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The Taliban have expanded construction of mountain tunnels, underground military warehouses and defensive facilities in Kandahar and several other Afghan provinces, an Afghanistan International investigation has found.
The investigation, based on interviews with workers, local residents and sources close to the Taliban, alongside an examination of satellite imagery, indicates that the tunnels could be used to store weapons and ammunition, conceal military vehicles and shelter senior Taliban leaders.
Large piles of excavated earth can be seen on the slopes of mountains near Aino Mina in Kandahar city. From a distance, signs of excavation and a road or tunnel leading into the mountain are also visible. However, Taliban security restrictions make it difficult to access the excavation sites or photograph them.
Sources familiar with Taliban activities in the area told Afghanistan International that construction and expansion of the tunnels began approximately 18 months ago. Alongside storing weapons inside the mountain, work is also under way on equipped buildings and other facilities.
Local residents, workers and sources close to the Taliban's military and administrative structures also confirmed to Afghanistan International that the group is constructing underground storage facilities for weapons, ammunition and military equipment. These facilities are intended to provide protection against air strikes while also serving as shelters for senior Taliban leaders.
Afghanistan International interviewed several reliable sources and workers involved in excavating tunnels across different parts of Kandahar. According to their accounts, the activities extend from the mountainous Aino Mina area of Kandahar city to Mullah Mohammad Omar's former Taliban leader residence, Kandahar airport, Maiwand, Zhari and Spin Boldak districts.
In Maiwand district, several pits and tunnels had previously been excavated, most of them underground. The Taliban used these tunnels during their years of fighting against the former Afghan government, NATO and US forces.
Afghanistan International's investigative team examined satellite images of the new tunnels. The images show excavation inside mountains in the Aino Mina area of Kandahar city, as well as a road leading towards the tunnel entrances. Piles of earth removed from inside the mountain are also visible.
A source familiar with Taliban activities in Kandahar said: "Equipped buildings have been constructed inside the tunnels for accommodation and other needs."
According to information shared with Afghanistan International by people familiar with the excavation work, the tunnels differ in structure, size and potential purpose. Many sections are more than two metres wide, while their height allows people to walk through them standing upright.
Some sections have been constructed for ordinary movement, while others are considerably wider. According to sources, these larger sections are intended to accommodate heavy military equipment and weapons.
The Taliban mainly use mountainous, hilly and remote areas for tunnel construction. Some tunnels have basic structures consisting of natural earth and rock, while construction plans for other sections specify the use of reinforcing steel bars, cement, stone and plaster.
Another feature of these underground facilities is their ventilation and electricity systems. According to sources, specialised pipes are used to circulate air inside the tunnels, while advanced lithium batteries provide electricity.
Sources said the Taliban rely primarily on manual labour for excavation, with relatively little use of heavy construction machinery. Because of security restrictions, workers' movements and construction activities are often scheduled at night.
Taliban Reconstructing Mullah Sahib Sarai
Mullah Mohammad Omar's former residence in Kandahar's ninth police district, known as “Mullah Sahib Sarai”, has been identified as another important location for the Taliban's new excavation activities.
Mullah Sahib Sarai is considered a significant site in the history of Afghanistan's conflicts over recent decades.
During the final years of the Taliban's first period in power, the compound served as the residence of Mullah Mohammad Omar, the group's founder. After 2001, US forces renamed the compound “Camp Gecko”. It was later named after Thomas Maholic, a US soldier killed in action. The camp supported operations by Unit 03 in Kandahar, Helmand and Uruzgan provinces.
Some former officers of Unit 03 also say the compound contains concealed and secure facilities.
The compound is now occupied by fighters from the Taliban's Omari Unit, which is responsible for protecting Hibatullah Akhundzada and is also used for special military operations.
On 23 September this year, Pakistani aircraft carried out strikes on barren land near Mullah Sahib Sarai, killing and injuring several civilians. The Taliban did not disclose the primary target of the attack, but some residents suspect that a tunnel may have been targeted.
