Several sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban has recently begun reshuffling civilian and military officials across Badakhshan province. The changes have so far affected police commanders, district governors and intelligence chiefs.
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Türkiye, members of the "Mecca Pact", arrived in Tehran on Monday, 26 October, for talks amid growing concerns over the spread of conflict in the Middle East and ongoing diplomatic efforts to ease tensions.
Pakistan has urged the international community to hold the Taliban accountable for failing to meet counterterrorism commitments. On Monday, 26 October, its Foreign Ministry rejected Taliban claims of civilian casualties in Pakistani strikes on Afghanistan.
A recently circulated video shows a man identifying himself as a member of the Pakistani Taliban approaching Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban's interior minister, and whispering something in his ear.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said on Monday, 26 October, that its forces had attacked a vehicle carrying Taliban members on the Kabul-North highway in Qarabagh district.
Sediqullah Khalid, deputy governor of Afghanistan's Taliban-controlled central bank, announced that all restrictions on bank accounts would be lifted by the end of the current Afghan solar year. Account holders reportedly continue to face withdrawal limits.
Senior officials from Saudi Arabia, Türkiye and Pakistan, members of the "Mecca Pact", are expected to visit Iran on Monday, 26 October, two sources told Reuters. The officials are reportedly due to discuss regional coordination in Tehran.
The Taliban's Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, called on the United States to return $7 billion in frozen Afghan assets to the country's central bank.
Pakistan's Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Tariq Fazal Chaudhry, said Islamabad would act to end what he called terrorism originating from Afghanistan and reserved the right to take any necessary action if Afghan territory was used against Pakistan.
Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF) said its forces killed two Taliban members in a targeted operation in Herat's Injil district. The group also claimed to have seized two firearms and a radio communication device.
Pakistan's Ministry of Information and Broadcasting on Saturday, 24 October, rejected allegations that it was arming Afghans to fight the Taliban or anti-Pakistan militant groups, describing the claims as "baseless and misleading".
New documents reveal that Switzerland spent more than $16,000 on a Taliban delegation's visit to Geneva in August 2025 to identify Afghans facing deportation and paid each of the four delegates a daily allowance.
India and Uzbekistan have agreed to strengthen cooperation against terrorist threats and bolster national and regional security, India’s Foreign Ministry said.
New UNAMA chief Rabab Fatima says that despite the many challenges facing Afghans, their talent, aspirations and potential are greater than the difficulties they face.
Pakistan says it is ready to continue talks with the Taliban but insists further dialogue depends on concrete action to curb terrorist threats originating from Afghanistan.
The Taliban has again strongly rejected Islamabad’s claims that it is involved in Pakistan’s insecurity, saying it lacks the means to create or finance instability in other countries.
UN Special Rapporteur Richard Bennett has urged European countries not to deport Afghans to places where they may face danger, stressing that states must uphold their international human rights obligations.
Türkiye will host foreign ministers from Egypt, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Britain, France and Germany in Istanbul on Friday for talks on regional developments and stronger cooperation with Europe.
Maryam Rahmati, Afghanistan International’s reporter at UN headquarters in New York, has won the 2026 bronze award from the United Nations Correspondents Association (UNCA).
The Afghanistan Freedom Front says its forces carried out a rocket attack on Taliban military and training facilities at Bagram airbase, causing casualties and damage.
Pakistan says stockpiles of advanced weapons and ammunition in Afghanistan pose a direct threat to neighbouring countries, including Pakistan.