Afghanistan earthquake survivors spend the night in the open; the quake damaged historical sites

By ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN

Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Survivors of a powerful earthquake in northern Afghanistan that killed more than 25 people and injured nearly 1,000 were digging through the rubble of their homes Tuesday, trying to salvage what belongings they could after spending the night outside in the bitter cold.

Rain was forecast for the region, further compounding the misery for survivors.

The 6.3 magnitude quake struck just before 1 a.m. local time Monday, with an epicenter 22 kilometers (14 miles) west-southwest of the town of Khulm in Samangan province. By early Tuesday afternoon, the death stood at 27, while another 956 people were injured, Public Health Ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman said in a statement.

The tremor also damaged historical sites, including Afghanistan’s famed Blue Mosque in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif, which is one of Afghanistan’s most revered religious landmarks, and the Bagh-e-Jahan Nama Palace in Khulm.

The Blue Mosque’s minaret was badly damaged, while some bricks and tiles had fallen from some of the mosque’s walls and cracks appeared in other parts of the centuries-old site, said Mahmoodullah Zarar, Head of Information and Culture of Balkh Province.

Video footage from the mosque, which is a major gathering place during Islamic and cultural festivals, showed structural damage to parts of the mosque, while brickwork and the decorative tiles that adorn its facade had crumbled in several places and laid strewn on the ground.

The most severely damaged historical monument in the province was the 19th century Bagh-e Jehan Nama Palace, said Firozuddin Munib, Samangan province’s Head of Information and Culture. The palace, built in 1890-1892, and its adjoining gardens are a popular site for visitors.

“The restoration of this palace is very important because winter is coming and the area is cold, and it is raining, which may cause further damage,” Munib said, adding that the quake caused a surrounding wall and one tower to collapse and also led to cracks in the palace and other towers.

In Khulm, aftershocks rattled survivors, who spent the night out in the open.

“People are still scared because of last night’s earthquake because small tremors were felt during the day,” said local resident Asadullah Samangani. “We spent the night in the open ground last night, the weather was very cold, we couldn’t sleep, we feel like there will be another earthquake now.”

He said authorities had sent tents and basic necessities, but that his home was “completely destroyed, nothing was left intact to use. Our children were all sick in the morning because we had spent the night in the cold, and all the household items were under the rubble.

“People from other areas came to help, but our belongings are still under rubble and damaged. Our women are facing great difficulties, we do not have a toilet and we do not have a place where our women can spend the night.”

Rescue crews were still operating in some areas on Tuesday, and were expected to finish by the end of the day.

The World Health Organization said partial damage had been reported in several health facilities, while the laboratory at the Samangan Provincial Hospital had collapsed, destroying critical medical equipment. Emergency response operations with health teams and rescue units were ongoing, it said.

Impoverished Afghanistan often faces difficulty in responding to natural disasters, especially in remote regions. Buildings tend to be low-rise constructions, mostly of concrete and brick, with homes in rural and outlying areas made from mud bricks and wood, many poorly built.

In August, a quake in eastern Afghanistan killed more than 2,200 people.

Afghanistan earthquake survivors spend the night in the open; the quake damaged historical sites
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Pakistan Army Says Ongoing Tensions With Afghanistan Stem From Absence of Representative Govt in Kabul

Pakistan’s military said ongoing tensions with Afghanistan are linked to the absence of a representative government in Kabul, urging stronger action against cross-border militancy.

The military’s remarks reflect Islamabad’s mounting frustration with Kabul’s failure to rein in the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups, even as Pakistan pursues diplomatic channels.

Pakistan’s military declared on Monday that the current tensions with Afghanistan stem from the absence of a legitimately elected government in Kabul. A spokesman for the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) said that unless a representative leadership is installed in Afghanistan, issues such as cross-border militancy cannot be resolved.

Lieutenant General Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, ISPR’s spokesperson, told reporters that although the 2020 Doha agreement promised a Loya Jirga and an inclusive Afghanistan government, “that commitment remains unfulfilled.” He emphasised Pakistan’s insistence on ending militant sanctuaries in Afghanistan territory.

