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Taliban seize control of Ghazni city after governor makes ‘secret deal’

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A Ghazni provincial council member has confirmed that Ghazni city fell to the Taliban on Thursday morning following a “secret deal” between the Taliban and Daud Laghmani, the provincial governor.

Amanullah Kamrani, a member of the provincial council, told Ariana News that with the help of the Taliban, Laghmani fled the province and tried to reach Kabul.

Taliban fighters launched an offensive against Ghazni city early Thursday and soon seized the governor’s compound, police headquarters and provincial office of the National Directorate of Security (NDS).

A video clip on social media shows Laghmani’s convoy of vehicles driving through militant checkpoints while being escorted out of the province by Taliban.

“Ghazni province fell based on a secret deal between the governor and Taliban. Ghazni governor in coordination with Taliban escaped to Kabul,” said Kamrani.

The Afghan Ministry of Interior (MoI) confirmed that Ghazni’s governor and his deputy were arrested by police in Wardak province.

“The Ghazni governor, his deputy and other accompanying members were arrested… in Maidan Wardak province,” said Mirwais Stanekzai, spokesman for the MoI.

Military officials, meanwhile, confirmed that Taliban has seized some areas, but that the Taliban militants will be met with resistance.

“It is our commitment to people and Allah (God) that we will defend the soil and people. Afghan forces’ efforts should be praised,” said Bismillah Mohammadi, acting defense minister.
“I assure you that I will perform my job. Taliban should learn from their defeat in Kandahar. They (Taliban) have lost their commanders, we will defeat the group,” said Haibatullah Alizai, the recently appointed army chief of staff.

The Taliban has said in the past it will not attack cities, however in the past two weeks, the group has seized the Nimruz, Kunduz, Baghlan, Jawzjan, Samangan, Ghazni, Takhar, Sar-e-Pul, Badakhshan and Farah capitals.

“We have lost some areas, but people stand by us. We have power,” said Hamdullah Mohib, the national security adviser of Afghanistan.

Local sources meanwhile told Ariana News that the Taliban has launched an offensive on Ghor and Badghis capitals.

In addition to this, violence has escalated in Herat, Kandahar and Helmand provinces.

Reports indicate that the Taliban has seized a government prison in Kandahar city.

In addition sources confirmed that Yar Mohammd Dostum, son of Marshal Dostum, along with his forces, who was under Taliban siege was transferred to Balkh province.

This comes after President Ashraf Ghani said on Wednesday, during a visit to Balkh province, that the Taliban will be defeated.

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Afghanistan lodges complaint with UN over Pakistani airstrikes

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Afghanistan’s acting representative to the United Nations has formally raised concerns at the UN Security Council following overnight airstrikes this week it says were carried out by Pakistan inside Afghan territory.

Nasir Ahmad Faiq, acting chargé d’affaires of Afghanistan’s mission to the UN, announced on Monday that a formal complaint had been submitted regarding the strikes, which reportedly resulted in civilian casualties.

In a statement posted on X, Faiq called for “the immediate cessation of such actions, a thorough and impartial review, full respect for Afghanistan’s territorial integrity, and strict adherence to the Charter of the United Nations and international law.”

According to Afghan officials, the strikes took place late Saturday night in eastern Nangarhar and south-eastern Paktika provinces.

Authorities say dozens of civilians, including women and children, were killed or wounded when residential areas were hit.

Islamabad has previously maintained that it reserves the right to act against militant groups it says operate near or along the disputed Durand Line. Afghan officials, however, have consistently rejected allegations that Afghan territory is being used to launch attacks against Pakistan.

The latest incident comes amid heightened tensions between Kabul and Islamabad over security concerns and cross-Durand Line militancy, further complicating already fragile bilateral relations.

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US companies are welcome to join TAPI project: Turkmenistan’s ex-president

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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.

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UK’s Reform party pledges visa ban affecting Afghanistan and five other states

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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.

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