Taliban Publicly Flogs Eight People In Two Provinces

Local sources in Khost told Afghanistan International the clash occurred around 8pm on Sunday in the border area of Tani district, with gunfire reportedly continuing between the two sides.

Abdul Haq Fida, spokesperson for the Taliban’s 203rd Corps in south-eastern Afghanistan, claimed a Pakistani military post was destroyed. He added that the body of a Pakistani soldier had come into Taliban possession.

Officials from the corps released a video showing the body of a Pakistani soldier and claimed that at least four Pakistani troops had been killed so far.

The Taliban have not provided details about their own casualties.

Pakistani authorities have not yet commented on the incident or any reported losses.

According to the ministry, in Ghor province the Ghor-Kabul route in Badghah and Dawlat Yar, the Dara Kargosh route in Charsada district and the Ghor–Herat Road in Kamanj, Shahrak district, have been closed.

It added that roads in six districts in the southern zone and the route between the provincial center and Murghab district have also been temporarily blocked.

The Kabul–Jalalabad highway has also been closed in the Tang-e Gharu area due to landslides.

The ministry said provincial teams have begun clearance work to reopen the routes. Some roads have already been reopened, while efforts to restore access to others are ongoing.

According to the statement, the Parwan–Bamiyan route in Siahgard and Shinwari, and the Bamiyan–Maidan Wardak Road in the Hajigak and Unai passes, which had previously been blocked, have now been reopened.

The ministry urged people to avoid travelling on blocked routes until full reopening is officially announced.

In a statement, the commission said at least 169 returnees were transferred from Kabul to various provinces on that day.

Pakistan has recently stepped up the arrest and deportation of Afghan migrants. It has reopened the Torkham crossing specifically for the expulsion of undocumented migrants.

The crossing had previously been closed to passenger traffic following tensions and clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan.

Pakistan had shut the Torkham crossing to trade and transit since October amid border clashes.

Officials said the crossing has now been reopened on a one-way basis solely for the return of Afghan migrants.

This comes despite repeated warnings from international organisations that returning many Afghan migrants, including women, journalists, former government officials and soldiers, to Taliban-controlled Afghanistan is unsafe.

Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy Taliban spokesperson, said on Saturday, April 4, that the earthquake caused casualties and damage in Kabul, Panjshir, Logar, Nangarhar, Laghman and Nuristan.

The US Geological Survey said the 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck at about 8:42pm Kabul time in the Hindu Kush region at a depth of 186 kilometres.

The Taliban said the earthquake destroyed one house in Bagrami district of Kabul, killing eight people.

Tremors were also felt across large parts of India and Pakistan.

Radio Television Afghanistan under Taliban control earlier reported that a house collapsed in Bagrami, killing eight members of a single family.

Marking Mine Awareness Day on Saturday, April 4, the ICRC said it recorded at least 217 incidents involving explosive remnants of war across Afghanistan last year.

The organisation noted that landmines and unexploded ordnance from decades of conflict continue to pose a serious threat to civilians.

According to UN data, Afghanistan remains one of the three most contaminated countries in the world by explosive hazards.

The report said one-third of such incidents occurred in eastern Afghanistan, while 48% were in western regions and 34% in southern areas. The lowest number of incidents was recorded in northern provinces.

The ICRC described the level of casualties as alarming, noting that for every person killed, nearly four others were injured. Many of the wounded suffer long-term disabilities and require ongoing care.

The report stressed that the high casualty rate highlights the urgent need to expand mine risk education programmes across Afghanistan.

Last year, the ICRC provided essential awareness training to 120,000 people in areas contaminated by explosive hazards.

UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett also called on the international community to invest in continued clearance of landmines and unexploded ordnance, stressing that Afghanistan remains among the most affected countries globally.