Afghanistan

Afghan Taliban open to talks after Pakistan bombs Kabul, Kandahar

Targets in the capital Kabul and the city of Kandahar, where Taliban leaders are based, were hit, signalling a stark rupture in ties between the Islamic neighbours

China expresses concern, urges Pakistan-Afghanistan to reach ceasefire soon

China on Friday called on Pakistan and Afghanistan to work out a ceasefire while expressing concern over the escalation of the conflict between the two countries. China is closely following the developments of the situation in the conflict between Pakistan and Afghanistan, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing here, responding to questions on the current conflict between the two countries. Pakistan and Afghanistan are close neighbours, and both are neighbouring countries of China. As a neighbour and friend, China is deeply concerned about the escalation of the conflict and deeply saddened by the casualties caused by the conflict, Mao said. She said China supports combating all forms of terrorism and calls on both sides to exercise calm and restraint, properly resolve their differences and disputes through dialogue and consultation, and realise a ceasefire as soon as possible to avoid more suffering. The de-escalation serves the fundamental interests o

Kabul, Kandahar hit as Pakistan declares 'open war' against Afghanistan

Pakistani officials said they carried out retaliatory strikes under 'Operation Ghazab lil Haq' on Kabul, Paktia and Kandahar in the early hours of Friday

Afghanistan sets lighter penalty for wife-beating than animal fights

A new penal code issued by decree in Afghanistan sets harsher punishments for the mistreatment of animals than for domestic violence against women and solidifies into law inequality based on gender and social status. The decree, which was signed by Afghanistan's Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in January, "defines several crimes and punishments that contravene Afghanistan's international legal obligations," UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk said Thursday in remarks to the Human Rights Council in Geneva. He urged Afghan authorities to rescind the decree. Comprised of 119 articles, the 60-page Decree No. 12 lays out penalties for women who visit their relatives without their husband's permission, and allows husbands and the heads of households to determine and mete out punishment in their own homes. "It provides for the use of corporal punishment for numerous offences, including in the home, legitimising violence against women and children," Turk said. "And it ..

Over 130 Afghan Taliban fighters killed in response to border attacks: Pak

Pakistan launched a retaliatory operation in response to the alleged border attacks by the Afghan Taliban, saying it has killed over 130 Taliban fighters. Operation Ghazab lil Haq commenced late Thursday night after the Afghan Taliban allegedly launched attacks on several border posts. Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that the operation was underway, saying that the armed forces are currently delivering a strong response to aggression from the Afghan Taliban. Providing an update on the operation, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said that at least 133 Afghan Taliban operatives were killed and more than 200 were injured. "Afghan Taliban defence targets in Kabul, Paktia, and Kandahar were targeted, with the possibility of further casualties," he said, adding that at least 27 posts of the Afghan Taliban regime were destroyed, and nine other posts were captured. The minister further informed that two corps headquarters, three brigade headquarters, two ammunition depots, one

Pakistan strikes Kabul, other provinces hours after Afghan retaliation

Pakistan carried out airstrikes in Kabul and two other Afghan provinces early Friday, Afghanistan's government spokesman said, hours after Afghanistan launched a cross-border attack on Pakistan in the latest escalation of violence between the volatile neighbours that made a Qatar-mediated ceasefire appear increasingly shaky. At least three explosions were heard in Kabul, but there was no immediate information on the exact location of the strikes in the Afghan capital, or of any potential casualties. Government spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Pakistan also carried out airstrikes in Kandahar to the south and in the southeastern province of Paktia. Afghanistan said its military launched its attack across the border into Pakistan late Thursday in retaliation for deadly Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan border areas Sunday, and claimed to have captured more than a dozen Pakistani army posts. Pakistan's government, which had described last Sunday's airstrikes as an attack on militants ...

Afghan forces hit military targets in Pakistan to retaliate for airstrikes

Afghan military authorities say they have begun carrying out strikes against Pakistan in retaliation for Pakistani airstrikes days ago. A statement issued by the media office of Afghanistan's military corps in the east said "heavy clashes" had begun Thursday night "in response to the recent airstrikes carried out by Pakistani forces in Nangarhar and Paktia" provinces. There was no immediate confirmation from Pakistan and no immediate information on casualties. On Sunday, Pakistan's military carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan, saying it had killed at least 70 militants. Afghanistan rejected the claim, saying dozens of civilians had been killed, including women and children.

