Taliban Mandating Religious Allegiance, Says Balkh University Students

The attack took place in Deh Mehri village in Injil district of Herat province. According to sources, the area is predominantly inhabited by Shia communities.

Victims had gathered near a shrine known as “Sayed Mohammad Agha” when they came under gunfire.

Sources said the group had gone to the area for recreation near the border of Injil and Zinda Jan districts when they were targeted.

Doctors at a local hospital told Afghanistan International that at least 10 bodies had been brought in so far, while sources warned the death toll could increase.

An eyewitness said he saw around 20 bodies at the scene.

Taliban authorities have not commented on the incident, and no group has claimed responsibility.

In a report on Thursday, April 9, OCHA said a total of 73,300 people had been affected by the recent rainfall and flooding.

The agency added that 9,010 homes were impacted, including 1,338 destroyed and 7,672 damaged.

It said about 7,720 acres of agricultural land were lost and 543 livestock killed during this period.

The UN also reported damage to at least 200 kilometers of roads and the destruction of 19 bridges.

According to the report, around 1,200 affected families have so far received humanitarian assistance, including food, cash, emergency shelter, essential items and health services.

Figures from the Taliban’s disaster management authority show that since March 26, at least 157 people have died due to heavy rain and flooding nationwide, with nine still missing.

Officials said an inspection of a Hyundai lorry found that of 750 boilers being transported, 210 had false bottoms or concealed compartments.

A total of 190kg and 800 grams of Hashish was recovered from the shipment.

The driver, a 34-year-old Uzbek national, had been under surveillance before crossing the border, authorities said.

Uzbek media reported the shipment was being transited to a neighbouring country, though the destination was not specified.

Local elders reported that in Bari Kot, in Nari district of Kunar, and in Kamdesh district of Nuristan, Taliban forces abandoned border posts and took shelter in nearby village mosques.

One elder said: “When fighting began, Pakistani forces attacked Bari Kot. Both local residents and Taliban fighters left the area, and the posts are now empty.”

According to local sources, Pakistani and Taliban posts are located close to each other. It remains unclear why the Taliban withdrew or whether heavy Pakistani shelling forced the evacuation.

Aid organisations and Bakhtar News Agency reported that ongoing clashes between Taliban and Pakistani forces have displaced thousands of families from Nari district to the centers of Kunar and Nangarhar.

Local elders said roads leading to Kamdesh and Barg-e Matal via Nari have been blocked, possibly to conceal the Taliban’s withdrawal from border positions.

Some elders believe the Taliban lack logistical capacity to sustain their forces and withdrew out of fear of Pakistani attacks.

Others accused the group of misleading the public and media, saying officials use helicopters to visit district centers to give the impression they still control border areas and that roads remain open.

One elder said: “The Taliban now have both a government and a military, but they cannot keep roads open or ensure security.”

Earlier, Faridun Samim, spokesperson for the Taliban governor in Nuristan, confirmed that Pakistani forces were attacking vehicles trying to enter Kamdesh and Barg-e Matal, leading to the closure of land routes.

Some local residents warned that if the situation continues, they may be forced to seek help from Pakistani forces for movement and basic supplies.

Previously, Nuristan residents had urged Taliban Promotion of Vice and Virtue Minister Khalid Hanafi to take urgent steps to reopen roads in Barg-e Matal and Kamdesh.

Speaking on Thursday at a meeting with figures described as experts close to the Taliban, Noori said the barbed wire along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border was “a thorn in our chest”.

He accused Pakistan of pursuing “foreign agendas” and said the Taliban would deal with it as they had with the Soviet Union and the United States. “We taught Russia a lesson, we taught America a lesson, Pakistan should expect the same,” he said.

Noori added that Pakistan’s ambitions reflect “foreign dreams” and would never succeed, claiming its policies are driven by external influence and financial motives.

Taliban officials have accused Pakistan of advancing US-backed plans to destabilise the region, while Islamabad says the Taliban support anti-Pakistan militants and justifies cross-border strikes on that basis.

Referring to the Durand Line, Noori said the fencing imposed by Pakistan is unacceptable.

He also claimed Pakistan is trying to draw NATO into the border issue but said the Taliban would not be influenced by any external actor.

Pakistan has fenced much of its border with Afghanistan over the past two decades, though the barrier has not stopped militant movement across the frontier. Like previous Afghan governments, the Taliban do not recognise the border.

Noori said the Taliban administration represents all Afghans, not a single group, and treats citizens equally.

However, international actors, including Russia, have urged the Taliban to form an inclusive government, noting it remains dominated by one political and ethnic group.

Noori is known as a hardline critic of Pakistan. He was detained after the fall of the Taliban’s first regime in 2001 and held at Guantanamo Bay for 12 years.

Figures such as Noori and Khairullah Khairkhwa have accused Pakistan of betraying them by handing them over to the United States.

Earlier, Noori had warned that if tensions escalate, Taliban forces could advance deep into Pakistan, even towards Punjab, the country’s political and military center.

His remarks come amid escalating border and political tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan. Although the two sides recently held talks in Urumqi under Chinese pressure, no details or outcomes have been disclosed.

Sources say the negotiations ended without a clear result.