Local sources told Afghanistan International that an explosion occurred around midday on Friday, June 5, in Kabul’s 11th police district, near a boys’ school and the residence of a senior Taliban official.
According to the sources, the blast took place outside Seyed al-Naseri Boys’ School and close to the home of Mawlawi Qudratullah Amini, the Taliban’s deputy governor for Kabul.
A video obtained by Afghanistan International appears to show Taliban personnel transporting at least one injured person in a ranger vehicle following the incident.
Qudratullah Amini is originally from Panjshir province and previously served as the Taliban’s governor there.
The nature and cause of the explosion remain unclear.
Taliban authorities have not yet commented on the incident, and no individual or group has claimed responsibility for the attack.
The Taliban’s disaster management authority has warned of heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and possible flash floods in eight Afghan provinces, with precipitation of between 5 and 20 millimetres forecast for June 5.
In a statement issued on Thursday, June 4, the authority said: “According to weather reports from the Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation and credible international agencies, there is a risk of heavy rain, thunderstorms and flash flooding in these provinces.”
The warning covers Panjshir, Khost, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, Nangarhar, Kunar and Nuristan provinces.
Residents in affected areas have been advised to avoid riverbanks, valleys and flood-prone locations and to remain indoors during periods of heavy rainfall.
In recent years, Afghanistan has experienced a sharp increase in natural disasters, particularly flash floods.
Climate change, the rapid melting of mountain snow, deforestation and the lack of adequate water-management infrastructure have made even moderate rainfall capable of triggering destructive flooding.
The provinces of Badakhshan, Nuristan, Kunar and Panjshir are considered especially vulnerable because of their mountainous terrain and seasonal rivers.
The warning comes as some parts of Afghanistan are still recovering from recent flooding.
Spring floods this year caused significant damage to roads, homes and agricultural land in several northern and eastern provinces and resulted in multiple fatalities.
Reliable sources told Afghanistan International on Thursday that Taliban and Pakistani representatives held an informal meeting in the Uzbek border city of Termez at the request and with the mediation of the Uzbek government.
The meeting comes amid growing Pakistani criticism of what Islamabad describes as the Taliban’s failure to curb Pakistani militants based in Afghanistan, with officials warning that Pakistan’s patience over the attacks is running out.
According to information obtained by Afghanistan International, Pakistan was represented by Dr Amina Khan, a senior member of the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, and Mansoor Khan, Pakistan’s former ambassador to Kabul. Zakir Jalaly and Ghuncha Gul Arman attended on behalf of the Taliban.
Informed sources said the talks were arranged at the insistence of Uzbek officials after both sides agreed to participate.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Termez Dialogue, which has brought together more than 150 delegations from regional countries, other states and international organisations.
Neither the Taliban nor the Pakistani government has publicly commented on the meeting, and no details have been released regarding the issues discussed.
Pakistan has recently expressed frustration with continued engagement after several rounds of talks with the Taliban. On Thursday, Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesman said that while Islamabad remains committed to dialogue and diplomacy, it cannot remain indifferent to what it describes as a wave of militant attacks and civilian casualties linked to groups supported by the Taliban.
In recent years, Uzbekistan has sought to play a more active role in regional efforts related to Afghanistan, viewing stability in the country as essential for expanding regional economic and transit cooperation.
Previous mediation efforts by Turkiye, Qatar and China failed to resolve the disputes between the Taliban and Pakistan. Although militant attacks declined during periods of dialogue, they never fully stopped. Pakistan says this has contributed to its growing disappointment with negotiations.
The meeting comes at a time of unprecedented tensions between the Taliban and Pakistan, with border crossings between the two countries repeatedly closed in recent months. Pakistani officials have also warned of possible further measures in response to militant attacks.
The Taliban, however, rejects Pakistan’s accusations and argues that Islamabad expects the group to solve Pakistan’s internal security problems. The Taliban also denies that Pakistani or Baloch militants operate from Afghan territory.
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Alexey Overchuk says talks on a railway project through Afghanistan are continuing despite ongoing instability in the region, including plans for a western route passing through Herat province.
According to Russian media reports, Overchuk told the St Petersburg International Economic Forum that the discussions extend beyond rail links and also cover the development of pipelines and road infrastructure.
The Kremlin official acknowledged the challenges facing such projects, saying that conflict and persistent insecurity in the region have slowed both negotiations and practical implementation efforts.
He added that there is significant activity across the region aimed at strengthening transport and logistics corridors.
According to Overchuk, railway, road and energy transit projects through Afghanistan are strategically important for expanding trade and transit links between Central Asia, Russia, South Asia and the Middle East.
The Russian official said the Herat route remains one of the potential options currently under discussion among regional countries.
Overchuk has previously spoken of Moscow’s interest in developing railway infrastructure in Afghanistan.
He said Russian specialists are studying possible railway routes through the country.
Russian officials have also previously announced that Moscow intends to participate in the Trans-Afghan Railway project.
The Trans-Afghan Railway is a regional initiative designed to connect Central Asia with South Asia through Afghanistan, involving Uzbekistan, Afghanistan and Pakistan.
The Taliban displayed the bloodied bodies of two men in the city of Herat after killing them in Injil district, saying they died during a confrontation with security forces while allegedly attempting an armed robbery.
Armed Taliban personnel transported the bodies from Injil district to Herat on Thursday, 4 June, in the back of a military ranger vehicle.
Taliban officials identified the men as alleged armed robbers and said they were killed by security forces during what the group described as criminal activity in Injil district.
The Taliban has not released the identities of the men and has provided no further details about the incident.
Images and videos circulating from the scene show Taliban fighters carrying the bloodied bodies in the back of a vehicle through public areas before taking them to an undisclosed location. The display of the bodies reportedly caused fear and distress among residents of Herat.
This is not the first time the Taliban has publicly displayed the bodies of people killed in clashes with its forces. Similar incidents have previously been reported in Herat.
The Taliban argues that such actions serve as a warning to others and help reduce crime.
Findings by Afghanistan International indicate that theft has risen sharply in Herat province. According to statements issued by the Taliban police command in Herat, 882 people have been arrested on theft-related charges in the province over the past six months alone.
Analysts have linked the increase in thefts to growing poverty, unemployment, declining foreign aid and the dismissal of public-sector employees.
The United Nations has repeatedly warned about Afghanistan’s economic crisis, saying living conditions have worsened since the Taliban returned to power. The loss of international assistance, years of conflict, corruption and natural disasters have further deepened the country’s humanitarian challenges.
Sources told Afghanistan International that Afghanistan’s embassy in Kuwait was handed over to a Taliban diplomat this week, replacing the ambassador appointed by the former Afghan government.
According to the sources, Mawlawi Mohammad Shafiq Khatib has begun work as the Taliban’s ambassador to Kuwait. He previously served as head of consular affairs and head of border affairs at the Taliban Foreign Ministry.
Earlier, Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi said the group maintains diplomatic relations with around 20 countries and that Taliban diplomats are serving at several Afghan embassies and diplomatic missions abroad.
The transfer of Afghanistan’s embassy in Kuwait to Taliban control comes amid growing criticism in recent months of efforts to normalise relations with the group.
Critics argue that normalisation risks granting legitimacy to the Taliban without addressing the human rights situation in Afghanistan and the extensive restrictions imposed on the rights and freedoms of Afghan citizens.