Tunnel construction is now under way between the compound and the adjacent mountain.
A source in the area told Afghanistan International: "A large number of people have been employed to excavate tunnels in the Mullah Sahib Sarai area. Dozens of workers use excavation equipment there every day."
A local resident said large signs had been installed along roads leading to Mullah Sahib Sarai, warning: "This is a security area and photography is prohibited."
The Taliban have imposed such strict security restrictions in the area that even local residents cannot move freely around the compound.
According to residents, excavation work had previously been carried out around Mullah Sahib Sarai to improve security. A large trench has also been dug in the area, restricting access to the compound and reducing the possibility of a vehicle-borne bomb attack.
Tunnel Workers Paid 1,000 Afghanis a Day
A worker who requested anonymity told Afghanistan International that the Taliban had transported him and several others to Shorabak district in Kandahar to excavate tunnels.
He was paid 1,000 Afghanis a day for the work. Some other workers were given contracts to excavate tunnels measuring 10 or 20 metres in length.
He said he worked on the project for approximately one month before leaving because of the difficult working conditions.
Another worker involved in excavating a tunnel in the 11th police district, on the outskirts of Aino Mina, told Afghanistan International: "Explosives are used to break rocks inside the mountain."
He added: "The rocky sections of the mountain cannot be broken with ordinary tools, so explosives are used during excavation. Work was continuing to expand the tunnel inside the mountain."
The worker did not have complete information about the main purpose of the tunnels but said he had observed signs of construction work to provide water, food and other essential facilities.
Another person who worked on tunnel excavation in the 11th police district, near Aino Mina, said: "Explosives are used to break rocks inside the mountain."
According to accounts from tunnel workers, some people were transported between locations while blindfolded during the construction of certain tunnels.
A worker who had worked on a tunnel in Shorabak said: "The purpose of blindfolding workers was to prevent them from recognising the worksite and travel routes or learning the locations of the tunnels."
Signs of Excavation From Kandahar Airport to Military Corps Headquarters
According to Afghanistan International's investigative team, signs of military activity and excavation have been observed around the Taliban's 205th Al-Badr Army Corps headquarters and Kandahar airport in Daman district.
The area is considered one of Kandahar's main military and logistical centres. However, the nature of the observed excavation and its connection to underground military facilities have not yet been confirmed.
In the early days of Hamal this year, Pakistan made claims about air strikes against various facilities in Kandahar.
Pakistani government officials said that month that their forces had targeted the headquarters of a brigade belonging to the 205th Army Corps, ammunition depots and a tunnel. However, Pakistan's claims regarding the nature of the targets and the damage inflicted have not been independently verified.
Pakistani sources also claimed on 13 March 2026 that oil storage facilities and logistical installations near Kandahar airport had been targeted. A Taliban spokesman later said the attack had struck a Kam Air fuel depot. An airport official also said the depot was used to refuel aircraft belonging to Kam Air and the United Nations.
According to Afghanistan International's investigative team, some Taliban sources say the group has placed greater emphasis on constructing underground facilities to store weapons and military equipment securely following an increase in Pakistani air strikes.
Two sources in Kandahar told Afghanistan International that tunnel construction had begun before the Pakistani strikes, but that work on the projects had accelerated as tensions between the two sides intensified.
Trump's Warnings and Pakistani Air Strikes
Kandahar is considered the main centre of power and decision-making for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Since the Taliban returned to power, Hibatullah has remained in Kandahar, from where the group's major political and religious leadership decisions are directed.
Some sources linked to the Taliban told Afghanistan International that earlier this year, Hibatullah verbally ordered weapons stockpiles to be transferred from various provinces, including Kabul, to Kandahar. He also advised subordinate Taliban officials to construct tunnels in mountains and underground storage facilities to protect the weapons.
Sources believe these instructions coincided with warnings from US President Donald Trump concerning Bagram and the recovery of American weapons.
