Pakistan says it will continue military operation against Militants in Afghanistan

March 28, 2026 Current News Articles

Khaama Press

March 27, 2026

Pakistan said on Thursday it would continue its military operation against the Kabul administration after a temporary Eid ceasefire expired.

Pakistan said on Thursday it had resumed its “Ghazaab-ul-Haq” military operation against what it called militant hideouts in Afghanistan after a temporary Eid al-Fitr ceasefire expired, dimming hopes for a longer truce between the two neighbors. Foreign Ministry spokesman Tahir Andrabi said the pause had ended and operations had restarted in a “targeted” manner.

Islamabad says the operation, launched on the night of Feb. 25, is aimed at infrastructure and sanctuaries used by militants behind attacks inside Pakistan, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, or TTP. Pakistani officials have accused the Afghan Taliban of allowing militants to operate from Afghanistan soil, a charge Kabul has repeatedly denied.

The Taliban accused Pakistan during Eid of violating the ceasefire, while Pakistani officials said their forces were acting in response to cross-border attacks and what they called provocations from Afghanistan territory. The latest resumption of hostilities follows weeks of the worst fighting between the two sides in years.

The truce had been brokered with mediation from Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar, all of which pushed for de-escalation after a sharp military escalation in late February and March. Pakistan has said the pause was also requested by the mediating states, though neither side has signaled a durable political breakthrough.

Religious scholars and clerics in the region have also urged both sides to halt the fighting at least until Eid al-Adha, warning that continued conflict would deepen civilian suffering and further destabilize the border region. But with mutual accusations and little trust between Islamabad and Kabul, those appeals have so far struggled to gain traction.

The current crisis marks a dramatic deterioration in ties between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban, once close allies. Pakistan has increasingly blamed Kabul for sheltering TTP fighters responsible for a wave of deadly attacks since 2022, while the Taliban says it does not allow Afghanistan territory to be used against any other country.

The violence has also raised humanitarian concerns after major Pakistani strikes in Afghanistan this month, including one in Kabul that Taliban officials said hit a rehabilitation center and caused mass casualties, a claim Islamabad rejected. International actors including the United Nations, European Union and regional states have repeatedly called for restraint and dialogue.

The renewed operation suggests the fragile Eid truce has failed to halt a broader slide toward sustained confrontation. Unless both sides can restore confidence through mediation or direct talks, the conflict risks becoming an entrenched and highly destabilizing front in the region.

Torkham Border Crossing Reopen Temporarily, Officials Say

March 27, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

March 26, 2026

Local officials in Nangarhar have announced that the Torkham border crossing will reopen today exclusively for migrant travel.

Quraishi Badloon, head of Taliban Information and Culture in Nangarhar, wrote on his social media platform on Wednesday evening, March 25, that the crossing will open from 9 a.m. Thursday for the safe and orderly movement of migrants.

The decision aims to ensure secure and regulated transit for Afghans traveling between Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to Badloon.

The Torkham crossing had been closed for several days following clashes between Taliban fighters and Pakistani border guards, which disrupted all movement across the frontier.

Torkham is one of the most important border points between Afghanistan and Pakistan, serving as a critical route for both people and goods.

Recent weeks have seen escalating tensions between Pakistan and Taliban forces, with sporadic clashes reported along the border, raising concerns over regional stability.

Analysts say the temporary reopening for migrants may be an effort to ease humanitarian pressures while broader security and political tensions remain unresolved.

Historically, border closures like this have strained trade, disrupted families, and intensified local grievances, highlighting the fragile dynamics in Afghanistan-Pakistan relations.

The reopening signals a cautious step toward normalizing crossings, though the situation remains volatile, and authorities on both sides continue to monitor security developments closely.

UNICEF Says Every Girl in Afghanistan Has the Right to Go to School

March 27, 2026 Current News Articles

By Khaama Press

March 26, 2026

A UNICEF representative in Afghanistan has said every girl in the country has the right to go to school, renewing calls for the reopening of classrooms to girls.

