Two Tajik Soldiers Killed On Afghan Border; Dushanbe Urges Taliban To Apologise

Speaking to Russia 24 television, Overchuk said greater connectivity with southern markets would help diversify Russia’s transport and logistics routes. He said options for constructing a railway across Afghan territory are under discussion, with attention focused on both western and eastern corridors.

Overchuk added that Russian specialists are currently studying the feasibility of a railway through Afghanistan and are participating in related technical consultations.

The comments follow earlier statements by Denis Manturov, who said last year that Russia and Uzbekistan were jointly preparing a feasibility study for the proposed Trans-Afghan railway, with an emphasis on developing international transport corridors.

Subsequently, the transport ministers of Uzbekistan and Russia signed agreements to launch the development phase of the Trans-Afghan railway, which would extend to Pakistan.

Uzbekistan, which already has a direct rail connection with Afghanistan, has positioned itself as a regional logistics hub linking Russia, Central Asia and South Asia.

In November 2024, during a visit to Kabul, Overchuk told Taliban officials that Moscow wanted to participate in the Trans-Afghan railway project, describing it as a key initiative to improve connectivity across Central Asia and the wider Eurasian region.

Ali Reza Bigdeli, Iran’s ambassador to Kabul, extended the invitation during a meeting with Abdul Manan Omari, according to a statement released on Wednesday by the Taliban’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs.

The ministry said the talks focused on developing bilateral cooperation and the legal deployment of Afghan workers to Iran. Omari reiterated a previous request for the regularisation of Afghan workers’ status in Iran and stressed the need for guarantees on workers’ rights and the fair payment of wages.

During the meeting, Bigdeli said cooperation with Afghanistan was “not only a humanitarian responsibility, but an urgent necessity for regional stability,” according to the Taliban statement. He also underscored the importance of creating employment opportunities for workers in both countries.

Iran has recently launched a plan to issue up to 200,000 work visas for Afghan nationals, amid a sharp shortage of low-cost labour following the large-scale departure of Afghan migrants. Iranian officials say the measure is intended to address labour gaps caused by the exodus.

Mujahid made the remarks on Wednesday after reports that a Turkish member of Islamic State had been detained near the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. He said such arrests were the result of information shared by the Taliban.

In an audio message to the media, Mujahid said the Taliban had long been aware of the presence of Islamic State members in Pakistan and had previously made this information public. He added that “the nurturing of ISIS must come to an end” and that the group’s safe havens should not be used against any country.

On Monday, Turkiye’s National Intelligence Organization announced it had arrested a senior Islamic State member in an area along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Turkiye’s state-run Anadolu Agency reported that the detainee, identified as Yahya, was a senior member of the Islamic State’s Khorasan branch, known as ISIS-K.

Turkish intelligence said the suspect was captured in a covert cross-border operation and later transferred to Turkiye. Turkish officials have not said whether the Taliban cooperated in the arrest or disclosed when the detention took place.

In a statement issued on Wednesday, the ministry said Hesamuddin Saberi, deputy minister for finance and administration, discussed potential investment opportunities with an Indian delegation. Saberi welcomed the proposal and said the Taliban is prepared to cooperate and provide the necessary facilitation to attract foreign investment in the mining sector.

According to the ministry, the Indian delegation described the Taliban’s conditions for foreign investment in mining as favourable.

The announcement follows earlier criticism by the Taliban over delays in copper extraction at the Aynak copper mine. On November 5, Taliban Minister of Mines and Petroleum Hedayatullah Badri told representatives of the Chinese company contracted to develop the site that the extraction process must be accelerated. The ministry said the company has committed, under the terms of its contract, to fully implement its obligations.

Since returning to power more than four years ago, the Taliban have placed increased emphasis on the extraction and allocation of Afghanistan’s natural resources. The administration has sought to finance a significant portion of its budget through revenues from the mining sector.

Critics, however, say the Taliban are exploiting Afghanistan’s mineral resources in an unprofessional and unlawful manner and argue that the proceeds are being used to consolidate the group’s rule rather than for national development.

Majid Shoja, commander of the Razavi Khorasan Border Guard, said the bodies were handed over to Taliban officials after the completion of legal and administrative procedures at the Dogharoun border crossing. He added that more than 1,600 Afghan migrants suffered from cold exposure last week during heavy snowfall and freezing temperatures along the Taybad border.

Following an earlier report by Afghanistan International, Mohammad Yousuf Saeedi, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Herat, also confirmed that Afghan migrants had died while crossing into Iran. However, he said only three Afghans died at the Kohsan border while attempting what he described as “illegal migration” to Iran.

Local sources in Herat told Afghanistan International that a group of Afghan migrants died inside Iranian territory during an intense cold wave. According to those sources, the bodies of at least 15 people were transferred to the districts of Kohsan and Adraskan in Herat province.

Saeedi, speaking to the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency, disputed those figures and said the death toll stood at three.

Sources said reduced border controls during snowfall often prompt some Afghans to attempt irregular crossings into Iran.

International organisations say rising poverty, unemployment and worsening food insecurity exacerbated by drought and cuts in international aid are driving increasing numbers of Afghans to migrate irregularly to neighbouring countries.