Chaudhry noted that Pakistan has already eliminated some 1,667 militants this year, including Afghan nationals, and warned that the current cease-fire would be void if any militants operate from Afghanistan soil, signalling a potential return to open conflict.

Islamabad urged the Taliban’s leadership to comply with the border-security terms agreed in recent Doha and Istanbul talks. Pakistan’s single non-negotiable demand remains: Afghanistan territory must not be used to launch attacks into Pakistan.

The Taliban rejected Pakistan’s claims of militant sanctuaries inside Afghanistan, insisting no foreign armed groups operate on its soil and calling the accusations baseless.

Observers warn the already fragile truce could collapse unless steps are taken to operationalise the monitoring mechanism and rebuild mutual trust amid deepening Pakistani concerns over national security.

Pakistan Army Says Ongoing Tensions With Afghanistan Stem From Absence of Representative Govt in Kabul
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Pakistani Army Denies Secret Deal with U.S. Amid Rising Tensions with Kabul

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that Islamabad does not allow any country, including the United States, to do such a thing.

The spokesperson of the Pakistani army, in a press conference, rejected the remarks made by the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan regarding the use of Pakistan’s airspace against Afghanistan and the existence of a secret agreement between Pakistan and the United States on this issue.

Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry said that Islamabad does not allow any country, including the United States, to do such a thing.

The Pakistani security official said: ‘This news is fake. Pakistan has not given permission to the United States or any other country to use its territory for attacks inside Afghanistan. These claims are baseless propaganda.’

The spokesperson of the Pakistani army once again said that Pakistan’s security concerns are the only issue between Kabul and Islamabad and added that if an attack is launched from Afghanistan, the current ceasefire between the two sides will also end.

Sayed Muqadam Amin, a political analyst, said on the matter: ‘These are not issues that should be viewed solely from Pakistan’s perspective; rather, the United States is directly involved, and the Islamic Emirate, considering national interests, should continue some meetings with the United States after Pakistan, keeping in mind the provisions of the Doha agreement.’

The verbal tensions between Kabul and Islamabad have escalated at a time when, in two days, the third round of negotiations between the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and Pakistan is set to begin in Istanbul, Turkey.

Pakistani Army Denies Secret Deal with U.S. Amid Rising Tensions with Kabul
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Afghanistan earthquake death toll mounts and Taliban officials say almost 1,000 people injured

The death toll from a powerful earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan early on Monday climbed to 27 on Tuesday, with almost 1,000 others confirmed injured by the temblor, according to national health officials.
The U.S Geological Survey said the 6.3 magnitude quake was centered near Kholm, in the northern Samangan province, but Afghanistan’s Taliban government has reported damage and casualties in at least five other provinces.

Videos posted online show the quake lasting about 20 seconds. It was so powerful that it was felt in the capital Kabul and neighboring countries, causing panic for families early Monday morning.

Sharafat Zaman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, said 27 people were killed, most of them in Samangan and the neighboring Balkh provinces. There were also confirmed deaths in Baghlan, Kunduz, Sar-e-Pul and Jawzjan provinces, with a total of 953 confirmed injuries.

The Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority has reported that over 500 homes were partially or fully damaged in the earthquake, leaving families at immediate risk of displacement and in urgent need as temperatures drop with the onset of winter.

In Mazar-i-Sharif, the provincial capital of Balkh, the quake caused significant damage to the famed 15th-century Blue Mosque, according to regional government spokesman Haji Zahid, who shared a video of the damage on his social media account.

Humanitarian aid organizations, many of them reeling from recent funding cuts by the U.S. and other governments, have deployed teams to help facilitate the delivery of emergency health care and other essential items to those affected.

6.3 magnitude earthquake strikes Afghanistan
An infographic shows the location of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake that struck northern Afghanistan early on Nov. 3, 2025.Mehmet Yaren Bozgun/Anadolu/Getty

“Afghanistan faces repeated disasters — earthquakes, floods, and droughts, all worsened by the climate crisis. At the same time, the country is experiencing a severe food crisis driven by drought, economic collapse, and the withdrawal of vital funding,” ActionAid’s country director for Afghanistan, Srikanta Mirsa, said in a statement. “One in five Afghans faces acute hunger, with millions more severely malnourished.”