Tajudeen Oyewale wrote on X on Thursday, March 26, that when girls are educated, communities grow stronger and the future becomes brighter for everyone.

He said UNICEF’s message is simple but important and aimed at keeping hope alive for girls across Afghanistan.

His remarks follow an earlier appeal by UNICEF South Asia regional director Sanjay Wijesekera, who said the time has come to reopen schools for girls in Afghanistan.

Girls above grade six have remained barred from school since the Taliban returned to power, leaving millions cut off from formal education.

The restrictions have since expanded beyond schools, with girls and women also excluded from universities, institutes and many other educational spaces.

Former President Hamid Karzai and other public figures have repeatedly warned that denying girls education and restricting women’s work will damage Afghanistan’s stability, dignity and future development.

Women also continue to face employment restrictions in many sectors, including public institutions and parts of humanitarian and civil society work, worsening poverty for already vulnerable households.

These bans are unfolding amid a severe humanitarian crisis, with millions of Afghans facing hunger, unemployment, displacement and dependence on international aid.

UNICEF’s latest call adds to growing international and domestic pressure, but for Afghan girls and women, access to education and work remains largely out of reach.

Afghans hold second mass funeral for victims of an airstrike on Kabul

March 27, 2026 Current News Articles

By Abdul Qahar Afghan | AP

Washington Post

March 26, 2026

KABUL, Afghanistan — Dozens of people were buried in a Kabul cemetery on Thursday in the second mass funeral of victims killed in an airstrike that hit a drug rehabilitation center in the Afghan capital earlier this month.

Bulldozers opened a large pit into which individual graves were dug for the 60 coffins. Afghan officials have said hundreds of people were killed when a Pakistani airstrike hit the 2,000-bed Omid Addiction Treatment Hospital on March 16.

The U.N. humanitarian affairs office has said the total death toll is still under verification. Pakistan has denied targeting civilians, saying it struck an ammunition depot.

The strike came amid escalating fighting between Pakistan and Afghanistan that began in February and has seen repeated cross-border clashes as well as airstrikes inside Afghanistan, including several in Kabul.

Pakistan accuses Afghanistan of providing a safe haven for militants who carry out attacks inside Pakistan, especially for the Pakistani Taliban . The group is separate but closely allied with the Afghan Taliban, which seized power in Afghanistan in 2021 during the chaotic withdrawal of U.S.-led troops. Kabul denies the charge.

Pakistan declared last month that it is at “open war” with Afghanistan . The conflict has alarmed the international community, particularly as the area is one where other militant organizations, including al-Qaida and the Islamic State group , still have a presence and have been trying to resurface.

The two sides declared a temporary truce last week ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr, following mediation by Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. The truce expired this week, and renewed fighting erupted on Wednesday, with Afghan officials saying at least two civilians had been killed in eastern Afghanistan and others had been wounded.

Separately, the Pakistani Taliban — known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP — said they have resumed attacks inside Pakistan after observing their own three-day Eid ceasefire.

Thursday’s funeral was the second mass funeral for victims at the addiction treatment center, after one was held for more than 50 people on March 18.

Health Ministry spokesman Sharafat Zaman said on Thursday that the death toll from the strike on the center now stood at 411 people, after two of the wounded died in hospital and one more body was pulled from the rubble in recent days. A further 263 people were wounded, he said.

Zaman said the remains of 20 young men, aged about 18 to 19 years old, were never found. The young men were all in a room in the treatment center that was completely destroyed in the strike. “No sign of them remained,” he said. “We have not yet found any body parts of them to identify.”

The spokesman said many people remain missing. He said hundreds of people were still going to Kabul’s forensic department seeking news of their loved ones who had been in the Omid treatment center, as their relatives are not listed among the confirmed dead or the wounded.

Samira Mohammadi said she has been searching since the explosion for her 20-year-old son Arif, who was a patient at the treatment center. Her visits to several hospitals in the capital have been fruitless.

“I’m looking for my child, but I haven’t found him.” she said. “I’m searching for my son with all my heart, I’m telling you, Arif is no more.”

