Sergei Shoigu, Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, says between 18,000 and 23,000 militants from more than 20 groups are currently active in Afghanistan, calling the situation a major concern for regional security.
Secretary of Russia’s Security Council, Sergei Shoigu says ongoing instability in Afghanistan remains one of the main security threats within the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation.
The European Union says Afghans are facing poverty, food insecurity, climate shocks and widespread displacement, stressing that restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan must be lifted.
Local sources reported that explosions and gunfire were heard in Kabul early on Thursday, followed by the sound of fighter jets and drones flying over the Afghan capital.
The Afghanistan Shia Commission says it discussed the “insulting treatment” of Shia cleric Ayatollah Hussaindad Sharifiwith Taliban morality officials and urged steps to prevent similar incidents.
A new global displacement report says around 7 million people in Afghanistan were internally displaced last year by conflict and natural disasters, accounting for nearly half of South Asia’s internal displacement cases.
The Taliban’s economic office said it signed a $46 million contract with Indian company TCRC to build and equip laboratory centers in Kabul and nine Afghan customs facilities.
The Taliban has published a new law allowing it to seize land deemed “state-owned”, including existing residential areas, and resell it to residents and property owners.
Yue Xiaoyong, China’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, said Pakistan and the Taliban view the Urumqi process positively and are ready to cooperate for peace, security and development.
The European Commission said inviting Taliban officials to Brussels for talks on returning Afghan migrants does not amount to recognising the Taliban government.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture confirmed the detention of two Tolo News journalists, saying their cases are under review and no court ruling has yet been issued.
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, rejected Pakistani claims that the recent attack on a police center in Bannu was planned in Afghanistan, insisting Afghan soil is not used against any country.
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan said arrests and killings of former Afghan security personnel continued in early 2026, documenting 23 arbitrary detentions, nine torture cases and five killings.
United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said 372 civilians were killed and 397 injured in border clashes between the Taliban and Pakistan between January and March 2026.
Agence France-Presse (AFP) reported that the European Commission will soon invite Taliban officials to Brussels for talks on the deportation of Afghan migrants.
Local sources told Afghanistan International that Taliban morality police detained and beat prominent Shia cleric Hussaindad Sharifi after he officiated the marriage of an engaged couple before their wedding ceremony.
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban spokesman, rejected remarks by Asim Munir, Pakistan army chief, insisting Afghanistan is not being used against any country. He urged Pakistan to address militant activity within its own borders.
Richard Bennett, UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights for Afghanistan, warned that the systematic repression of women and girls in Afghanistan has become normalised and could amount to a crime against humanity.
Sources with several fibre-optic internet companies in Kabul told Afghanistan International that the Taliban have ordered regulators to cut residential fibre internet services across the capital.
Sources linked to the Taliban in Kandahar told Afghanistan International that the group’s intelligence agency has arrested Mullah Jan Mohammad Madani, a senior adviser to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
Noor Ahmad Islamjar has urged Turkmenistan to accelerate implementation of a plan to operate the Torghundi Border Crossing on a 24-hour basis. The call comes when Taliban seeks to expand trade routes with Central Asia following disruptions in commerce with Pakistan.
Nai in Exile, an organisation supporting Afghan journalists and media outlets, has called on the United Nations and the European Union to intervene for the immediate release of journalists recently detained by the Taliban.