Over the past two years, Afghanistan has been struck by multiple deadly earthquakes, including a powerful temblor that hit the country’s east in late August, killing 2,200 people and leaving thousands of families without shelter, clean water, and medical care, according to the United Nations and Afghan authorities.

“In this moment of profound need, the world cannot turn away. Every cut to international aid further weakens the resilience and recovery of millions of Afghans already living in crisis,” said Mirsa.

Afghanistan earthquake death toll mounts and Taliban officials say almost 1,000 people injured
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WHO Deploys Emergency Teams After Powerful Earthquake Hits Northern Afghanistan

By Fidel Rahmati

 

The World Health Organization has deployed emergency teams and medical supplies to northern Afghanistan after a 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed dozens and injured hundreds across several provinces.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched emergency response teams and medical supplies to the quake-affected provinces of Balkh, Samangan, and Baghlan following Sunday night’s 6.3-magnitude earthquake, which left dozens dead and hundreds injured. The teams are working to deliver urgent care and assess the needs of affected communities.

In a statement released Monday, WHO said medical and rescue personnel have been deployed to provide emergency assistance, treatment, and health services to those impacted. The teams are conducting rapid assessments to identify immediate needs such as medicine, food, and clean water for survivors.

WHO officials emphasized that Afghanistan is still reeling from the effects of previous deadly quakes in the east, and that a significant number of people in northern regions now require sustained humanitarian aid. The organization said its priority remains saving lives, treating the wounded, and supporting grieving families.

Coordination is underway with local authorities, provincial health departments, and other international partners to ensure relief supplies reach all affected areas efficiently. Mobile medical units and trauma care teams have been stationed in remote zones where infrastructure has been severely damaged.

The earthquake, which struck late Sunday, caused significant destruction across northern Afghanistan. Buildings collapsed, roads were damaged, and residents fled their homes in fear of aftershocks. Officials warned that the casualty figures could rise as rescue workers access isolated mountain villages.

As night temperatures drop, humanitarian agencies are racing to provide emergency shelter, blankets, and clean water to displaced families. The situation is particularly dire for children and the elderly, many of whom have been left without safe housing or medical support.

International aid groups, including the United Nations and the International Red Crescent, have pledged additional assistance. Relief efforts are being closely monitored amid growing concerns that Afghanistan’s fragile healthcare system may struggle to meet the scale of medical and logistical demands following yet another devastating natural disaster.

WHO Deploys Emergency Teams After Powerful Earthquake Hits Northern Afghanistan
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Returnees Fear Winter Without Shelter or Heating Supplies

According to the agency, from September 1 to October 18 of this year, 404,431 individuals were returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan.

The UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) has announced the provision of winter assistance for returnees as well.

According to the agency, from September 1 to October 18 of this year, 404,431 individuals were returned to Afghanistan from Iran and Pakistan.

Faramarz Barzin, Deputy Spokesperson for UNHCR Afghanistan, told TOLOnews: “Through shelter assistance, the UNHCR in Afghanistan supports families without safe and warm housing, either by repairing homes, constructing new ones, or providing aid items such as heaters, kitchen supplies, and, where possible, additional cash assistance.”

Abdul Aziz, 56 years old, was deported from Iran two months ago after living there for 15 years. Initially, he took refuge in Baghlan province, but due to lack of work and housing, he has now moved toward Kunduz.

He came to a migrant camp in Kabul to check on a relative who had been deported from Pakistan and shared his concern about the lack of winter resources for his six children.

Abdul Aziz, a returnee from Iran, told TOLOnews: “Our request to the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is to provide us with food and heating supplies so our children do not fall ill during the winter.”

Khodadad, a returnee from Pakistan, said: “Nights are getting colder here. We need winter resources. The government must support us in this regard.”

Habibullah, who was just over a year old when his family migrated to Pakistan, is now playing with his child. His main concern since returning is how to care for his family during the cold season.

Habibullah, a returnee from Pakistan, said: “Winter is near, and the weather is getting cold. Without proper resources, it is difficult to take care of our children. We need assistance in housing and heating supplies.”