The Omid hospital had been expanded from a previously existing drug treatment facility as part of the Taliban government’s efforts to stamp out a significant drug addiction problem in Afghanistan. The country’s vast poppy fields have been the source of much of the world’s heroin, which in combination with decades of conflict and widespread poverty has fueled drug addiction that authorities have vowed to combat.

The site, near Kabul’s international airport, is adjacent to a former NATO military base, Camp Phoenix, where U.S. forces used to train the Afghan National Army .

The strike caused an intense fire at the hospital, and officials have said the bodies of many of the victims were too badly damaged to be identified.

Fighting resumes between Pakistan and Afghanistan after temporary ceasefire ends, killing 2

March 26, 2026 Current News Articles

By ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN

Associated Press

March 25, 2026

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Renewed fighting erupted along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan on Wednesday after a temporary ceasefire expired, killing at least two civilians and wounding others in eastern Afghanistan, Afghan Taliban officials said.

The brief truce had been announced by the two sides ahead of the Muslim holiday of Eid al-Fitr. Ziaur Rahman Speenghar, a director at the information and culture department in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, said Pakistani forces fired dozens of artillery shells into the Narai and Sarkano districts, killing two civilians and wounding eight others after the ceasefire expired.

Afghan border forces returned fire, he said, claiming they destroyed three Pakistani military posts and killed one person. His claims could not be independently verified. There was no immediate comment from Pakistan’s military. However, a local Pakistani official in the northwest accused Afghan forces of initiating the exchange of fire in multiple areas.

The latest violence comes about a week after both sides agreed to halt hostilities following Pakistani airstrikes in Afghanistan at the request of Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Qatar. The pause followed Pakistani strikes that the Afghan Taliban government said hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. That toll could not be independently confirmed.

Separately, the Pakistani Taliban, known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, said it had resumed attacks inside Pakistan after observing its own three-day Eid ceasefire.

The TTP, which is separate from but allied to the Afghan Taliban, has stepped up attacks inside Pakistan since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021. The TTP has been designated as a terrorist organization by the United States and the United Nations. Pakistan accuses Kabul of sheltering TTP leaders and thousands of members who carry out cross-border attacks.

Kabul denies the charge, but Pakistan has vowed to continue targeting TTP and its supporters inside Afghanistan until Afghanistan’s Taliban government assures that it will not allow TTP and other militants to use the Afghan soil for attacks.

___

Associated Press writer Riaz Khan in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to the story.

Pakistan Resumes Attacks On Afghanistan After Eid Pause; 2 Civilians Killed, Several Injured

March 26, 2026 Current News Articles

Aveek Banerjee
News18.com

March 26, 2026

The latest attacks came after Pakistan and Afghanistan had announced a “temporary pause” in hostilities amid long-standing tensions between the two neighbours.

Pakistan on Thursday resumed attacks against Afghanistan after a temporary pause, according to the Pakistani Foreign Ministry, dashing hopes of a ceasefire after a brief pause was announced during the festival of Eid al-Fitr. At least two civilians were killed and several others were injured.

Ziaur Rahman Speenghar, a director at the information and culture department in Afghanistan’s Kunar province, said Pakistani forces fired dozens of artillery shells into the Narai and Sarkano districts, killing two civilians and wounding eight others after the ceasefire expired, reported The Associated Press.

He said Afghan border forces returned fire, claiming to have destroyed three Pakistani military posts and killed one person, although these claims have not been independently verified. However, a local Pakistani official in the northwest accused Afghan forces of initiating the exchange of fire in multiple areas.

Last week, Pakistan and Afghanistan had announced a “temporary pause” in hostilities to mark the end of the Muslim holy month of Ramzan at the request of Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey.

Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson Tahir Andrabi said at a briefing that the pause had concluded between March 23 and 24, adding that Pakistan’s operations would continue until the objectives are achieved, and until the Afghan Taliban regime reviewed what he called its “misplaced priority of supporting terrorist infrastructures”.