India strongly condemns Pakistan's airstrikes on Afghan territory

India on Sunday strongly condemned Pakistan's fresh airstrikes on Afghan territory that resulted in civilian casualties. New Delhi described the strikes as another attempt by Pakistan to "externalise its internal failures", and reiterated its support for Afghanistan's sovereignty and territorial integrity. "India strongly condemns Pakistan's airstrikes on Afghan territory that have resulted in civilian casualties, including women and children, during the holy month of Ramadan," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said. "It is another attempt by Pakistan to externalise its internal failures. India reiterates its support for Afghanistan's sovereignty, territorial integrity and independence," he said in response to media queries on the issue. Pakistan said the airstrikes were carried out to target at least seven militant hideouts in Afghanistan in retaliation for the recent rebel attacks in the country. Islamabad claimed that at least 70 terrorists were killed in t

Pak strikes militant hideouts near Afghan border after surge in attacks

Pakistan said that it had carried out strikes along the border with Afghanistan, targeting hideouts of Pakistani militants it blames for recent attacks inside the country. Islamabad did not say in precisely which areas the strikes were carried out or provide details. There was no immediate comment from Kabul. In comments before dawn Sundya, Information Minister Attaullah Tarar wrote on X that the military conducted what he described as "intelligence-based, selective operations" against seven camps belonging to the Pakistani Taliban, also known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, and its affiliates. He said an affiliate of the Islamic State group was also targeted in the border region. In October, Pakistan has also conducted strikes deep inside Afghanistan to target militant hideouts.

Not mediating Pakistan's ties with India, Afghanistan, says Russia

Russia on Monday said that it is not a mediator in resolving Pakistan's tensions with India and Afghanistan, adding that it is ready to provide any assistance if requested. The Foreign Ministry has posted answers to several questions received for Sergei Lavrov's annual press conference on January 20, which could not be given by the Minister due to time constraint. In response to a question on how Russia see the role of a mediator in reducing tensions in relations between Pakistan, India and Afghanistan? The Russian Foreign Ministry said on its webportal, "Russia does not act as a mediator between the aforementioned states." "However, we are always ready to provide any assistance we can in resolving any differences between these countries should they so request," it added. Moscow has been insisting that Islamabad should resolve its problems in the spirit of the 1972 Simla and 1999 Lahore declarations bilaterally. In response to the question: How does Russia assess its strategic and

From Bangladesh to Nepal: Decoding India's aid to neighbours in Budget 2026

The 2026 Budget, presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman on Sunday, signalled a clear push to strengthen ties with the neighbouring countries

Trump should apologise for remarks on Nato troops in Afghanistan: Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has signalled that US President Donald Trump should apologise for his false assertion that troops from non-US NATO countries avoided the front line during the Afghanistan war, describing Trump's remarks as "insulting" and "appalling." Trump said that he wasn't sure NATO would be there to support the United States if and when requested, provoking outrage and distress across the United Kingdom on Friday, regardless of individuals' political persuasion. "We've never needed them, we have never really asked anything of them," Trump said of non-US troops in an interview with Fox News in Davos, Switzerland, on Thursday. "You know, they'll say they sent some troops to Afghanistan, or this or that, and they did, they stayed a little back, a little off the front lines." In October 2001, nearly a month after the September 11 attacks, the US led an international coalition in Afghanistan to destroy al-Qaida, which had used the country as its base, and the ...

Prince Harry defends sacrifices of British, non-US troops in Afghanistan

Prince Harry, who served in Afghanistan, said the "sacrifices" of British soldiers during the war "deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect" as he weighed into the furor surrounding remarks that US President Donald Trump made about non-US NATO troops. Trump suggested in comments Thursday that troops from non-US NATO countries avoided the front line during the Afghanistan war, drawing pushback in Britain including from Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Prince Harry, who had two tours to Afghanistan in the British Army, said the US's allies "answered" the call to stand with the country after the September 11, 2001 attacks. "I served there. I made lifelong friends there. And I lost friends there. The United Kingdom alone had 457 service personnel killed," he said. "Those sacrifices deserve to be spoken about truthfully and with respect, as we all remain united and loyal to the defence of diplomacy and peace.