Meanwhile, the forced deportation of Afghan migrants from host countries, especially Iran and Pakistan has intensified in recent years.

While the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has assured support for returnees, it has consistently called on host countries to stop the forced expulsion of Afghan migrants.

Returnees Fear Winter Without Shelter or Heating Supplies
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Another Deadly Quake, and a Cascade of Calamities for Afghanistan

Ghulam Mahmoodi was sleeping with his six relatives in their house’s single bedroom when a powerful tremor jolted him from bed early Monday.

He grabbed two of his daughters and they rushed outside into the thick of northern Afghanistan’s night. Then, Mr. Mahmoodi, 40, went back inside to rescue his mother and his wife.

But their third daughter, Zainab, remained stuck under debris: The hill overlooking their house had collapsed on its roof, and hours later, Zainab, 10, was declared dead.

The 6.3-magnitude quake that struck northern Afghanistan just before 1 a.m. local time on Monday killed at least 20 people, injured more than 520 others and damaged countless buildings, including one of the country’s most iconic landmarks, according to the Afghan authorities. It was the latest natural disaster to batter the ailing nation.

The quake’s epicenter was near the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, home to about 500,000 people and known for its magnificent 15th-century Blue Mosque, whose iconic turquoise tiles fell from its minarets. Parts of its walls and historical writings were also destroyed in the quake.

Households were swallowed under the rubble. The ordeal of Mr. Mahmoodi’s family and the shattered lives in the northern provinces of Balkh and Samangan echo the destruction from another earthquake that Afghan officials have said killed at least 2,200 people in eastern Afghanistan in August.

The quake was the latest in a cascade of catastrophes to hit Afghanistan this year, including the severe impact of aid cuts, the return of more than two million Afghans from neighboring countries and the prospect of a war with neighboring Pakistan.

As Afghanistan moves closer to winter, households displaced by the quake in August are still sleeping in tents. Families have returned from Pakistan and Iran in droves amid rising xenophobia, and many are struggling to find a home as housing prices in cities like Kabul, the capital, have skyrocketed.

By Monday night, it was unclear if the death toll would increase sharply or not, and if rescue teams from the Afghan emergency services and international nonprofits had reached all the affected areas. The Afghan Ministry of Defense mentioned deaths and injuries in a statement but did not provide figures.

On Monday afternoon, about 20 injured people rested on beds at a hospital in Mazar-i-Sharif, one of Afghanistan’s largest cities. Some wore heavy bandages stained with blood around their limbs or heads. Nakarulden, a farmer who goes by his first name, said he had been traveling back to Mazar-i-Sharif with fellow agricultural workers after laboring in rice fields when the quake struck and a boulder fell on their car. He said three men from his group had died.

The quake shattered fragile livelihoods. Abdul Aziz Kamawal said doctors had told him he needed the equivalent of $600 for surgery to his broken femur — four months’ salary as an employee in an iron factory.

Afghanistan is prone to earthquakes because it lies at the convergence of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. The August quake flattened villages in hard-to-reach mountainous areas and caused at least $183 million in damage, according to the World Bank — equivalent to about 1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product.

A previous earthquake in northwestern Afghanistan killed nearly 1,500 people in 2023, according to official figures.

Four years after the Taliban reclaimed power in Afghanistan, more than half the country’s 42 million people were in need of humanitarian assistance. The country, isolated from much of the world except for a few neighbors, has been further strained by the recent return of more than two million Afghans.

A sharp drop in foreign aid this year, driven by cuts by the Trump administration and European countries, has forced the closure of hundreds of health care facilities.

The quake on Monday hit the provinces of Samangan and Balkh in the north, near the border with Uzbekistan. In Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh, locals were clearing debris from the grounds of the Blue Mosque, an important pilgrimage site among Shia Muslims and a place of celebrations for Nowruz, the Persian New Year. The mosque is said to be the burial site of Ali, the son-in-law of the Prophet Muhammad and the first Shia imam.

The mosque was still standing on Monday evening, but visitors, worshipers and journalists were barred from entering the complex.

In Mr. Mahmoodi’s lush village of Muhammad Rahim Sarkhel, a 90-minute drive from Mazar-i-Sharif, his house, with all the family’s possessions and food, remained buried under rubble nearly a day after the quake woke him up.