The pause followed Pakistani strikes that the Afghan Taliban government said hit a drug rehabilitation hospital in Kabul, killing more than 400 people. Pakistan rejected the Taliban’s statements about the strike, saying it had “precisely targeted military installations and terrorist support infrastructure”.

This airstrike marked a significant escalation in the long-standing tensions between the two neighbours, which have seen cross-border shelling, retaliatory air operations, and mutual accusations over militant sanctuaries since the conflict intensified in late 2025.

The Pakistani military has struck Kabul several times in recent weeks, as part of a conflict sparked by claims that the Taliban government has harboured militant groups that have carried out attacks across the border.

Religious Leaders Call for Extension of Pakistan-Afghanistan Ceasefire Until Eid al-Adha

March 25, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

March 25, 2026

Religious scholars from Pakistan and Afghanistan have jointly called on authorities in both countries to extend the temporary ceasefire, originally announced for Eid al-Fitr, until Eid al-Adha.

On Tuesday, 24 March, 22 prominent clerics issued a statement emphasizing that their goal is to foster sustainable peace and resolve ongoing tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

The scholars urged both the Pakistani government and Taliban authorities to maintain the pause in hostilities, ensuring that citizens can perform Hajj rituals in a safe and peaceful environment.

According to the statement, their appeal goes beyond a simple call for a ceasefire, encompassing broader diplomatic and social efforts aimed at reaching a fair and mutually acceptable resolution to long-standing disputes between the two countries.

They emphasized that extending the ceasefire could build trust, reduce civilian casualties, and pave the way for stronger regional cooperation and dialogue.

Tensions along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border have periodically escalated due to cross-border attacks and accusations from both sides. Past short-term ceasefires during religious holidays have often been violated, highlighting the need for longer-term agreements.

International organizations, including the United Nations and regional mediators, have repeatedly urged Islamabad and Kabul to prioritize diplomacy and avoid civilian harm, especially during major religious observances.

Religious leaders hope that extending the ceasefire will not only protect civilians but also create a framework for sustained dialogue, reduce regional tensions, and strengthen peace initiatives in South Asia.

UN Calls for Independent Investigation into Kabul Hospital Airstrike

March 25, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

March 25, 2026

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on Human Rights in Afghanistan, has urged an independent, rapid, and transparent investigation into the recent airstrike on the “Omid” drug rehabilitation Hospital in eastern Kabul.

He stressed that the investigation must respect international law and civilian protection standards while holding responsible parties accountable for the attack.

Bennett added that UN experts are calling on both sides of the conflict to agree to a permanent ceasefire to prevent further civilian casualties.

According to previous UN statements, recent cross-border clashes between Pakistani forces and Taliban authorities have displaced over 115,000 civilians, creating a severe humanitarian crisis in border regions.

UN experts highlighted that from 26 February to the present, airstrikes and border clashes have caused at least 289 civilian casualties in Afghanistan, including 76 deaths and 213 injuries, with extensive damage to medical facilities, homes, markets, schools, and trade routes.

UN human rights officials condemned Pakistan’s 16 March airstrike on the Kabul rehabilitation center, expressing deepest condolences to families and wishing speedy recovery for the injured. They stressed that all parties must respect international humanitarian and human rights law.

In the past month, Pakistan has targeted more than ten Afghanistan provinces, including Kabul, Kandahar, Nangarhar, and Panjshir, citing counter-terrorism and military objectives against Taliban infrastructure. In response, Taliban authorities have signaled retaliatory measures, heightening regional tensions.

UN human rights experts called for full transparency, accountability, and cessation of violence to protect civilians. They stressed that adherence to international law is essential for long-term peace and regional stability in Afghanistan.

Released American Dennis Coyle: ‘Not all evil, wicked people’ in Afghanistan

March 25, 2026 Current News Articles

by Max Rego

The Hill

03/25/26

American Dennis Coyle, who the Taliban released on Tuesday after more than a year in detention, said the people of Afghanistan are “not all evil.”

“People live life daily on the streets, doing their best to make do. So, there are not all evil, wicked people there,” he reflected in an interview with NewsNation’s Chris Cuomo, while on his flight back to the U.S. “Many people just doing their best to survive, looking for hope.”