On 19 January 2025, one day before his inauguration, Donald Trump called on the Taliban during a gathering in Washington to return military equipment left in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of US forces. Trump warned that if the Taliban failed to return the equipment, Washington would make its financial assistance to Afghanistan conditional.
Ten days after Trump's remarks, on 29 January 2025, Pakistan's Foreign Ministry also formally raised concerns about American weapons.
A ministry spokesman said advanced US weapons left in Afghanistan following the American withdrawal posed serious concerns for Pakistan's security and the protection of its citizens.
The issue of American weapons subsequently became another source of pressure from Islamabad on the Taliban.
Following the US invasion in 2001, the Taliban's first government collapsed, and the group's leaders and fighters withdrew from Afghanistan's major cities and military centres, seeking refuge in Pakistan.
However, the current circumstances differ significantly from those of 2001. Pakistan, which became an important refuge and centre for the reorganisation of many Taliban leaders and fighters after the collapse of their first government, is now embroiled in disputes with the group.
Clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, Pakistani air strikes and Islamabad's increasingly tough stance towards the Taliban have reduced the likelihood that the group could once again find a secure place of retreat in Pakistan or another country, as it did in 2001.
Sher Mohammad Karimi, a former chief of staff of the Afghan army, told Afghanistan International: "If relations between the Taliban and Pakistan reach the point of direct confrontation, the Taliban will have no option but to resist."
Karimi said underground storage facilities and shelters play an important defensive role against modern weapons.
According to him, the construction of bunkers and defensive positions depends on the type of weapons they are intended to withstand. The more powerful the weapons, the stronger and more expensive the shelters must be.
Referring to the Taliban's tunnels, whose construction has begun in several areas, Karimi said: "The secrecy of storage facilities is important because not everyone should know about them."
However, he added: "A government may also develop a concealment plan in another area, away from its main storage facilities, and construct depots that are not actually used but could serve to deceive the enemy."
Possible Influence of Iran's Underground Military Facilities
Some sources believe the Taliban may be drawing on Iran's experience in constructing underground military facilities.
Over recent decades, Iran has devoted a significant proportion of its military strategy and budget to developing underground infrastructure.
The country has built extensive storage facilities and installations for missiles, drones and military equipment inside mountains and deep underground structures.
These facilities are considered to have played a decisive role during Iran's conflict with Israel and the United States.
Although US and Israeli air strikes targeted several Iranian military installations, underground storage facilities and tunnels helped prevent the complete destruction of Iran's military capabilities.
Military researchers believe Taliban leaders may be attempting to learn from Iran's experience in this area.
Given the Taliban's limited air power and lack of advanced air defence systems, underground facilities could represent one of the few options available to the group for protecting its military equipment against potential air strikes.
General Karimi did not rule out the possibility that the Taliban had drawn inspiration from Iran's tactics and military practices.
However, he said: "Iran has a strong economy and had long pursued the strategic objective of preparing for a confrontation with Israel. Its underground facilities were established over time in locations where aircraft could not easily find suitable approaches for bombing."
Nevertheless, he expressed uncertainty about whether the Taliban possessed the financial resources required to construct facilities comparable to those developed by Iran.
According to Karimi, defensive tunnels and storage facilities are generally built in difficult-to-access terrain and narrow valleys. Consequently, constructing storage facilities in rugged areas is more expensive than building them on flat, softer ground.
Before the Taliban, Afghan mujahideen groups had also constructed tunnels and caves in different parts of Afghanistan, the most famous of which were the Tora Bora and Zhawar cave complexes.
Local Opposition to Tunnel and Cave Reconstruction
On 1 October 2024, following a recommendation from Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani, a survey team travelled to Gurbuz district in Khost to examine the reconstruction of the old Zhawar military facilities and caves.
The team completed its assessment of the area and the road leading to it.
The Taliban's National Development Corporation also completed a survey of the proposed road to the Zhawar complex.