Islamic State group claims attack on Kabul restaurant that killed 7

The Islamic State group claimed responsibility overnight for a deadly attack at a restaurant in Afghanistan's capital that killed at least seven people Monday, including a Chinese national, as authorities in Kabul said they were still investigating. The militant group said in a statement posted on its Aamaq news agency late Monday that a suicide bomber entered a restaurant frequented by Chinese nationals in the city and detonated an explosive vest during a gathering. It claimed 25 people were killed or wounded in the attack, including Taliban guards. The claim could not be independently verified. Afghan authorities have not officially confirmed the cause of the Monday blast and Interior Ministry spokesperson Mufti Abdul Mateen Qani said Tuesday they are still investigating the explosion. The IS claim corresponded in style to previous ones issued by the group, and supporters of the militants widely shared it early Tuesday. The claim included a further threat against Chinese nationals

Blast at eatery in Afghanistan kills 7; several including women injured

An explosion at a restaurant in downtown Kabul on Monday killed at least seven people and wounded about a dozen more, according to police and an Italian charity running a surgical unit in the city. The cause of the blast was not immediately clear. The explosion occurred in a Chinese restaurant in the Shahr-e-Naw district of the Afghan capital, according to Kabul police command spokesman Khalid Zadran. He said the restaurant was jointly owned by an Afghan man, a Chinese national and his wife. The restaurant was popular with Chinese Muslims, Zadran said, adding that one Chinese national and six Afghans were killed and several others were wounded. The blast occurred near the restaurant's kitchen, the police spokesman said, and the cause was under investigation. The Italian charity EMERGENCY said its surgical centre in Kabul, which is located near the site of the explosion, had received 20 people from the blast, including seven who were already dead. It noted the number of casualties

US to close Qatar camp that housed Afghans who fled their country in 2021

The decision marks the latest move by President Donald Trump's administration targeting Afghans who migrated to the US or are seeking to do so, part of a broader immigration crackdown

Govt dismisses claims of suspending trade with Afghanistan amid Iran unrest

The government on Tuesday dismissed claims by some Pakistani social media accounts that India has suspended trade operations with Afghanistan due to unrest in Iran, saying the reports were completely false. It said that a fabricated letter is being circulated by Pakistani propaganda accounts on the matter. Iran is witnessing widespread nationwide protests. "A fabricated letter is being circulated by #Pakistani propaganda accounts, falsely claiming that India has temporarily suspended trade operations with #Afghanistan due to escalating unrest in #Iran," PIB Fact Check said in a social media post. In 2024-25, India's exports to Afghanistan stood at USD 318.91 million, while imports were aggregated at USD 689.81 million.

Pak, Afghan agree to establish joint committee to reopen border

Pakistan and Afghanistan on Monday agreed to establish a 13-member joint committee of business leaders to hold formal negotiations for the opening of the border for trade. The border has been shut since October last year after the two sides clashed over the issue of militancy emanating from Afghanistan. The Express Tribune newspaper reported that the joint committee comprises six members from Pakistan and seven from Afghanistan. The Pakistani delegation will be led by Syed Jawad Hussain Kazmi, Adviser to the President of the Federation of Pakistan Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FPCCI), while the Afghan side will be headed by Mohammad Wali Amini. Speaking to the media, Kazmi said the primary objective of the talks is the immediate reopening of Pak-Afghan trade routes, the removal of obstacles in border management, and ensuring the continuity of bilateral trade. He added that a comprehensive and practical roadmap would be formulated to provide a lasting solution to the issues fa

Pakistan witnesses drop in terror attacks since Afghan border closure

Since closing down its border with Afghanistan, Pakistan has recorded a significant drop in cross-border terrorist attacks and deaths related to violence. Pakistan shut its border on October 11 last year after clashes with Afghanistan, which were prompted by the allegations that Kabul was not doing enough to stop the use of its soil by terrorists. Dawn reported from the data collected by the Centre for Research and Security Studies (CRSS), a local think-tank, that terrorist attacks went down by almost 17 per cent in December, preceded by 9 per cent decline in November, while terrorism-linked fatalities among civilians and security officials also fell in the last quarter of 2025, by nearly 4 per cent and 19 per cent each in November and December. However, the data of CRSS showed that with an almost 34 per cent surge in overall violence, the year 2025 went by as the most violent year for Pakistan in a decade. The comparative data for 2024 and 2025 reveals a sharp escalation in terror