Iran Executes Two Over Alleged Ties To Exiled Opposition Group

It said that in its first spring offensive on Sunday evening, March 29, it attacked a Taliban border unit in Baharak district of Badakhshan province, killing four members.

According to the AFF, three other Taliban fighters were wounded in the attack.

The Taliban have not commented on the Afghanistan Freedom Front’s claim.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front had suspended its attacks against the Taliban during the month of Ramadan.

The Front’s attack in Badakhshan comes as the Taliban, about two weeks ago, deployed their governor of Helmand, Amanuddin Mansoor, to Badakhshan.

Amanuddin Mansoor, a Badakhshani Taliban commander, said in a speech that people are asking him how long the Taliban government will last.

The Taliban are concerned that the presence of opposition forces in the north could be strengthened by gaining regional and international support in these provinces.

According to Russian media reports citing officials from the centre, a long-term fuel supply agreement is expected to be signed soon in the city of Kazan.

It is understood that current contracts run for three to six months and are then renewed. In this context, plans are underway to sign a long-term agreement during the Kazan International Economic Forum 2026.

Zamir Kabulov, the Russian president’s special envoy for Afghanistan, has said that Afghanistan is interested in purchasing Russian fuel and that energy exports to the country are on the agenda in ongoing talks.

According to Taliban-run National Television, the victims’ bodies have been handed over to their families.

During the former republic, the Taliban frequently planted mines on roads and farmland without marking them, targeting government and foreign forces.

The International Committee of the Red Cross said that in 2024 at least 564 people, including 434 children, were killed in Afghanistan by landmines and unexploded remnants of war.

The two men, Qadoos Khatibi and Fayaz Ghori, had previously urged the reopening of girls’ schools through posts on Facebook.

According to sources, they were first taken to the Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice and later transferred to Taliban intelligence custody.

Khatibi, a university lecturer and social activist in Herat, had posted a video on Friday calling on the Taliban to reopen schools and universities to Afghan girls.

Referring to nearly five years of closures, he said the Taliban had repeatedly cited problems that needed to be resolved but had failed to address them. Without education, development is not possible in any country, he said.

He stressed that the Taliban should honour their commitments and provide access to education for girls.

Meanwhile, Fayaz Ghori wrote on Facebook that he hoped for the day when the doors of education would reopen to girls in Afghanistan.

During nearly five years in power, the Taliban have repeatedly detained critics over protests against their policies, with some reports of torture.

Since returning to power, the Taliban have barred girls above primary school from attending classes and have also closed universities to female students.

Videos released by Taliban outlets show individuals holding both old and modern weapons, with some participants saying they were awaiting Taliban orders to join a possible fight against Pakistan.

The march reportedly took place in the border districts of Zazi Maidan and Alisher.

Participants condemned Pakistan’s recent attacks on Afghan territory and warned they were ready to wage jihad if instructed.

Some told Taliban media they had already registered for a potential conflict, stressing that defending Afghanistan’s soil is a responsibility shared by all citizens.

Mukhtaruddin Jalalzai, a tribal elder in Khost, said locals had signed up for possible fighting and were waiting for Taliban orders to join front-line combat against Pakistani forces.

Previously, in several provinces, the Taliban have been accused of pressuring people to take part in anti-Pakistan demonstrations. Residents told Afghanistan International they had been threatened into joining such protests.

Over the past four years, the Taliban have repeatedly suppressed public protests, including those led by women demanding rights and freedoms, often using force and detaining participants.

Observers say the Taliban are attempting to mobilise public support against Pakistan.

Tensions between the two sides continue to escalate, with Pakistan vowing to continue operations inside Afghanistan and the Taliban saying they will respond to further attacks.