The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has confirmed the death of one of its staff members in Afghanistan following a road traffic accident in Islam Qala, western Herat province.

In a statement released on Tuesday, the IRC said the staff member was killed while returning home from duty. Two other IRC employees were seriously injured in the incident and have been transferred to hospital, where they are currently receiving medical treatment.

The humanitarian organization expressed deep sorrow over the loss, describing frontline staff as central to its mission, particularly in Afghanistan where many vulnerable communities live in remote and hard-to-reach areas.

“The IRC is devastated by the loss of our colleague,” the statement said, adding that staff working on the front lines play a critical role in delivering life-saving assistance to people most in need.

The IRC said it is providing support to the family of the deceased staff member, as well as to the injured colleagues and their families, and is extending assistance to its wider team during this difficult time.

The International Rescue Committee has been operating in Afghanistan since 1988 and currently works with thousands of communities across nine provinces. The organization delivers a wide range of humanitarian and development services, including health care, education, cash assistance, water and sanitation support, emergency shelter, livelihood programs and resilience initiatives aimed at helping communities recover from conflict and natural disasters.

Afghanistan’s Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, and Oman’s Foreign Minister, Badr bin Hamad Al Busaidi, held a telephone conversation to discuss the strengthening of bilateral relations and expanding cooperation between the two countries.

According Afghanistan’s foreign ministry, during the call, Muttaqi described his recent visit to Oman as constructive and beneficial, emphasizing that the exchange of delegations between Kabul and Muscat plays a key role in enhancing cooperation across various sectors.

The Afghan foreign minister also formally invited his Omani counterpart to visit Kabul, highlighting the importance of high-level political engagement in strengthening bilateral ties.

Meanwhile, Oman’s foreign minister welcomed the exchange of delegations and noted that such engagements are essential for expanding cooperation. He announced that a technical aviation delegation from Oman is expected to visit Kabul in the near future.

Al Busaidi also expressed his readiness to travel to Kabul and voiced hope that the visit would lead to constructive discussions aimed at further developing bilateral cooperation between Afghanistan and Oman.

Turkey has withdrawn from its mediation role in the escalating Pakistan–Afghanistan dispute after repeated diplomatic efforts failed to narrow deep-rooted differences between Islamabad and the Islamic Emirate, India’s CNN News18 reported citing senior security and diplomatic sources.

Multiple rounds of talks facilitated by Turkey, alongside Qatar and Saudi Arabia, ended without progress, as Kabul firmly rejected what it described as Pakistan’s “illegitimate” conditions for a broader peace settlement. Turkish officials have formally informed Islamabad that Afghanistan remains unwilling to accommodate Pakistan’s core security demands, prompting Ankara to step back from further mediation.

CNN News18 reported that at the center of the impasse are Pakistan’s demands that the Islamic Emirate hand over Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, establish a five-kilometre buffer zone along the Durand Line, impose stricter controls on Afghan transit trade and goods movement, recognise Islamabad’s security primacy over Kabul, and accelerate the repatriation of Afghan refugees from Pakistan.

Afghan authorities have categorically rejected these demands, arguing they undermine Afghanistan’s sovereignty.