Iran Must Conduct Serious Probe Into General Sari's Killing, Say Anti-Taliban Groups

In a statement carried by Khovar, Tajikistan’s state news agency, on Thursday, the committee said three members of a terrorist organisation crossed the Afghan border and entered Tajik territory in the Shamsiddin Shohin district.

According to the statement, Tajik border guards located the militants inside Tajikistan at 11:15 a.m. on 24 December and launched an operation against them.

The committee said the militants ignored orders to surrender and opened fire. They were attempting to carry out an armed attack on one of the border posts of the Border Forces of the State Committee for National Security but were killed in a shootout.

The identities of the three militants and the name of the terrorist organisation to which they belonged have not been disclosed.
The committee said weapons and ammunition were seized from the militants.

The State Committee for National Security said this was the third armed attack, terrorist act or illegal border crossing from Afghanistan into Tajikistan in the past month that resulted in the deaths of military personnel.

Call for Taliban Apology

The committee said the repeated attacks over the past month demonstrate what it described as the Taliban administration’s serious and repeated irresponsibility in fulfilling its international commitments and its assurances to ensure security and stability along the Tajik–Afghan border and to combat terrorist organisations.

Tajik border forces said they hope the Taliban leadership will apologise to the people of Tajikistan and take effective measures to ensure security along the shared border.

The Border Forces of the State Committee for National Security said they possess full physical and combat capabilities to safeguard the country’s borders.

The statement said Tajik border guards will continue to defend the country’s frontiers with full force against external aggression and will respond decisively to terrorist groups, smugglers and any attempts to cross the border from Afghanistan.

According to the committee, the situation along the Tajikistan–Afghanistan border is currently calm, and investigations into the clash are continuing.

The press office of the president of Tajikistan confirmed in the month in November that five people were killed and five others wounded in two attacks launched from Afghanistan. Following those incidents, President Emomali Rahmon ordered security agencies to assess the situation and explore ways to strengthen border security.

Tajikistan was among the critics of the Taliban administration following the group’s return to power but has recently expanded its relations with Kabul and moved towards greater engagement.

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.