Pakistan Envoy Travels To Tehran For Talks Focused On Afghanistan

Sep 28, 2025, 11:48 GMT+1

Pakistan’s special representative for Afghanistan, Mohammad Sadiq Khan, arrived in Iran on Sunday for talks with senior Iranian officials, state-run news agency IRNA reported.

The discussions are expected to focus on the situation in Afghanistan and ways to expand cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad, according to the report.

The visit comes as relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have grown increasingly strained amid rising insecurity in Pakistan’s Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan provinces. Islamabad accuses the Taliban of sheltering the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, which has carried out cross-border attacks.

The trip follows a joint meeting on Afghanistan held in New York two days earlier on the sidelines of the 80th session of the UN General Assembly, where the foreign ministers of Iran, China, Pakistan and Russia discussed regional security concerns.

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Former Security Officer Shot Dead In Eastern Khost Province

Sep 27, 2025, 17:49 GMT+1

Gunmen killed Samad Tanai, a former officer of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, in Khost province, local sources said Saturday.

The attack took place Friday afternoon in the village of Zhi in Tanai district. One other person was wounded.
Sources said Tanai had long-standing hostilities with a family in the district. He had been accused of killing a man during the previous government, sparking a feud that lasted more than 13 years. The dispute reportedly forced him to relocate his family from Tanai to Mandozai district.

According to the sources, Tanai was visiting relatives in Tanai when gunmen opened fire. He died at the scene.
Reports suggest Tanai’s father also served as an officer with the former National Directorate of Security. The motive for the killing remains unclear, and no arrests have been made.

Similar attacks against former security personnel have been reported since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Taliban Pushes Back On Allegations Of Al-Qaeda, ISIS Presence In Afghanistan

Sep 27, 2025, 15:25 GMT+1

The Taliban on Saturday rejected accusations by four regional powers that militant groups, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, maintain a presence in Afghanistan.

Hamdullah Fitrat, the Taliban’s deputy spokesperson, said “no armed group is operating in Afghanistan” and insisted the country’s territory would not be used against other nations. He added that the Taliban is solely responsible for Afghanistan’s security and has taken “necessary measures” to ensure it.

His remarks came after the foreign ministers of Russia, Iran, China and Pakistan issued a joint statement on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York. The ministers voiced concern over the reported presence of ISIS, al-Qaeda, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), the East Turkestan Islamic Movement and Jaish al-Adl in Afghanistan, warning that their activities pose a threat to regional peace and stability.

The four countries urged the Taliban to take verifiable and non-discriminatory action against such groups.

Pakistan, in particular, has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering the TTP, which has carried out cross-border attacks. The Taliban has consistently denied the allegations.

Chinese Envoy Reaffirms Respect For Afghanistan’s Sovereignty

Sep 27, 2025, 12:22 GMT+1

A senior Chinese diplomat has reaffirmed Beijing’s respect for Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity during a meeting with the Taliban’s ambassador to China.

Liu Jinsong, director-general of the Asian affairs department at China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said the 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties between the two countries highlights a history of friendly and peaceful relations.

According to a statement from the Taliban embassy in Beijing, the two sides discussed strengthening bilateral relations, boosting economic and trade cooperation, expanding consular services, and other key issues.

Taliban Ambassador Bilal Karimi praised the historic relationship between Afghanistan and China and thanked Beijing for its humanitarian assistance to families affected by recent earthquakes in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces.

The meeting comes amid growing concern in China and neighbouring countries over possible US efforts to re-establish a military presence in Afghanistan. On Thursday, the foreign ministers of Russia, China, Iran and Pakistan, meeting on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly in New York, warned that any new US base in Afghanistan would threaten regional security and stability.

US President Donald Trump has repeatedly criticised Washington’s troop withdrawal from Afghanistan and has said the United States will return to Bagram Air Base. The Taliban, in response, have vowed to reject any renewed US military presence. It remains unclear, however, whether the group would enter negotiations with Washington.

Gunman Kills Woman On Trial At Taliban Appeal Court In Herat

Sep 27, 2025, 10:33 GMT+1

A woman was fatally shot Saturday during a public hearing at the Taliban’s Court of Appeal in Herat, according to local sources.

The woman, the wife of former provincial council member Abdul Rahman Muradi, was on trial over alleged involvement in her husband’s killing. Muradi was found dead at his home in January, with family members initially claiming he died when his own weapon accidentally discharged.

After the incident, the woman was arrested on suspicion of complicity in the killing and summoned to Saturday’s appeal session. Witnesses said she was attacked by an attendee who opened fire during the hearing, killing her instantly.

A defence lawyer told Afghanistan International that her involvement in Muradi’s death had not been proven and that she may have been acquitted.

The Taliban have not issued a statement on the incident. Local sources said one person has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Taliban Base In Takhar Targeted In Rocket Attack, AFF Claims

Sep 27, 2025, 09:47 GMT+1

The Afghanistan Freedom Front said it carried out a rocket attack on a Taliban base in Takhar province, claiming two Taliban fighters were killed.

In a statement late Thursday, the group said its fighters struck around 10 p.m., targeting the former home of Malik Tatar, a police commander under the previous government in Yangi Qala, which the Taliban now use as a base in Lala Guzar village of Khwaja Bahauddin district.

Local residents confirmed to Afghanistan International that at least three rockets hit near the compound but reported no casualties. They said the rockets landed in the street and close to the base.

Taliban officials in Takhar have not commented.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front said it also attacked the Taliban intelligence office in Khwaja Bahauddin, wounding two members. The district has long been a hub for anti-Taliban groups and served as a stronghold of the resistance groups during the Taliban’s first rule.

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Former Security Officer Shot Dead In Eastern Khost Province

Sep 27, 2025, 17:49 GMT+1

Gunmen killed Samad Tanai, a former officer of Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security, in Khost province, local sources said Saturday.

Similar attacks against former security personnel have been reported since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan.

Taliban Pushes Back On Allegations Of Al-Qaeda, ISIS Presence In Afghanistan

Sep 27, 2025, 15:25 GMT+1

The Taliban on Saturday rejected accusations by four regional powers that militant groups, including al-Qaeda and the Islamic State group, maintain a presence in Afghanistan.

The four countries urged the Taliban to take verifiable and non-discriminatory action against such groups.

Pakistan, in particular, has repeatedly accused the Taliban of sheltering the TTP, which has carried out cross-border attacks. The Taliban has consistently denied the allegations.

Chinese Envoy Reaffirms Respect For Afghanistan’s Sovereignty

Sep 27, 2025, 12:22 GMT+1

A senior Chinese diplomat has reaffirmed Beijing’s respect for Afghanistan’s independence and territorial integrity during a meeting with the Taliban’s ambassador to China.

Gunman Kills Woman On Trial At Taliban Appeal Court In Herat

Sep 27, 2025, 10:33 GMT+1

A woman was fatally shot Saturday during a public hearing at the Taliban’s Court of Appeal in Herat, according to local sources.

A defence lawyer told Afghanistan International that her involvement in Muradi’s death had not been proven and that she may have been acquitted.

The Taliban have not issued a statement on the incident. Local sources said one person has been arrested in connection with the shooting.

Taliban Base In Takhar Targeted In Rocket Attack, AFF Claims

Sep 27, 2025, 09:47 GMT+1

The Afghanistan Freedom Front said it carried out a rocket attack on a Taliban base in Takhar province, claiming two Taliban fighters were killed.

Local residents confirmed to Afghanistan International that at least three rockets hit near the compound but reported no casualties. They said the rockets landed in the street and close to the base.

Taliban officials in Takhar have not commented.

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