The road was intended to run from the Shawa Wali Khan shops area, near the Ghulam Khan customs crossing, towards the Zhawar complex.
However, construction of the caves and road was postponed following disagreements with the Gurbuz tribe.
After residents opposed the project, Ibrahim Haqqani, the brother of Jalaluddin Haqqani, visited the area and told them: "Jalaluddin Haqqani, the leader of the Haqqani network, had provided weapons to local residents in exchange for these facilities, and they should not prevent their reconstruction."
Two residents of Gurbuz district told Afghanistan International that construction of the caves and road had remained suspended because of local opposition.
Residents fear the facilities could once again become a battlefield or a refuge for foreign fighters.
During 1980 and 1981, a group of Afghan and Arab fighters known as Hazrat Omar was stationed at these facilities. The organisation later became known as the Zhawar Group.
The group consisted of four infantry companies and one guard company. It also operated engineering and fortification, air defence, communications, rocket, artillery and medical units.
It was considered one of the best-equipped and most powerful Afghan mujahideen groups.
The construction and excavation costs of the Zhawar tunnels were financed by wealthy Arabs and Osama bin Laden.
The caves were intended to be reconstructed according to their original plans, including the construction of earthworks and retaining walls.
In addition to constructing tunnels and caves, the Taliban have begun digging trenches in Afghanistan's southeastern provinces.
In mid 2026, sources told Afghanistan International that the group had started excavating trenches along the border, around its security posts in Khost, Paktia and Paktika provinces.
The trenches were dug in Zazi Maidan, Alisher, Gurbuz, Tani and Spera districts.
Similar excavation projects have also been planned for Kandahar and Helmand provinces.
Several people involved in digging the trenches said the Taliban were undertaking the work to establish secure supply routes to their security posts.
They explained that during clashes with Pakistan, some Taliban security posts had been damaged because of supply difficulties and had "even been evacuated".
A source close to the excavation work, speaking anonymously, told Afghanistan International: "In the first phase, the plan is to dig trenches approximately one metre wide so that fighters and animals used to transport weapons and supplies, including donkeys, horses and mules, can move freely through them."
According to the source, the second phase involves constructing trenches measuring approximately 2.2 metres wide in flat areas, allowing vehicles to move through them safely.
Several Afghan nationals say they have been held for months at a detention centre for foreign nationals in the Iraqi city of Karbala because they lack valid residency documents.
They say they remain unable to leave despite paying fines and covering the cost of return flights to Afghanistan, and are living in difficult conditions.
A video sent to Afghanistan International from the detention facility shows dozens of people crowded into a single room, with detainees struggling to find enough space to sleep.
Several detainees confirmed to Afghanistan International on Friday, 13 November, that approximately 40 Afghan nationals were being held at the facility.
One Afghan detainee said around 100 people, including nationals of other countries such as Pakistan, were being held in the same room.
He said overcrowding had left detainees without sufficient space to sleep.
Speaking on behalf of other detainees, the Afghan national said some had been held at the facility for between four and six months.
He said they had been detained for entering Iraq illegally. According to him, some had travelled to the country for religious pilgrimage, while others had gone in search of work.
The detainee said the Afghan nationals had paid their fines and covered the cost of air tickets to return to Afghanistan but had still been unable to leave Iraq.
He said approximately 10 detainees had been taken to the airport by two officials after paying for their tickets, only to be told that their flight had been cancelled.
The group was subsequently returned to the detention centre and was now being asked to pay for new tickets, he added.
According to the detainee, those affected do not have enough money to purchase replacement tickets, and no one has provided a clear explanation of what happened to the money they previously paid.
He also complained about the quality of food and living conditions at the facility, saying the detainees' concerns were not being addressed.
The Afghan national said the repatriation of detainees from some other countries, including Pakistan, was being processed more quickly, while Afghan nationals remained in uncertainty over their fate.
