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Taliban captures eight districts in seven provinces
The Taliban insurgents captured centers of eight districts in the last 24 hours, sources said Saturday.
Local officials told Ariana News that the militants have seized control of Khwaja Sabz Posh and Juma Bazar in Faryab; Meer zaka in Paktia; Muradian in Jawzjan; Barak and Bangi in Takhar; Pusht Koh in Farah; Dara Suf Payan in Samangan; and Bazar Fabrika Qand in Baghlan.
The Ministry of Defense (MoD), however, stated that the Afghan forces would launch clearance operations across the country.
“Strategic, tactical and operational plans would orderly implemented across the country in order to clear the areas from the existence of enemy and the powerful relocation of our forces,” Rohullah Ahmadzai, a spokesman for the MoD said.
Meanwhile, sources said that the Taliban are advancing toward the cities following the collapse of dozens of the districts.
So far, more than 40 districts in 17 provinces were fell to the Taliban since May 1.
“Taliban have reached the outskirts of Maimana (Faryab capital), and ten Humvees, including light and heavy weapons, were seized by the group,” said Abdul Ahad Elbek, a member of Faryab provincial council.
In Takhar, at least 78 members of the Afghan Security and Defense Forces (ANSDF) and members of public uprising forces surrendered to the Taliban due to lack of reinforcement following 30 days of being under siege.
In an interview with Al Arabiya, former Turkmen President Gurbanguly Berdymukhamedov said international companies, including United States firms, are welcome to join the Turkmenistan–Afghanistan–Pakistan–India (TAPI) gas pipeline project.
Berdymukhamedov noted that while the project enjoys U.S. support, it will need to navigate longstanding regional tensions, as Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India have seen outbreaks of deadly fighting over the past year.
“This project, which enjoys international support, including from the United States, possesses immense potential in meeting the growing energy needs of South Asian nations. It also opens promising avenues for accessing the emerging markets of the Asia-Pacific region, the Near East, and the Middle East,” he said.
“The TAPI project is also of paramount importance for political stability and economic prosperity, maintaining high investment attractiveness,” Berdymukhamedov added.
Turkmenistan plans to complete the first section of the pipeline, reaching the Afghan city of Herat, by the end of 2026. No plans have yet been announced to extend the project further south.
The British political party Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, is set to impose a blanket visa ban on Afghanistan and five other countries — including Pakistan — as part of its proposed crackdown on illegal migration and states refusing to accept deported nationals.
In a speech set for Monday, the party’s newly appointed “shadow” home secretary, Zia Yusuf, will outline plans to halt all visas for diplomats, students, workers, VIPs and tourists from Pakistan, Somalia, Eritrea, Syria, Afghanistan and Sudan. Reform says these governments fail to cooperate in accepting back deported migrants and convicted criminals.
Pakistan received more than 160,000 UK visas last year, making it one of the biggest visa recipients. However, British officials say Islamabad accepts back only a small fraction of rejected asylum seekers and has resisted pressure to take back individuals convicted in high-profile criminal cases.
The move – which mirrors US President Donald Trump’s visa ban on 75 countries – would be a key element in Reform’s strategy to deport up to 288,000 illegal migrants from the UK on five charter flights a day.
On legal migration, Yusuf will say a Reform government would terminate all welfare payments to foreign nationals, including the 1.3 million currently receiving UC, up from around 900,000 in 2022.
Yusuf is expected to say that years of weak immigration enforcement have undermined public trust and that a Reform government would secure Britain’s borders and make people feel safe.
Latest News
Ex-US envoy Khalilzad condemns Pakistan air attacks on Afghanistan
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
Former U.S. Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Zalmay Khalilzad, has strongly condemned Sunday’s airstrikes by Pakistan on Afghanistan. He stated that these attacks killed and wounded numerous innocent women, children, and elderly.
Khalilzad pointed to Pakistan’s long history of misgovernance, interference in minority rights, manipulation of democratic processes, and repeated military takeovers as the root causes.
He described the situation as a tragedy for both Pakistan and its neighbors, urging the Pakistani leadership to reconsider its policies and change course.
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