Coyle was detained in January 2025 without charges by the Taliban General Directorate of Intelligence, according to a website run by his family. At the time, he was “legally working to support Afghan language communities as an academic researcher,” the family said.

The release came less than three weeks after Secretary of State Marco Rubio designated Afghanistan as a “state sponsor of wrongful detention” and urged the Taliban to release Coyle and 38-year-old Mahmood Habibi, also a U.S. citizen.

Coyle’s family wrote in a statement Tuesday that their “hearts are filled with overwhelming gratitude and praise to God” for his return home. They also thanked Rubio, President Trump, senior director for counterterrorism Sebastian Gorka, special envoy for hostage response Adam Boehler and Julia Speer.

Afghanistan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Tuesday that Coyle was released out of “humanitarian compassion and goodwill.”

“The esteemed authority of the Supreme Court deemed his prior imprisonment sufficient, and today he was handed over to his family in Kabul,” the ministry wrote on social platform X.

Coyle also told NewsNation he was “very thankful to be going back to my homeland.”

“I’m very proud to be an American,” he said. “There’s a Pashto proverb that says, ‘To every person their homeland is like Kashmir,’ which means it’s special. So I love my country. But yet, God has given me a love for Afghans also.”

“And while there’s much joy coming home, much of my life, the last 20 years, has been invested there,” Coyle continued. “And there’s some, what’s the right word, regret not, but even a hint of sadness that way, with much, of course, joy.”

Rubio celebrated Coyle’s release in a Tuesday statement, but called on the Taliban to release Habibi, Paul Overby Jr. and “all other unjustly detained Americans.

Habibi, who was born in Afghanistan, was abducted alongside his driver by the Taliban’s General Dicterorate of Intelligence in August 2022.

Overby, a writer, disappeared in Khost Province, Afghanistan, in May 2014, according to the FBI. The bureau is offering up to $5 million for information leading to his location, recovery and return.

Islamabad–Kabul Ceasefire on Brink as Pakistan Vows to Eliminate Terror Threat

March 24, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

March 24, 2026

Pakistan has reaffirmed its commitment to “eliminate terrorism” as a temporary ceasefire with authorities in Kabul nears its deadline, signaling a possible return to intensified conflict. Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said Islamabad’s security approach remains unchanged despite the brief pause in hostilities.

The ceasefire, agreed last week during the Eid al-Fitr holidays, temporarily halted weeks of escalating clashes between Pakistan and Taliban forces. However, officials on both sides have indicated that the truce may not be extended, raising concerns about renewed cross-border violence.

In a message marking Pakistan Day, Dar stressed that military actions, including operations inside Afghanistan territory, are aimed at countering terrorist threats. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif echoed this stance, describing such actions as a reflection of Pakistan’s national resolve to safeguard its security.

Tensions remain high following recent incidents, including Taliban claims that Pakistani shelling killed a civilian in Kunar province. Islamabad, meanwhile, continues to accuse Kabul of harboring militant groups such as Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), which it says carry out attacks inside Pakistan from Afghanistan soil, claims the Taliban deny.

The current ceasefire followed a deadly Pakistani strike in Kabul, which Taliban authorities said killed over 400 people at a rehabilitation center. The incident significantly escalated hostilities and deepened mistrust between the two sides.

The latest round of clashes traces back to February, after multiple mediation attempts by regional actors, including Gulf countries and China, failed to produce lasting de-escalation. Since then, sporadic fighting and cross-border strikes have intensified, highlighting the fragility of relations.

The broader regional context has also shifted, with Gulf states increasingly focused on tensions involving Iran and recent US and Israeli actions, reducing diplomatic attention on the Pakistan-Afghanistan crisis. This has further complicated efforts to sustain dialogue between Islamabad and Kabul.

With the ceasefire on the brink of expiration and both sides maintaining hardened positions, the risk of renewed escalation between Pakistan and the Taliban remains high, threatening further instability across the already volatile region.

By ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN

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