Taliban Graduates ‘Hundreds of Commandos’ As Tensions With Pakistan Peak

Spokesperson Tahir Andrabi made the remarks while commenting on the shooting of two US National Guard members in Washington and the killing of three Chinese nationals on the Afghanistan–Tajikistan border.

At a weekly press briefing on Friday, Andrabi said these incidents underscore the persistent challenge of transnational terrorism. He added that Pakistan has faced numerous attacks over the past two decades that, according to Islamabad, have had links to Afghan-based militants.

The comments came despite repeated accusations by Afghanistan’s former government that Pakistan had long supported the Taliban and provided sanctuary to insurgent groups, claims Islamabad has consistently denied.

Referring to the attack on Chinese workers in Tajikistan, which Dushanbe said was carried out using a drone launched from Afghanistan, Andrabi stressed that Afghan territory must not become a threat to neighbouring or regional countries. The Taliban condemned the killings, saying unnamed actors were attempting to sow distrust among states in the region.

Andrabi also said the shooting of US soldiers by a suspected Afghan national highlighted the global nature of the threat posed by terrorism, urging the international community to strengthen cooperation. He said Pakistan would continue working with the United States to counter terrorism.

The spokesperson said the current ceasefire between Pakistan and the Taliban was “not sustainable,” noting that it was never a conventional agreement between two states. One key condition, he said, was that Afghan soil should not be used for attacks against Pakistan, yet attacks continued, including those involving Afghan citizens.

The ceasefire was brokered in Doha in October by Qatar and Türkiye following Pakistani airstrikes in Paktika, Khost, Nangarhar, and Kabul, and subsequent Taliban retaliation along the border. Andrabi said the agreement was not being upheld in practice.

He strongly rejected Taliban claims that Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP) has training centres inside Pakistan, calling the allegations “baseless” and accusing the Taliban of trying to shift responsibility for terrorism originating from their own territory.

The Taliban said Pakistani strikes on 25 November killed nine children and a woman in Gurbuz district of Khost province. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid also accused Pakistan of carrying out airstrikes in Kunar and Paktika that injured four civilians.

He said the Taliban would “respond at the appropriate time.” Pakistan has not claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Relations between Pakistan and the Taliban have sharply deteriorated amid rising border tensions and escalating militant activity on both sides of the frontier.

In a statement on Friday, the UN called on Washington to ensure that people seeking protection are able to access US territory and receive due process.

Jeremy Laurence, spokesperson for the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said refugees are entitled to protection under international law and must be given proper legal procedures.

Eujin Byun, spokesperson for the UN refugee agency, stressed that people in need of protection must be allowed to enter the country and have their asylum claims fairly assessed. She added that the vast majority of refugees are law-abiding members of their host communities.

Byun said the UN is urging refugee-hosting countries to reconsider restrictive decisions at a time when global displacement is at record levels.

They said the bloc is prepared to support international efforts aimed at ensuring peace and development in the country.

The remarks came during a CSTO summit held on Thursday, 27 November, in Bishkek, attended by the presidents of Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

In a statement published after the meeting, the CSTO reaffirmed its commitment to helping shape a stable Afghanistan and said it was ready to participate in broader international initiatives focused on peacebuilding and development.

Earlier, at a Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) summit, Tajik President Emomali Rahmon praised a regional plan to strengthen Tajikistan’s border with Afghanistan. Despite maintaining political and economic ties with the Taliban authorities, Central Asian states remain deeply concerned about extremist infiltration and cross-border attacks.

On Wednesday, Tajikistan’s Foreign Ministry reported that three Chinese workers had been killed in an attack launched from Afghan territory. According to Tajik officials, a drone strike hit a worksite belonging to the Shahin SM gold-mining company in Khatlon province.

China Urges Citizens to Leave Border Region

The Chinese Embassy in Dushanbe confirmed that three Chinese nationals were killed in an armed attack along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border. It urged Chinese citizens to leave the border area and said Beijing had requested a full investigation by Tajik authorities. The embassy did not identify those responsible.

The Taliban’s Foreign Ministry condemned the killings, saying preliminary information suggested the attack had been carried out by elements seeking to create instability and distrust among regional states.

Earlier this year, China and the five Central Asian republics jointly called on the Taliban to ensure Afghanistan is free of terrorist groups.

He added that several countries had already sought permission to export medical supplies to Afghanistan.

Speaking at the inauguration of a 200-bed hospital in Kunar province, Jalali warned against hoarding and price-gouging, saying stockpiling or inflating the prices of medicines was “a major sin” and must not occur.

The Taliban recently banned the import of Pakistani medicines and instructed traders to source supplies from alternative countries. On Thursday, Afghan and Indian companies signed a US$100 million pharmaceutical supply contract in the presence of Taliban officials.

India’s Ministry of External Affairs also announced the delivery of 73 tonnes of life-saving medicines, vaccines and other essential medical items to Kabul. A spokesperson said the shipment was intended to address Afghanistan’s urgent health needs.

The Taliban has given pharmaceutical traders three months to settle accounts with Pakistani firms, after which Pakistani-made medicines will no longer be cleared through Afghan customs.

The Taliban says it plans to replace Pakistani supplies with medicines sourced from India, Iran and other countries.

His comments followed the shooting of two US National Guard members by an Afghan suspect near the White House.

Asked whether he blamed all Afghans for the attack, Trump held up a photo of Afghans crowded inside a US military aircraft during the 2021 Kabul evacuation. He said he did not hold all Afghans responsible, but insisted he had “a lot of problems” with how they entered the country.

He said the evacuation showed people “standing on top of each other” and argued there had been “no vetting or anything,” adding that “a lot of bad people were brought into the United States.”

Trump repeated earlier claims that individuals evacuated during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan included some who should never have been admitted, asserting that the attack underscored broader concerns about the vetting process.