“Now I have nothing — no food, no home and no hope for surviving,” he said.

Another Deadly Quake, and a Cascade of Calamities for Afghanistan
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Powerful 6.3 quake kills at least 20 in Afghanistan, hundreds injured

By

Reuters

  • At least 20 killed and over 600 injured, officials say
  • UN, India pledge support
  • Power impacted across country
  • Part of Mazar’s historic Blue Mosque damaged
KABUL, Nov 3 (Reuters) – A powerful 6.3 magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least 20 people, injuring hundreds and damaging the city’s historic Blue Mosque, authorities said, with the death toll likely to rise.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake hit at a depth of 28 km (17.4 miles) near Mazar-e Sharif, a city of around 523,000 people famous for its shrines and historic sites.

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Mohammad Rahim, a survivor in Tashqurghan district close to the quake’s epicentre, said the earth shook violently for around 15 seconds.
“When we finally got outside, there was so much dust in the air that we couldn’t see anything,” he told Reuters while standing in front of a collapsed building.
His mother and brother, who were both trapped in the rubble, were eventually freed by rescue workers and other locals, he said.

CASUALTIES REACH INTO HUNDREDS

At least 20 people were killed and 643 were injured, 25 of them seriously, according to preliminary figures from the Afghanistan National Disaster Management Authority.
“Our rescue and health teams have arrived in the area, and all nearby hospitals have been put on standby by the leadership to treat the injured,” Health Ministry spokesperson Sharfat Zaman said.
The United Nations mission in Afghanistan said in a post on social media platform X it was on the ground supporting rescue efforts.
“We stand with the affected communities and will provide necessary support,” the post said.
India, which has been seeking to reset relations with the Taliban after severing diplomatic ties following their 2021 takeover of Afghanistan, also pledged support.
“Indian relief material for the earthquake impacted communities is being handed over today. Further supplies of medicines to reach soon,” Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said in a post on X.

BLUE MOSQUE

The earthquake damaged part of the Blue Mosque, considered one of the holiest sites in Afghanistan and believed to be the burial site of the cousin and son-in-law of the Prophet Mohammad, Balkh province spokesperson Haji Zaid said.
The current structure was built in the 15th century.
Footage shared on social media and verified by Reuters showed broken masonry and tiles lying in the courtyard of the mosque, though the main structure remained standing.
The disaster is the latest challenge for war-torn Afghanistan’s Taliban administration, already grappling with crises including an August quake that killed thousands in the east of the country, a sharp drop in foreign aid and mass deportations of Afghan refugees by neighbouring countries.
The quake disrupted power across the country, including to the capital Kabul, national power supplier Da Afghanistan Breshna Company said in a statement.
Aid group Save The Children said the latest earthquake added to the humanitarian burden on the country, arriving just before winter when temperatures can drop below freezing.
“As temperatures fall, thousands of children in the earthquake-devastated east of the country are facing the winter with only tents for protection from the rain and snow,” said Samira Sayed Rahman, a programme development and advocacy director in the country.
“Now, families in the north are also experiencing fear and uncertainty after this latest powerful quake.”
Afghanistan is particularly vulnerable to quakes as it lies on two active faults that have the potential to rupture and cause extensive damage.
More than 2,200 people were killed and thousands more injured after a quake and strong aftershocks hit the country at the end of August.

Reporting by Mohammad Yunus Yawar in Kabul and Angela Christy in Bengaluru; Writing by Ariba Shahid, YP Rajesh and Alasdair Pal; Editing by Stephen Coates

Powerful 6.3 quake kills at least 20 in Afghanistan, hundreds injured
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Afghanistan, Pakistan have been hit by a spate of quakes in recent years

By Reuters

Nov 3 (Reuters) – A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the northern Afghan city of Mazar-e Sharif early on Monday, killing at least seven people and injuring about 150, just months after a quake and strong aftershocks killed more than 2,200 people at the end of August.
Here are some recent quakes in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region which lies at the intersection of the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates.

