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Barham Salih: Afghan Returns to Reach 8 Million by Year-End

September 26, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

26 September 2026

He said many of these returns are taking place under difficult humanitarian conditions and, in some cases, are not entirely voluntary.

As the number of Afghans returning from countries in the region increases, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees says return to Afghanistan should not mark the end of the process, but rather the beginning of efforts to ensure a safe and dignified life for returnees.

Barham Salih, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, told the UN Security Council that the number of Afghans returning to the country is expected to reach nearly eight million by the end of this year.

He said many of these returns are taking place under difficult humanitarian conditions and, in some cases, are not entirely voluntary.

Barham Salih, UN High Commissioner for Refugees, said: “By the end of this year, we expect nearly eight million Afghans to be returned to their areas, admittedly many in adverse circumstances, not entirely voluntary. Many returned amid a severe humanitarian situation and significant restrictions, especially on the rights of women and girls, to communities already struggling with poverty, limited services, and few economic opportunities.”

Pakistan, which has hosted millions of Afghans for more than four decades, also called at the meeting for greater international attention to the burden borne by refugee-hosting countries.

Nabeel Munir, Pakistan’s Deputy Foreign Minister, said: “We have hosted millions of Afghans for over four decades, extending support and hospitality despite significant economic and security challenges. Our experience demonstrates both the importance of international solidarity and the limits of expecting host countries to shoulder protracted refugee situations.”

Meanwhile, Panama’s foreign minister and Colombia’s representative stressed at the meeting that return should mean more than simply crossing a border; conditions should allow people to remain in their homes after returning without being forced to flee again.

They cited Afghanistan, along with Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Myanmar, as examples of protracted displacement crises.

Javier Martínez-Acha Vásquez, Panama’s foreign minister, said: “Returning home means being able to stay there and continue one’s life. We see this situation in Ukraine, Syria, Sudan and Afghanistan.”

Colombia’s representative said: “Some of these processes have led to positive results. This is particularly true in Syria, where millions have returned. And in the case of Afghanistan, this shows us that people ultimately want to return home.”

Afghanistan has faced a large wave of returning citizens from countries in the region over the past three years. The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman previously said during a program in Kabul that nearly two million Afghan migrants had returned from Pakistan, Iran and Türkiye over the past year.

Latest news Bamyan Handicrafts Market Weaker Than Last Year Warning messageThe subscription service is currently unavailable. Please try again later. By #TOLOnews, TODAY – 5:35 PM Afghanistan Afghanistan at UNGA: Engagement, Regional Stability and Women’s Rights

September 26, 2026 Current News Articles

Tolo News

26 September 2026

Mukhtar Tileuberdi stressed that humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan remains essential.

Kazakhstan’s foreign minister told the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly that Afghanistan’s long-term stability is inextricably linked to the security and sustainable development of Central Asia.

He expressed support for pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step engagement by the international community with Afghanistan, saying the United Nations should play a central role in the process.

Mukhtar Tileuberdi stressed that humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan remains essential.

Mukhtar Tileuberdi, Kazakhstan’s foreign minister, said: “Humanitarian assistance remains essential, but aid alone cannot break the cycle of poverty, displacement and dependency. Kazakhstan supports pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step international engagement with Afghanistan, with the United Nations playing a central role.”

Meanwhile, Sweden’s foreign minister raised the situation of Afghan women and girls in terms of their rights and freedoms, saying that women in both Sweden and Afghanistan had the right to vote in 1919, but that, in her view, the situation regarding women’s freedoms in the two countries is very different today.

Maria Malmer Stenergard, Sweden’s foreign minister, said: “This is a painful reminder that progress is never irreversible. Rights once gained can be lost. Freedoms do not defend themselves. It is our responsibility to protect them for women and girls.”

Pakistan’s prime minister, in his address, linked his country’s security situation to Afghanistan and claimed that groups including the TTP and BLA operate from Afghan soil against Pakistan.

He called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to fulfill its international commitments and ensure that Afghan territory is not used against Pakistan or any other country.

Shehbaz Sharif, Pakistan’s prime minister, said: “The Afghan authorities must fulfill their international obligations and take verifiable and decisive action to ensure that Afghan soil is no longer used against Pakistan or any other country.”

Although the Islamic Emirate has not recently commented on these remarks, it has previously rejected similar allegations by Pakistani officials and has repeatedly said that Afghanistan’s territory will not be used against any country.

Afghanistan at UNGA: Engagement, Regional Stability and Women’s Rights

September 26, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

26 September 2026

Mukhtar Tileuberdi stressed that humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan remains essential.

He expressed support for pragmatic, coordinated and step-by-step engagement by the international community with Afghanistan, saying the United Nations should play a central role in the process.

Mukhtar Tileuberdi stressed that humanitarian assistance for the people of Afghanistan remains essential.

Pakistan’s prime minister, in his address, linked his country’s security situation to Afghanistan and claimed that groups including the TTP and BLA operate from Afghan soil against Pakistan.

He called on the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to fulfill its international commitments and ensure that Afghan territory is not used against Pakistan or any other country.

AFF, Taliban Forces Clash In Nuristan’s Kamdesh District

September 26, 2026 Current News Articles

Afghanistan International

26 September 2026

The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said on Saturday that it was fighting Taliban forces in Kamdesh district of Nuristan and claimed to have captured several checkpoints. A Taliban-linked outlet also confirmed clashes in the area.