He called on Afghanistan's embassy and consulate in Iraq to intervene, address the detainees' situation and facilitate their return home.
Iraq's Interior Ministry previously announced that it had deported more than 32,000 foreign nationals for violating residency regulations between the beginning of the current calendar year and 19 October.
According to the ministry, more than 20,000 people were deported from Baghdad, while over 12,000 were expelled from other Iraqi provinces.
Amnesty International Australia has launched a campaign in support of Afghan women and girls, urging the Australian government to push for the recognition of gender apartheid under international law and hold the Taliban accountable for widespread violations of women's rights.
The campaign, titled "16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence and Persecution in Afghanistan", will run from 25 November to 10 December, coinciding with the global 16 Days of Activism Against Gender-Based Violence campaign.
Amnesty International Australia said the Taliban have systematically stripped women and girls of their fundamental rights since returning to power in August 2021.
The organisation highlighted the bans on girls attending secondary schools and universities, severe restrictions on women's employment and limitations on their freedom of movement.
It said the Taliban's policies were designed to exclude women from public life. Afghan women's rights activists have described these restrictions as "gender apartheid".
Amnesty International called on the Australian government to use its diplomatic and political influence to seek recognition of gender apartheid under international law and pursue accountability for violations of Afghan women's and girls' rights.
The organisation noted that Australia maintained a presence in Afghanistan for two decades as part of the US-led coalition and supported efforts to advance women's rights during that period.
It said the withdrawal of international forces had left Afghan women and girls facing serious risks, arguing that Australia had a responsibility not to abandon them.
As part of the campaign, members of the public are being encouraged to sign an open letter urging the Australian government to take a more active role in protecting the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Supporters are also being asked to share messages and personal accounts from Afghan women and girls on social media to help bring their experiences to the attention of the public and policymakers.
Amnesty International Australia warned that other international crises had pushed Afghanistan further from the global spotlight, reducing media coverage and political attention to the situation facing women and girls.
Working alongside Afghan women's rights activists, human rights defenders and international organisations, the campaign aims to renew international attention and strengthen calls for action to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls.
Iranian media outlet IRAF has reported, citing unnamed sources, that the man behind an explosion targeting former Afghan commander Ahmad Khan Ghori in Mashhad was an agent of the Taliban's intelligence agency who had received orders from officials in Kabul.
In a report published on Thursday, 12 November, IRAF quoted what it described as reliable sources as saying the alleged attacker had been directly instructed by Taliban intelligence officials in Kabul to assassinate Ghori.
Iranian authorities have not publicly commented on allegations of Taliban involvement in the attack.
Ghori, a prominent former mujahideen commander from western Afghanistan and a close associate of Mohammad Ismail Khan, was injured in an explosion at his home in Mashhad on 1 November.
Initial reports suggested that a portable phone charger, commonly known as a power bank, belonging to one of his guests had exploded.
The guest, whom IRAF identified as the alleged attacker, died in hospital the following day from severe injuries sustained in the explosion.
The Taliban have also made no official comment on the incident.
People close to Ghori previously said they believed the explosion had been deliberately caused in an attempt to assassinate him.
The incident follows the killings of other former Afghan commanders opposed to the Taliban in Iran. Marouf Ghulami and General Ekramuddin Saree were previously killed in Mashhad and Tehran, respectively.
IRAF claimed that the incidents exposed what it described as the dangerous extent of Taliban intelligence activities on Iranian soil and their potential implications for Iran's national security.
The outlet also suggested that an investigation into the attack on Ghori could uncover evidence relating to other similar killings of former Afghan officials in Iran.
Concerns over the safety of former Afghan commanders living in Iran have grown following the attacks. Sources previously told Afghanistan International that several commanders had restricted their movements and increased security precautions after receiving threats.
Taliban officials have previously threatened to target opponents beyond Afghanistan's borders.
Mohammad Nabi Omari, the Taliban's deputy interior minister, previously claimed that the group could, if necessary, arrange for opponents abroad to be killed for as little as 500 Pakistani rupees.
