Unidentified Aircraft, Gunfire Reported Across Kabul

Taliban authorities have not commented on the clashes or arrests.

The identities of those detained have also not been officially confirmed.

According to local reports, security tensions in Paryan have been building for several months. The incidents began after a Taliban vehicle was set on fire in Kojan village in December 2025.

Residents said that later, in an attack on a Taliban outpost at Paryan Mosque in late March 2026, two Taliban members were killed. Another major incident was the killing of Mullah Gul Haidar, the Taliban intelligence deputy, in the same village.

Local sources, speaking anonymously for security reasons, said Taliban forces subsequently arrested many civilians from Kojan village.

There have also been reports of detainees being tortured.

Taliban intelligence reportedly launched two large-scale operations against the strategic Samehr Dara area, claiming the attackers were hiding there.

Sources said a Taliban assault on the night of May 5, from two directions, Shahr-e Biland village and the valley route, was met with resistance, forcing the attackers to retreat after suffering three dead and one wounded.

The security situation in Paryan is now described as heavily militarised, with residents expressing concern over increasing arrests, restrictions and tensions.

Strict curfew measures have also been imposed in Kojan village, where no one is allowed to leave their homes after evening prayers.

In response to recent debate about Afghanistan’s possible fragmentation, the Taliban interior ministry adviser wrote on Friday, May 8: “Empires came and went, but Afghanistan remained Afghanistan.”

Maria Sultan, head of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute, had earlier said Afghanistan could lose its geographic form in a changing regional order and might not survive in its current structure.

Her remarks triggered widespread reactions among Afghan politicians and social media users.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, former foreign minister, responded by saying that scenarios predicting Afghanistan’s fragmentation have repeatedly failed throughout history.

He stressed that despite foreign interventions, Afghanistan has preserved its territorial integrity, and its people would respond to any threat.

According to sources, at least two people have been killed and several others wounded in the clashes. One person was shot dead on Friday, while another was killed by gunfire early on Saturday, May 9.

A video obtained by Afghanistan International from Argo district shows a group of residents protesting against the Taliban.

Sources said the protests have become increasingly violent and the number of casualties could rise.

As the clashes intensified, the Taliban reportedly restricted telecommunications networks in Badakhshan.

Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the incidents.

According to local information, the clashes began on Friday, May 8, when Taliban forces entered the area to destroy poppy fields and dispersed protesters using gunfire and violence.

This comes as the Taliban governor of Badakhshan, and his deputy recently visited several districts and urged residents to cooperate with anti-poppy operations.

Earlier reports said the Taliban had deployed at least 1,500 forces to Kashm district for poppy eradication efforts.

This is not the first time residents of Argo have resisted the destruction of poppy crops and the absence of alternative livelihoods.

In previous years, similar confrontations during the poppy harvest season resulted in deadly clashes between residents and Taliban forces, leaving several people dead and injured.

The two-day Paris conference on Afghanistan concluded on Thursday, May 7. The first day was held at the French parliament, while the second took place at the French foreign ministry and Paris City Hall.

The meeting focused on Afghanistan’s human rights situation, women’s rights and possible political solutions to the country’s crisis.

French foreign ministry officials met on Thursday morning with UN representatives and former Afghan officials.

During the meeting, attended by Richard Bennett, UN special rapporteur, Rahmatullah Nabil, former head of the National Directorate of Security and several women’s rights activists, participants stressed recognising gender apartheid as a crime against humanity.

Discussions also covered accelerating humanitarian and educational visas for Afghan women, urgent action to secure the release of women from Taliban prisons and holding a joint international conference in France on the condition of Afghan women.

In the second part of the conference at Paris City Hall, members of the city council discussed creating a cross-party network of local representatives in support of Afghanistan, raising awareness about Afghan women’s conditions, and assisting Afghan refugee women through housing, education and empowerment programmes.

Other topics included financial support for Afghan and Afghan-French organisations, passing resolutions recognising gender apartheid as a crime against humanity, and cooperation with the European Parliament to strengthen support and political pressure on the Taliban.

Earlier, the European Parliament announced it would review a petition calling for recognition of gender apartheid in Afghanistan and the designation of the Taliban as a terrorist organisation.

In a post on X on Friday, May 8, he said Pakistan has intensified political, cultural and propaganda pressure against Afghanistan.

Maria Sultan, head of the South Asian Strategic Stability Institute (SSASI), recently said Afghanistan may lose its geographic form in a changing regional order and might not exist in its current structure in the future.

Khurram wrote that parts of Sultan’s comments, particularly regarding Taliban officials’ assets, should be addressed by the group, but claims about the disappearance of Afghanistan’s geography and denial of its national identity require a response from every Afghan.

He stressed that Afghanistan is a historical country formed over centuries and not an artificial construct like Pakistan created through political decisions.

He described Sultan’s remarks about Afghanistan’s future geography as “propaganda”.

Khurram also accused Pakistan of appropriating Afghanistan’s historical and cultural heritage.

He said the SSASI head’s statements reflect the position of Pakistan’s intelligence services and added that such efforts have intensified since the start of the Iran conflict.

Sultan’s remarks have drawn reactions from several Afghan politicians.

Rangin Dadfar Spanta, former foreign minister of Afghanistan, said scenarios of Afghanistan’s fragmentation have failed throughout history, adding that despite foreign interference, the country has preserved its territorial integrity, and its people will respond to any threat.

Asif Durrani, former Pakistan envoy for Afghanistan said Afghanistan’s future should be determined by Afghans themselves and that no external country or force should interfere in its internal affairs.