Archive

The Taliban have denied detaining Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan-American citizen and former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority, who disappeared in Kabul in August 2022.

An Iranian official has announced that at least 140000 Afghan migrants were expelled through the Dogharoun border crossing between 22 June and 1 July. It shows a sharp increase compared to the same period last year.

More than 1300 Iranian and Afghan activists, journalists, filmmakers and civil society members have signed a joint letter calling on the Iranian government to immediately halt the widespread deportation of Afghan migrants.

Taliban forces have arrested at least 37 people in Khash district of Badakhshan province in connection with recent protests that turned deadly, local sources told Afghanistan International.

The number of Afghan returnees from Pakistan and Iran has exceeded one million, according to the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), as thousands continue to return amid worsening conditions in Afghanistan.

Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, chairman of Pakistan’s People’s Party, has accused the Taliban of repeatedly violating their commitments under the Doha Agreement, warning that their actions are fuelling instability across the region.

Clashes broke out on Monday evening, in the Jebrael area of Herat city after Taliban forces attempted to dismantle Muharram mourning tents, prompting resistance from mourners.

Gul Hassan, the newly appointed Taliban ambassador to Russia, arrived in Moscow on Tuesday, marking a significant step in the group’s expanding diplomatic engagement with the Russian Federation.

At least eight civilians, including a young girl, have been killed and 27 others wounded in the district of Khash, Badakhshan province, following gunfire by Taliban forces during protests, local sources told Afghanistan International on Tuesday.

Taliban officials in Panjshir province say more than 250 new emerald mines have been discovered in the Parian district, with 100 of them already registered and six granted official extraction licences.

Two prominent Afghan anti-Taliban groups have called on Iran to reconsider its stepped-up deportations of Afghan migrants, urging Tehran to adopt a more patient and tolerant approach.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has said that the third technical working group meeting held in Doha has identified additional priorities for engagement with the Taliban.

Taliban forces have deployed reinforcements and cut telecommunications in Khash District, Badakhshan province, following deadly clashes with local residents protesting the destruction of poppy fields.

The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has issued a warning about a severe heatwave expected to persist across Afghanistan through Saturday, 5 July.

One person was killed and at least ten others were injured on Tuesday during a clash between Taliban forces and local residents in Khash district, Badakhshan province, according to local sources.

More than 3000 Afghan families were deported from Iran within a 24-hour period, according to the Taliban-run Bakhtar News Agency.

Iran is forcibly deporting Afghan refugees in breach of humanitarian principles and international law, the International Federation of Human Rights Defenders in Exile said Tuesday.

The third round of the Doha Working Group meetings began Monday in the Qatari capital, with representatives of the Taliban and several foreign diplomats in attendance. The two-day event focuses on counter-narcotics efforts and private sector development in Afghanistan.

More than 70 percent of undocumented Afghan migrants are being forcibly deported from Iran, according to a senior official from the country’s Foreign Ministry.

Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar has said that efforts are ongoing to redefine Pakistan’s relationship with the Taliban along a “positive trajectory,” while reiterating calls for the group to prevent the use of Afghan territory by insurgents.

Pakistan and China have begun consultations on forming a new regional organisation to replace the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC), which has remained largely inactive since 2016.