Taliban

Earthquake of magnitude 4.6 strikes Afghanistan; no casualties reported

On November 4, a powerful earthquake rattled northern Afghanistan, killing at least 27 people and injuring 956 more, according to Sharafat Zaman Amar, the spokesperson for Taliban

Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan kill 10, injure 4 says Afghan Govt

Air strikes also occurred in Kunar and Paktika, where four civilians were injured

17 TTP militants killed in operations in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least 17 TTP militants were killed and several others injured in multiple operations in Pakistan's restive Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, police said on Saturday. Police and security forces launched coordinated operations in the Sheri Khel and Pakka Pahar Khel areas of Bannu district after confirming the presence of militant groups in the region. Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Inspector General of Police (IGP) Zulfiqar Hameed said 10 militants were killed, five were injured, and one facilitator was arrested in a joint action led by Lakki Police, the Counter-Terrorism Department (CTD) Bannu and security forces. He said the bodies of seven militants had been recovered, while three could not be retrieved due to the difficult mountainous terrain. In a separate eight-hour operation conducted by Bannu Police, CTD and security forces, seven more militants were killed and several others were injured. A large contingent of police and security personnel remained unhurt during the engagements, and local residen

India to resume air cargo services with Afghanistan 'very soon': Official

Air cargo services between India and Afghanistan will commence very soon, an Indian External Affairs Ministry official said on Friday, during a visit by Afghanistan's Taliban Trade Minister Al-Haj Nooruddin Azizi to India. "I am pleased to announce that the air freight corridor on the Kabul-Delhi sector and Kabul-Amritsar routes have been activated and cargo flights on these sectors will commence very soon," Anand Prakash, Joint Secretary in the Ministry of External Affairs, said. "This will significantly enhance their connectivity and further strengthen our trade and commercial ties," he added. The official further informed that on Thursday, both sides agreed to depute a trade attache in each other's embassy to oversee and support bilateral trade cooperation. Moreover, he said, the joint working group on trade, commerce and investment will be reactivated to boost bilateral trade between India and Afghanistan. "Bilateral trade stands at around 1 billion. However, there remains ..

Pakistan-Afghanistan peace talks in Istanbul fail amid rising tensions

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan in Istanbul have ended without agreement, with the sides trading blame for the breakdown in negotiations aimed at easing border tensions and upholding a fragile ceasefire, officials said Saturday. Tensions have escalated in recent weeks following deadly border fighting that killed dozens of soldiers and civilians. The violence erupted after explosions in Kabul on October 9, which Afghanistan's Taliban government said were drone strikes conducted by Pakistan and vowed to avenge. The clashes subsided after Qatar brokered a ceasefire on October 19, which remains tenuously in place. Afghanistan's government spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, blamed Pakistan for the talks' failure, saying that Pakistan's demands in the negotiations were unreasonable and the talks could not proceed, the meeting ended and the talks are at a standstill for now. Speaking during a press conference from the southern Afghan city of Kandahar Saturday, Mujahid said ...

Elements in Pakistan military 'sabotaging' peace talks: Afghanistan

A day after peace talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan collapsed, the Taliban government on Saturday said certain elements within Pakistan military and intelligence services are "deliberately sabotaging" the dialogue process that was aimed at easing border tensions. These elements are trying to blame the Taliban government for Pakistan's internal problems, insecurity, and attacks carried out by the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said. The Taliban spokesperson asserted that Afghanistan will not allow "anyone to use its territory against another country, nor permit actions that undermine its sovereignty or security". The peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have ended in Istanbul without any tangible outcomes. The negotiations were aimed at finding a permanent solution to their border tensions and to continue with a fragile ceasefire. "Certain elements within Pakistan's military and intelligence services are deliberately sabotaging

Why the Durand Line still divides Pakistan and Afghanistan today

A border drawn in 1893 still fuels conflict in 2025. The Durand Line, a 2,640 km border between Pakistan and Afghanistan, remains one of the world’s most volatile frontiers.

Pakistan, Afghanistan to maintain ceasefire after peace talks in Istanbul

Pakistan and Afghanistan have agreed to maintain a ceasefire following peace talks in Istanbul, Turkey's Foreign Ministry has announced, after a dialogue between the two sides collapsed earlier in the week. The sides plan to meet again at a higher-level gathering in Istanbul on Nov 6 to finalise how the ceasefire will be implemented, the ministry said in a statement released on behalf of Pakistan, Afghanistan and mediators Turkey and Qatar on Thursday. All parties have agreed to put in place a monitoring and verification mechanism that will ensure maintenance of peace and imposing penalty on the violating party, the statement read. The new round of negotiations, facilitated by Turkey and other friendly nations, was aimed at easing border tensions between the two sides who earlier this month exchanged fire, leaving dozens of soldiers, civilians and militants dead. Despite the collapse of the previous round of talks, a ceasefire has largely held and no new border clashes were reporte

Six Pak soldiers, including Captain, killed in blast in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa

At least six soldiers, including a Captain, were killed in an IED blast targeting a convoy of the security forces in Pakistan's northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province on Wednesday, the Inter Services Public Relations (ISPR), the military's media wing, said. The convoy came under attack in Sultani area in the restive Kurram tribal district bordering Afghanistan. In the ensuing gunbattle, seven terrorists were killed. The terrorists opened fire on the convoy while it was moving through the area. During the engagement, an improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near Dogar, causing heavy casualties. As a result of the blast, one officer and five soldiers were killed. Security forces have cordoned off the area and launched a search operation to trace the perpetrators. Pakistan has seen a surge in terrorist attacks, particularly in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan, mostly targeting police, law enforcement personnel and security forces. The spike followed the banned Tehreek-e-Ta

