircraft Has Failed, Says Taliban Army Chief

Berlin recently approved the presence of two Taliban-appointed consular officers in Berlin and Bonn. German officials said the move is intended to streamline the deportation of Afghan nationals with criminal records. Last week, Germany deported 81 Afghan citizens described as criminal offenders, a process the Taliban confirmed was coordinated with them.

Spanta argued that issuing diplomatic visas, providing official identification documents, and hosting Taliban representatives in diplomatic missions equates to legitimising the group under international law. He said such engagement not only damages Germany’s credibility but also disregards core values, including women’s rights and human rights.

He urged German citizens to scrutinize their government’s actions, accusing Berlin of betraying the Afghan people, particularly women, who have lost basic rights under Taliban rule. Spanta also criticised Germany’s role during the fall of Kabul in August 2021, saying German nationals were left behind and only evacuated with assistance from British forces.

German Member of the European Parliament Hannah Neumann also condemned the move. In a social media post, she claimed the Christian Democratic Union backed engagement with the Taliban to enable deportations, while thousands of Afghan asylum seekers with valid documentation remain stranded in Pakistan. She described the arrangement as a “disgraceful deal” and said Germany’s migration policy has become irrational and harmful.

Previously, Germany had coordinated deportations through Qatar and other third countries. However, recent statements from German officials suggest a shift toward direct engagement with the Taliban, reportedly in exchange for the group’s cooperation on deportation logistics and control over Afghan diplomatic missions in Germany.

In a statement released Tuesday, the AFF said the operation was carried out Monday night against the office of Mullah Najib Ghafori, the local head of the Taliban’s morality police. The group stated the attack resulted in the deaths of two Taliban personnel and left one wounded. The fate of Mullah Ghafori remains unclear.

The AFF said the assault was in retaliation for what it described as arbitrary arrests, the abduction of women, and widespread harassment of civilians by the Taliban’s morality enforcement agency. The group warned that similar operations would continue.

The Taliban has not publicly commented on the incident.

The AFF previously declared that officials and offices of the Taliban’s morality police would be considered legitimate military targets.

Peter Reynolds, 79, and his wife, Barbie, 75, were detained by the Taliban’s Interior Ministry on February 1. Despite initial assurances by Taliban officials that the arrest was a misunderstanding and that the couple would be released soon, they remain in custody more than five months later.

According to the experts, the couple was initially held in a maximum-security facility before being transferred to underground cells without access to sunlight. They were recently moved to another detention site at the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence in Kabul.

The UN experts said both detainees are in poor physical and mental health. Peter Reynolds, who requires heart medication, has reportedly suffered eye infections and tremors and recently experienced fainting. Barbie Reynolds has reportedly shown signs of physical weakness and numbness in her legs and is believed to suffer from anaemia.

The experts said the couple has not had access to effective legal representation or sufficient medical care. Contact with their family has also been extremely limited.

The UN experts said the prolonged detention without charge or due process amounts to inhumane treatment. They added that the psychological impact of indefinite confinement is severe and has raised concerns under international human rights standards.

UN officials said they have raised the case with both the Taliban and the British government and will continue to monitor developments.

Government spokesperson Stefan Cornelius confirmed that Sayed Mustafa Hashemi and Nabrasul Haq Aziz have been designated as second secretaries to serve at the Afghan Embassy in Berlin and the consulate in Bonn. The decision comes in the wake of a recent deportation flight that returned 81 Afghans to Kabul.

The move aims to streamline logistical and documentation processes for future repatriation flights. According to officials, the primary focus remains on deporting individuals identified as security threats or convicted of criminal offenses.

Despite this arrangement, the German government reiterated that it does not recognise the Taliban as the legitimate governing authority of Afghanistan under international law. Contacts with the group remain at a strictly technical level.

Chancellor Friedrich Merz said diplomatic ties with Afghanistan have not been fully severed, but formal recognition of the Taliban administration is not under consideration.

According to the Taliban’s state-run media, Al-Issa was welcomed by Abdul Salam Hanafi, the group’s deputy prime minister for administrative affairs.

The visit comes amid international concern over the Taliban’s restrictions on women and girls, particularly the ongoing ban on female education beyond the sixth grade. Al-Issa has previously spoken against such prohibitions, stating that Islam does not oppose the education of girls.

During his stay, Al-Issa is expected to meet with Taliban leaders, including acting Prime Minister Mohammad Hassan Akhund, to discuss strengthening ties between the Taliban and the Muslim World League, as well as broader issues concerning the Islamic world.

The Taliban announced that Al-Issa would also hold separate meetings with Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi to discuss bilateral relations and matters related to the Muslim community globally.