Saeed Khosty, a former spokesperson for Taliban interior minister, Sirajuddin Haqqani, also threatened Taliban opponents living abroad three years ago, warning that the group had hundreds of volunteers prepared to target its opponents outside Afghanistan.
Alexey Overchuk, Russia’s deputy prime minister, led a high-level delegation to meet Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, at the presidential palace after arriving in Kabul on Thursday, 12 November.
Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi also welcomed the Russian deputy prime minister and his delegation at Kabul airport.
Russia’s current prime minister is Mikhail Mishustin, and the government includes 11 deputy prime ministers. Overchuk is one of them and is responsible for areas related to economic and regional integration across Eurasia.
The Taliban’s presidential palace said Baradar and Overchuk discussed expanding economic and trade relations, increasing joint investment and facilitating trade between the two countries.
According to the palace statement, Baradar invited Russian companies to invest in the extraction of Afghanistan’s mineral resources in cooperation with Afghan partners. He also called for bilateral trade to increase in line with the economic potential of both countries.
The Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs pointed to Afghanistan’s geographical location, natural resources and 24 million people of working age, describing the country as having significant potential for economic growth and joint investment.
Baradar also proposed cooperation in establishing industrial parks that meet international standards, increasing joint industrial investment, building specialised hospitals, renovating and expanding existing healthcare facilities, and establishing factories to produce medicines and medical equipment.
He said Afghanistan also had the potential to increase exports of agricultural products to Russia, including pine nuts, figs, saffron, grapes, pomegranates and cotton, and welcomed Russian investment in agriculture and livestock farming.
Overchuk said trade between Russia and Afghanistan reached about $350 million in the first eight months of 2026. According to him, the figure doubled compared with the same period last year, while imports of Afghan fruit and vegetables into Russia have begun.
The Taliban’s presidential palace said the Russian delegation would also meet the Taliban prime minister and officials from several ministries during the visit. The talks are expected to cover political, economic, trade and transit relations, as well as investment opportunities in Afghanistan.
Russia recognised the Taliban government on 1 July 2025, becoming the first country to do so. Political and economic contacts between the two sides have increased since then.
Kyrgyz President Sadyr Japarov called for coordinated efforts among Collective Security Treaty Organisation (CSTO) members to counter cross-border threats from Afghanistan.
He also urged support for the country's economic recovery and humanitarian needs.
Speaking at a CSTO leaders' summit in Moscow on Thursday, Japarov reaffirmed Kyrgyzstan's commitment to strengthening collective security and expanding practical cooperation among member states.
Referring to joint military exercises held across the region and Kyrgyzstan's readiness to host CSTO joint activities in 2027, he placed particular emphasis on combating terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and organised crime.
He stressed the need to strengthen cooperation among relevant agencies, including through the CSTO's Canal counter-narcotics operation.
Japarov specifically addressed the situation in Afghanistan, emphasising the importance of coordinated efforts to counter cross-border threats originating from the country, support its economic reconstruction and address its humanitarian challenges.
The Kyrgyz president also referred to Kyrgyzstan's upcoming membership of the United Nations Security Council for 2027-2028, expressing his country's readiness to engage constructively with partners on regional security and preventive diplomacy.
During the summit, leaders of CSTO member states signed 18 documents aimed at expanding cooperation and strengthening collective security.
The Collective Security Treaty Organisation is a Russia-led military and security alliance comprising Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Armenia.
Tajik President Emomali Rahmon, who also attended the Moscow summit, emphasised the need to strengthen border security along the frontier with Afghanistan.
He called for intensified efforts to combat terrorism, extremism, drug trafficking and transnational organised crime.
Russian President Vladimir Putin also said at the summit that Moscow was closely monitoring developments in Afghanistan.
According to Putin, the situation in Afghanistan holds particular importance in the organisation's plans to ensure the security of member states' borders.