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2025

** A magnitude 6.2 quake struck southeastern Afghanistan just before midnight on August 31. It was followed by a series of strong aftershocks over the next week, killing more than 2,200 people and injuring thousands.
** A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Pakistan on May 10, the European Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.
** Quakes of magnitude 5.6 and 5.8 hit the Hindu Kush and Afghanistan-Tajikistan border regions on April 16 and 19, respectively.
** A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Pakistan on April 12.
** Pakistan’s southern port city of Karachi was hit by several moderate or minor tremors in March and June.

2024

** A magnitude 5.5 earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on October 17.
** An earthquake of magnitude 5.75 struck Pakistan on September 11.

** Earthquakes of magnitude 5.5 and 5.8 struck Pakistan between March 19 and March 20.

** An earthquake of magnitude 5.5 hit northwestern Kashmir on February 19.

** A magnitude 6.3 earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on January 11.
** A magnitude 5 earthquake hit the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on January 5.

2023

** An earthquake of magnitude 5.3 hit the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border region on November 15.
** Around 1,000 people died as multiple earthquakes rattled Afghanistan in October.
** On August 6, an earthquake of magnitude 5.1 hit the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border.
** Earthquakes of magnitude 5.6 and 5.7 hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on May 3 and on August 5, respectively.
** An earthquake of magnitude 6.5 hit northern Afghanistan in late March, killing at least 13.,
** A magnitude 5.8 earthquake hit the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on January 5.

2022

** An earthquake of magnitude 4.3 hit southeastern Afghanistan on December 16.
** Over September 5 and 6, at least two earthquakes struck Afghanistan, killing at least eight people.
** A magnitude 5.6 quake struck Pakistan’s southwestern region on August 1.
** A magnitude 6 earthquake in Afghanistan killed more than 1,000 people in June.
** A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region in Afghanistan on February 5.
** An earthquake of magnitude 5.6 hit western Afghanistan on January 17.

2021

** At least 15 people were killed after an earthquake struck southern Pakistan on October 7.
** A magnitude 4.6 earthquake shook Afghanistan on May 19.
Afghanistan, Pakistan have been hit by a spate of quakes in recent years
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Mujahid: U.S. Drones Violating Afghan Airspace via Pakistan

He emphasized that the only unresolved issue in talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan is the matter of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, confirmed in an interview with TOLOnews that U.S. drones are entering Afghan airspace by passing through Pakistani territory.

Mujahid stated that just as Pakistan demands that Afghan soil not be used against it, representatives of the Islamic Emirate have requested during talks in Istanbul that Islamabad ensure its land and airspace are not used against Afghanistan.

He said: “American drones are indeed operating in Afghanistan’s skies; they pass through Pakistani airspace and violate our airspace. This must not happen. They [Pakistan] are helpless here, they can’t stop it. Naturally, this should be seen as a form of incapability, and we understand that.”

The spokesperson also added that a particular military faction in Pakistan may be supported by global powers with the intent of escalating tensions between Kabul and Islamabad.

Without naming any specific countries, he said that certain entities, who were once in conflict with Afghanistan or had ambitions of controlling Bagram are now seeking to create regional instability through pressure and provocation.

Mujahid stated: “We suspect that major global powers, those who once clashed with us or claimed Bagram are behind this pressure. They don’t come directly, but they assign others to provoke unrest in the region and create pretexts. We stand firm against any conspiracy and won’t allow misguided ambitions to become reality in the region.”

He emphasized that the only unresolved issue in talks between Afghanistan and Pakistan is the matter of Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP).

According to him, Islamabad wants the Islamic Emirate to control TTP activity within Pakistan, but this request is beyond Kabul’s authority.

Mujahid explained: “In both the Doha and Istanbul meetings, Pakistan’s demand has been that TTP is a problem for them, and the Islamic Emirate must control it. We’ve made it clear that while we do not allow TTP to operate against any country from Afghan soil, Pakistan is now asking us to control TTP inside Pakistan which is beyond our jurisdiction.”

He further stressed that, contrary to Pakistani officials’ claims, TTP does not operate under the Islamic Emirate’s umbrella and instead is a product of Pakistan’s own policies in its tribal regions.

Mujahid: U.S. Drones Violating Afghan Airspace via Pakistan
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