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Commander Ismail Khan captured as Taliban seize Herat
Taliban insurgents have seized most of Herat, Afghanistan‘s third-largest city, and also captured Ismail Khan, the veteran local commander leading militia resistance there, local officials said on Friday.
The fall of Herat, the latest in a series of major provincial cities to be taken by the Taliban in the past few days, has dealt a shocking blow to the government of President Ashraf Ghani only weeks after the withdrawal of U.S. forces.
One official said Afghan government forces had agreed to withdraw from Herat airport, 15 km (nine miles) from the city, and the Army Corps commander’s headquarters, the last centers under their control. However other sources said Afghan forces were still at the airport as of 1 p.m. Friday.
“The Taliban agreed that they will not pose any threat or harm to the government officials who surrendered,” said provincial council member Ghulam Habib Hashimi.
As fighting subsided, the streets fell silent in Herat, a major economic hub of about 600,000 people close to the border with Iran and over centuries one of the historic centers of Persian culture.
“Families have either left or are hiding in their houses,” said Hashimi, who described Herat as a “ghost town”.
Herat has seen increasingly heavy fighting with popular militia groups serving alongside regular army units as Taliban pressure on the city mounted following the U.S. pullout.
Khan, the most prominent militia commander and believed to be in his 70s, together with the provincial governor and security officials, were handed over to the Taliban under an agreement, Hashimi told Reuters. He had no details of the deal.
Khan’s capture, confirmed by Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, provided one of the most potent symbols of the crumbling of resistance in the city.
Photos and videos showing the eminent commander apparently in the hands of the insurgents were widely shared on social media although they could not immediately be verified.
Ismail Khan is widely known as the Lion of Herat. His involvement in Afghanistan‘s wars goes back to the anti-government uprising that helped trigger the 1979 Soviet intervention, and his return to the front lines a month ago was a clear sign of the growing threat to Herat.
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Escalating violence in Pashtun regions during Ramadan raises concerns
He described these incidents as grave violations of international law and acts that have deepened fears among affected communities.
Amid the holy month of Ramadan, violence has continued in several Pashtun areas, raising serious concerns among local communities.
In a post in X, Manzoor Ahmad Pashteen, the founder and head of Pashtun Tahafuz Movement, noted that in Tirah, four Pashtun civilians were reportedly killed and six others injured during operations carried out by the Pakistani army. Protests that followed in Orakzai were also met with force, leaving four more individuals seeking peace and justice injured.
In Afghanistan’s Behsud district, 17 civilians, including women and children, were reportedly killed in airstrikes attributed to Pakistani forces, he stated.
He described these incidents as grave violations of international law and acts that have deepened fears among affected communities.
In recent days, additional casualties have been reported in Rozmak, Shawal (North Waziristan), Mubarak Shahi village (Mir Ali), Speen Wam, Abakhel village, Dosali, Takhte Khel (Lakki Marwat), Azam Warsak (South Waziristan), Bajaur, and Bannu, where clashes between security forces and armed groups have resulted in deaths and injuries among civilians, Pashteen said.
He stated that the ongoing violence reflects longstanding grievances in Pashtun regions. The Pashtun Tahafuz Movement (PTM) has stated that it will continue to oppose what it describes as injustices against Pashtun communities and will stand in solidarity with those affected.
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UNAMA reports civilian casualties from Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan
UNAMA urged all parties to end hostilities, protect civilians, and uphold international law principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution to prevent further civilian harm.
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has confirmed credible reports of civilian casualties following overnight Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan on 21–22 February.
Airstrikes in Behsud and Khogyani districts of Nangarhar province, carried out between approximately 23:45 on 21 February and 00:15 on 22 February, have reportedly killed at least 13 civilians and injured seven others, including women and children.
Pakistani forces also struck Barmal and Urgun districts in Paktika province.
In Barmal’s Marghai area, an airstrike on 21 February around 23:15 hit a madrassa and partially damaged a nearby mosque.
In Urgun’s Dahna area, an airstrike at approximately 23:30 partially destroyed a vacant private residence. No civilian casualties have been reported from these strikes.
UNAMA urged all parties to end hostilities, protect civilians, and uphold international law principles of distinction, proportionality, and precaution to prevent further civilian harm.
The Ministry of Education reported the tragic losses, highlighting the impact of strikes on civilians and students in the region.
Education Ministry spokesman Mansoor Ahmad Hamza also said that a student at a religious seminary was injured in Barmal district of Paktika province, another area affected by the Pakistani military attacks over the weekend.
Dozens of civilians have reportedly been killed or injured in the airstrikes, which Afghan authorities say targeted residential homes and community areas in both Nangarhar and Paktika provinces.
Local sources describe scenes of devastation, with families searching through rubble and emergency personnel rushing to rescue trapped individuals.
Afghanistan’s Ministry of National Defense condemned the strikes, saying they constitute a violation of Afghan sovereignty and have caused significant civilian harm.
Officials reiterated that Afghan territory must not be used for attacks against other countries and called for restraint and dialogue to prevent further escalation.
The strikes come amid ongoing tensions along the disputed Durand Line between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where security concerns and accusations of militancy have frequently strained relations between Kabul and Islamabad. Analysts note that repeated civilian casualties risk further inflaming regional tensions and complicating diplomatic efforts to reduce violence along the frontier.
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