Taliban Spokesperson Calls UN Sanctions ‘Clear Injustice’

According to the Taliban police command, the incident took place in Chokak village of Khwaja district while worshippers were performing prayers.

The Taliban said the attack was linked to a personal dispute, adding that two suspects have been arrested and one has fled.

They said the injured were taken to hospital for treatment.

The updated entries also include Abdul Ghani Baradar, the deputy prime minister, and Hedayatullah Badri, the minister of mines.

These individuals were already under UN sanctions, and the latest changes involve updates and corrections to their personal details and official identification records.

In late March 16, the committee also published an updated list of 22 senior Taliban officials under sanctions, along with their biographical information.

Those listed include Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, Refugees Minister Abdul Kabir, Agriculture Minister Abdul Latif Mansoor, Transport Minister Mohammad Fazel Mazloom, former Higher Education Minister Abdul Baqi Haqqani, Economy Minister Din Mohammad Hanif, tourism deputy Qudratullah Jamal, disaster authority chief Nooruddin Turabi, Public Works Minister Mohammad Essa Akhund, Urban Development Minister Najibullah Haqqani, Hajj Minister Noor Mohammad Saqib, intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wassiq and Wardak governor Khairullah Khairkhwa.

The sanctions are imposed under UN Security Council Resolution 1988, which restricts travel unless approved by the council.

They target individuals involved in violence, arms supply, recruitment or activities threatening Afghanistan’s peace and stability.

Last year, the Security Council unanimously extended the mandate of its sanctions monitoring team for another year, based on a draft resolution prepared by the United States.

The Taliban have repeatedly called for the lifting of sanctions over the past four years, but concerns over militant activity, discrimination against women and the absence of an inclusive government have led to their continuation.

The footage showed protesters carrying photos of the victims and chanting slogans as they took part in the procession.

The demonstration went ahead despite earlier efforts by Taliban authorities to prevent it. Sources said Noor Ahmad Islamjar, the Taliban governor of Herat, had attempted to block the march.

Residents had planned the procession to coincide with the transfer of the victims’ bodies from Sadiqiya madrasa to a shrine known as Mir Abdul Wahid Shaheed.

According to sources, the Taliban governor summoned Shiite clerics and community leaders on Monday and urged them to cancel both the funeral procession and the protest march.

Some local businesses also announced they would close on Tuesday in solidarity.

The protests followed a deadly shooting on Friday, when gunmen opened fire on a group of Shiite worshippers visiting a shrine in the village of Dahmiri in Injil district, killing at least 13 people.

One eyewitness said he counted as many as 30 bodies at a hospital following the attack.

No group has so far claimed responsibility for the killings.

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.