Afghanistan

Stephane Dujarric, spokesperson for the UN Secretary-General, told Afghanistan International that the organisation continues to closely follow the critical situation facing the Afghan people.

Former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh says Afghanistan has entered a civil war, warning that the conflict remains limited for now but could develop into a more violent and destructive confrontation.

Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, has ordered disciplinary action against government employees who defy the morality law, including salary cuts, demotion, suspension and dismissal.

Gordon Brown, former British prime minister and UN special envoy for global education, has urged Muslim countries to pressure the Taliban to lift the ban on girls’ education, stressing that the international community has a responsibility towards Afghan girls.

Pakistani security sources told Afghanistan International that the Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has established military training centres in Kunar, Nangarhar, Khost and Paktika. They said some Afghan Taliban fighters have joined the centres and the TTP’s ranks.

Following Pakistan’s recent attacks, Taliban governors and military officials from Paktia, Paktika, Ghazni, Khost and Logar gathered for a meeting in Paktia.

Pakistani security sources said on Friday that their forces had repelled an attempted cross-border attack in the Gulistan area and killed several Afghan Taliban members. Taliban officials have not yet commented on the incident.

Pakistan’s Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif met UN Secretary-General António Guterres on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Local sources in Herat told Afghanistan International that Taliban morality police detained several women and girls on Thursday. They said female officers patrolled the city, forced the women into vehicles and took them away.

Pakistani security sources told Afghanistan International that 260 Afghans have been killed fighting alongside the Pakistani Taliban (TTP) in Pakistan, adding that their identities and addresses have been established.

UN relief chief Tom Fletcher told Afghanistan International that Afghanistan remains a major global humanitarian priority, stressing that the Taliban must allow female aid workers to work.

The Peshawar High Court has temporarily suspended the arrest and deportation of 17 Afghan doctors, allowing them to continue specialist training while their visa extension applications are pending.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid says four civilians were killed in Pakistani airstrikes on Kandahar, Paktia and Khost. He warned that the attacks would provoke public anger and have “unpleasant consequences” for Pakistan’s military.

Local sources told Afghanistan International that Pakistan carried out an airstrike early on Thursday on Sarai Mullah Sahib in Kandahar’s ninth police district, where special forces loyal to Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada are reportedly stationed.

Pakistan’s military carried out air and drone strikes on several locations in Afghanistan early Thursday, saying the operation, codenamed “Ghazab Lil Haq”, was in response to drones entering Pakistani territory.

Tajik Foreign Minister Sirojiddin Muhriddin met new UNAMA chief Rabab Fatima on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, reaffirming Tajikistan’s commitment to peace and stability in Afghanistan.

Local sources in Ghor say Taliban intelligence forces raided the home of Mohammad Hamidi, imam of the Khatam al-Anbiya mosque. At least eight people have reportedly been detained or gone missing, with their families unaware of their whereabouts.

Pakistani security sources told Afghanistan International that the country’s armed forces shot down eight drones launched by the Afghan Taliban near the Torkham border crossing and the city of Kohat early on Wednesday.