Pakistan now paying a high price for its long-standing ties with Taliban

Dozens of soldiers on both sides have been killed along the disputed border, and negotiators in Istanbul are now trying, with some strain, to reach a deal to prevent further escalation

Peace talks with Afghanistan's Taliban govt in Istanbul fail, says Pakistan

Peace talks between Pakistan and Afghanistan have failed in Istanbul after four days of negotiations, Pakistan's information minister said before dawn Wednesday, accusing the Taliban government in Kabul of refusing to act against militants blamed for deadly cross-border attacks. The talks followed an earlier round in Doha that produced a ceasefire on October 19 after deadly border clashes between the two sides left dozens dead, including soldiers, civilians and militants. Pakistan accuses the Taliban of harboring militants linked to a surge in attacks, while Kabul denies its territory is being used against Pakistan. Before dawn on Wednesday, Pakistan's Information Minister Attaullah Tarar took to social media platform X, saying the dialogue failed to bring about any workable solution, despite mediation by Qatar and Turkey. There was no immediate comment from Kabul about Tarar's remarks. The latest development came hours after the state media in both countries said there was an imp

Pakistan, Afghanistan continue talks to resolve cross-border tensions

Officials from Pakistan and Afghanistan were still trying to find common ground to settle their dispute over cross-border military and other issues despite three days of talks held in Turkiye. Talks began on Saturday and continued through Monday, but without any final agreement. Quoting officials, the Dawn newspaper reported that a final agreement still remained elusive. Sources familiar with the closed-door discussions said that while most of the points had been mutually agreed between the two sides, the mechanism for verifiable action against terrorist groups operating from Afghan territory continued to be the main sticking point. We kept hoping that we would be able to sign a mutual document with Afghanistan soon, followed by a joint statement, but it still remains out of our reach, the newspaper quoted one source as saying. The atmosphere early on Monday had been markedly positive. Participants described encouraging progress and serious engagement from both delegations. As th

Taliban govt urges US to reopen embassy, focus on economic, political ties

Despite repeated criticism from the US President regarding the withdrawal from Afghanistan, the official stance of the US on the country's current leadership remains unclear

India upgrades its Kabul mission to embassy to boost ties with Afghanistan

The reopening of Indian embassy in Kabul comes four years after New Delhi withdrew its officials following the Taliban takeover in August 2021

Qatar removes 'border' reference in Pak-Afghanistan ceasefire statement

Afghanistan Defence Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid said no Durand Line discussion occurred in Doha talks, calling it a matter between nations, Tolo News reported

Afghanistan, Pakistan have agreed to immediate ceasefire, says Qatar

Afghanistan and Pakistan have agreed to an immediate ceasefire, Qatar's Foreign Ministry said on Sunday. This follows more than a week of fighting that has killed dozens of people and injured hundreds. Delegations from Afghanistan and Pakistan were in Doha for talks to resolve the crisis. The talks were mediated by Qatar and Turkey. Both the governments had sent their defence ministers to lead the talks, which, Pakistan said, would focus on "immediate measures to end cross-border terrorism emanating from Afghanistan and restore peace and stability along the border.

Choose 'peace or chaos': Pak Army chief warns Taliban amid rising tensions

Army chief Field Marshal Syed Asim Munir on Saturday warned Afghanistan to choose between "peace and chaos" as it asked Kabul to take firm and immediate action against terrorists using Afghan soil to launch attacks inside Pakistan. Munir's statement came amidst Pakistan launching fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan late Friday, hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended their two-day ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides. Choose between peace and chaos, the Chief of Army Staff (COAS) said, referring to Afghanistan while addressing a graduation ceremony of passing out army cadets at the Pakistan Military Academy (PMA) Kakul at Abbottabad in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province. The Taliban regime, he said, should act decisively against militants operating from its soil for terrorist activities in Pakistan. All proxies using Afghan soil would be met with a response to raise them to dust, Munir warned. Friday's strikes by Pakistan foll

Pakistan strikes terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan after TTP attack

Pakistan launched fresh air strikes targeting terrorist hideouts in Afghanistan, casting a shadow over the expected talks in Doha amid a fragile ceasefire that had temporarily halted hostilities between the two sides. The strikes followed a gun-and-bomb attack by terrorists at a military installation in North Waziristan, and just hours after Islamabad and Kabul extended their two-day ceasefire, the Dawn reported on Saturday. There was no statement from Pakistan's military, but the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) had claimed responsibility for the early Friday attack on Khaddi Fort in Mir Ali. The security sources said they foiled the attack by eliminating all four attackers without suffering any loss. Pakistan late Friday targeted the Angoor Adda region and also hideouts across Afghanistan's Urgun and Barmal districts of Paktika province, as security sources claimed that precision strikes were conducted against hideouts of the Hafiz Gul Bahadur group, ..

Datanomics: How India-Afghanistan ties have shifted under Taliban 2.0

India cautiously renews economic engagement with Afghanistan, balancing humanitarian aid and trade ties without extending formal recognition to the Taliban regime