Protests Erupt In Herat After Deadly Attack On Shiite Worshippers

The agreement, reached by 26 elders from Nari, Kamdesh and Barg-e Matal districts, as well as Chitral, obliges both Taliban and Pakistani forces to observe a ceasefire.

It states that a joint reform jirga of local elders and religious scholars from both sides was formed to resolve issues through dialogue.

The second clause calls for a permanent ceasefire between the two sides, while also allowing those displaced by the fighting to return to their homes.

The fifth clause emphasises reopening roads, stating that routes previously closed to the public must remain open and cannot be blocked again.

The Nuristan-Chitral jirga warned that anyone violating the agreement would be held accountable.

Faridun Samim, spokesman for the Taliban governor in Nuristan, confirmed the development, saying the reopening was achieved through local mediation.

Pakistan has not yet commented on the agreement.

Pakistani border forces had previously fired on vehicles heading towards Kamdesh and Barg-e Matal, blocking the delivery of food and aid.

Residents say that despite the reopening, no aid or food convoys have yet reached the districts.

The route had been closed for nearly two months due to border clashes, with residents repeatedly warning of severe food shortages and the risk of famine.

According to sources, the villages of Kochi, Shahbaz and Karamar in Asadabad were targeted in the strikes. There are no confirmed reports of casualties so far.

Sources had also reported artillery strikes the previous night in the Shali Valley of Khas Kunar district.

The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident.

Pakistan had previously carried out similar rocket attacks on these villages, forcing residents of Asadabad to abandon their homes and relocate.

The attacks come after talks between the Taliban and Pakistan in Urumqi, China, ended without result last week.

Sharafat Zaman, spokesman for the Taliban Public Health Ministry, urged parents, religious scholars and community leaders to support the campaign, stressing that polio can only be prevented through vaccination.

According to the World Health Organization, Afghanistan and Pakistan remain the only countries where polio has not been eradicated. A parallel campaign is underway in Pakistan, targeting more than 45 million children within a week.

Aseefa Bhutto Zardari, daughter of current President of Pakistan, said the effort is being coordinated with Afghanistan, reflecting a shared commitment to stopping cross-border transmission and closing remaining gaps. She noted that 31 polio cases were recorded in Pakistan in 2025, compared with only one case so far this year.

The campaign comes amid security concerns. Pakistani police said suspected militants opened fire on a vehicle carrying officers assigned to protect vaccination teams in Hangu, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, near the Afghan border. One person was killed and four others injured, while two attackers were also killed.

No group has claimed responsibility, though suspicion has fallen on Pakistani Taliban and other militant groups. Such groups often target vaccination teams, falsely claiming the programme is a Western plot to sterilise children.

According to sources, the governor summoned Shia clerics and community elders on Monday morning and asked them to cancel both the funeral procession and the planned march.

Protesters had intended to carry the bodies of the victims in a procession from Sadeqiya Mosque in central Herat to a shrine known as Sultan Agha.

The march was planned as part of funeral rites for victims of the deadly attack in Deh Miri village in Injil district.

Sources said Sunni residents had also planned to join the procession in solidarity.

At the same time, some business groups announced they would close their shops on Tuesday in observance.

The Taliban governor said only burial ceremonies should take place at the Sultan Mir Abdul Wahid shrine, also known as Sultan Agha.

Sources said that despite Shia clerics insisting on a peaceful march, the governor rejected the request.

Another source said that despite the governor’s position, the march may still go ahead but warned that Taliban forces would not provide security for participants.

The attack took place on Friday, April 10, when four gunmen shot dead 13 Shia civilians visiting a shrine in Deh Miri village.

The incident has triggered widespread domestic and international reactions, with some Afghan political figures holding the Taliban responsible.

No group, including ISIS which has previously targeted Shia communities, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

The new area lies near the Karakoram mountain range, close to the borders with Afghanistan and Pakistan-administered Kashmir and is the third such unit China has established in Xinjiang in just over a year.

It is reported that the unit will fall under the administration of Kashgar prefecture.

Kashgar is a historic city along the Silk Road and serves as a key gateway linking China with South Asia and Central Asia. It is also the starting point of the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor, which passes through Pakistan-administered Kashmir and is opposed by India.

India last year objected to the creation of two other such administrative units by China, saying parts of those areas fall within territory it claims in Ladakh.

China has repeatedly expressed concern over fighters from the East Turkestan Islamic Movement using the Wakhan Corridor to enter Xinjiang from Afghanistan.