Moqtada al-Sadr, an influential Iraqi Shia cleric, reacted to Friday's suicide attack in Kabul, and blamed the Taliban for the attacks against the Hazara-Shia community. Al-Sadr questioned the Taliban and asked, "What kind of government is this which cannot protect its people?"
Stating that the security situation in Afghanistan remains complicated, particularly in Kabul, Dejan Panic, Acting Country Director for Emergency, said that they continue to receive injuries from gunshots, shrapnel, stab wounds, mine explosions and IEDs on a daily basis.
The suicide attack on an educational center in Kabul has been globally condemned. The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), United States, Norway, Iran, and several rights activists and politicians have condemned this attack.
Media reports indicate an increase in the number of casualties after a suicide attack took place at an educational center in Kabul. CNN quoted a doctor at the Jinnah Hospital as saying that at least 23 people have been killed and 36 others have been injured in the attack.
Khalid Zadran, a spokesperson for Taliban’s Kabul Police said that 19 people have died, and 27 others have been injured after the explosion at an educational center, in district 13 of Kabul. However, according to the witnesses, the explosion left many dead and wounded.
Zahra Ershadi, Deputy Permanent Representative of Iran to the United Nations, has asked other countries to accept refugees from Afghanistan. Ershadi has told the UN Security Council meeting that Iran and other neighbours should not feel the burden of accepting Afghan refugees.
Several immigrant rights' activists in Pakistan confirmed that around 150 Afghan citizens have been released from Pakistani detention centers. According to these activists, the detained Afghans have been released with the support of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement.
Local sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban fighters have fled Mandol district in Nuristan province after the protest by residents of the area. The sources added that Mandol residents protested against the killing of a former security officer by the Taliban.
Wang Wenbin, the spokesperson of the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday that terrorist threats exist in Afghanistan and efforts are needed to improve the situation. Wenbin urged the international community to step in and help form an inclusive government in Afghanistan.
Several women gathered in front of the Iranian embassy in Kabul on Thursday and expressed their support for the nationwide uprising of the Iranian people. The placards held by these women read "Women, Life, Freedom", and "Women of Iran and Afghanistan do not accept captivity".
Pakistani Embassy in Kabul has said that expression of concerns by Islamabad should not be considered hostility. Asad Abbas, chargé d'affaires of the Pakistani embassy, told Afghanistan International that leaders of the two countries should share their concerns with each other.
Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Iran's Foreign Minister, has expressed concern about the deteriorating situation of Afghanistan and added that terrorism and extremism are the main challenges in the Middle East region.
Rahmatullah Nabil, the former Afghan intelligence chief, has criticised the "intervention” of Afghanistan’s neighbours in the internal affairs of the country and called them “disastrous”.
If the Taliban do not respond to the needs of all elements of Afghan society and constructively engage with the international community, it may lead to further fragmentation, isolation, poverty, and internal conflict, said Markus Potzel, senior UN envoy for Afghanistan.
The Taliban announced that the group has discovered and seized a cache of weapons and ammunition in Panjshir province. According to the Taliban officials, the storage unit had been found during an operation in a mountain in Hisa-e-Awal district of the province.
Afrasiab Khattak, a former Pakistani senator, has claimed that the Taliban had killed Dr Najibullah, the former president of Afghanistan, on the orders of a Pakistani military officer.
Facilitating and advancing women and girls’ access to quality education is crucial for Afghanistan’s recovery and future development, stated António Guterres, Secretary-General of the United Nations, in his three-monthly report on the ground situation in Afghanistan.
Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanikzai, Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister, has said that no one has a religious reason which can justify depriving girls of education. Stanikzai said on Tuesday that education is obligatory for men and women and schools must be reopened for Afghan girls.
Agents of the Ministry of Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice of the Taliban have announced new restrictions for media outlets in Kabul. Sources said that female guests on TV shows must wear masks compulsorily otherwise media outlets can’t invite them for their shows.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has announced that Markus Potzel, acting head of the UN mission in Kabul, will address the United Nations Security Council regarding Afghanistan on Tuesday.
Rahmatullah Nabil, former Afghan intelligence chief, said that women are leading the fight against religious and sectarian extremism in both Afghanistan and Iran. Nabil added that in the past year, the Taliban have stood against "women, life and freedom" in Afghanistan.