In a statement issued on Saturday, 26 September, the Afghanistan Freedom Front said fighting had begun that morning in parts of Kamdesh district and was continuing.

A resident of Kamdesh also reported hearing fighting in the area.

According to the AFF, Taliban forces launched an attack on its positions early on Saturday using drones. The group said its commandos targeted several Taliban drones before launching a counter-attack.

The Front claimed that its forces captured several Taliban checkpoints during the counter-attack and that Taliban fighters withdrew from the Arandu area and parts of Kamdesh district towards Nari district in neighbouring Kunar province.

Meanwhile, HIJAZ Persian, a Taliban-linked media outlet, reported that what it described as a plot in Kamdesh district of Nuristan had been foiled.

Without providing details about the armed group involved in the clashes, the outlet claimed that dozens of its members had been killed, wounded or detained during the fighting.

The Taliban has not yet officially commented on the clashes.

Afghanistan International is currently unable to independently verify the claims made by either side regarding casualties or territorial advances.

Mujahid Accuses Pakistan of Destabilizing Region

September 26, 2026 Current News Articles

Ataullah Omar

Tolo News

26 September 2026

Analysts, however, say Pakistan is attempting through its attacks on Afghanistan to conceal its domestic problems and failures before the international community.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, strongly criticized Pakistan’s current policies toward the world and neighboring countries during a speech at the Hamadia religious school in Aino Mina, Kandahar, accusing the country of destabilizing the region.

Mujahid said Pakistan is carrying out attacks on Afghanistan in an effort to withdraw from the “Mecca Joint Defense Agreement,” portray itself as being at war with Afghanistan, and divert public attention from its domestic problems.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate, said: “Pakistan recently signed the Mecca pact, and Saudi Arabia has also asked Pakistan to fulfill its commitments. Pakistan shamelessly attacked Afghanistan after claiming just a day earlier that Afghanistan had carried out drone attacks on Pakistan, while these claims are completely baseless. Through such attacks, Pakistan wants to extricate itself from the Mecca pact and portray itself to the world as being engaged in a war in Afghanistan.”

Mujahid stressed that the Islamic Emirate does not support opponents of any country and said an appropriate response would be given to attacks by Pakistani forces.

Mujahid added: “We do not support the opponents of any country. If we did, the situation would be different now. Pakistan’s claim that the TTP is present in Afghanistan was also proven baseless by its recent attacks, as those attacks targeted civilian facilities. But we will certainly respond.”

Meanwhile, religious scholars have criticized what they describe as the silence of Islamic countries, Pakistani religious scholars and the Pakistani people over Pakistan’s attacks on Afghan territory.

Sheikh Abdul Hadi Hammad, head of the Hamadia Islamic Foundation in Kandahar, said: “My complaint is with Pakistan’s religious scholars and people: why do they remain silent in the face of their oppressive system, which is attacking a defenseless country? We are also disappointed with Islamic countries for remaining silent over Pakistan’s attacks while quickly reacting to events in other parts of the world.”

Analysts, however, say Pakistan is attempting through its attacks on Afghanistan to conceal its domestic problems and failures before the international community.

Bilal Fatimi, a political analyst, said: “Through such actions, Pakistan wants to divert attention from its domestic failures and the commitments it has made to the international community.”

Sayed Haroon Hashemi, a political analyst, said: “Pakistan will become further isolated as a result of such actions, but attacks on Afghanistan will come at a heavy cost for Pakistan.”

In recent days, Pakistan has carried out attacks on several areas of Afghanistan, including Paktia, Khost and Kandahar, killing four civilians.

The Islamic Emirate has said it will respond to the attacks at an appropriate time.

13 Afghan Taliban personnel killed in overnight border clash, Pakistan says. Kabul denies the claim

September 26, 2026 Current News Articles

By MUNIR AHMED and ABDUL QAHAR AFGHAN

Associated Press

September 25, 2026

ISLAMABAD (AP) — Overnight fighting along the southwestern border left at least 13 Afghan Taliban personnel dead, Pakistan said Friday, in a claim Afghanistan denied. It was the latest escalation between the neighbors following Pakistani airstrikes on Afghan territory.

Pakistan’s Information Ministry said in a post on X that its forces repelled what it called an “attempted Afghan aggression” in the Gulistan sector of southwestern Balochistan province. It said “at least 13 Afghan Taliban personnel were killed and several injured” Thursday night.

The strikes marked a sharp escalation in fighting between the two South Asian countries and risked further complicating international efforts to ease tensions between Islamabad and Kabul. Pakistan routinely accuses Kabul of allowing militants, particularly the Pakistani Taliban, to operate from Afghan territory and launch attacks across the border. Kabul denies the accusation.

The Pakistani Information Ministry rejected a claim by Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry that Afghanistan had destroyed a Pakistani post near the southern Afghan border town of Spin Boldak, opposite the Pakistani city of Chaman. It posted videos it said showed Pakistani troops firing artillery at Afghan positions.

Residents in Chaman said the exchange of fire continued for hours on Thursday.

The Associated Press could not independently verify the footage or the casualty claims by either side. An uneasy calm prevailed along the border Friday, with no new fighting reported.

In Kabul, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry denied that its forces had suffered any casualties. It said in a post on X that Afghan personnel had instead destroyed a Pakistani post Thursday and described Pakistan’s account of the fighting as false.

The competing claims came a day after Pakistan said it carried out airstrikes on 10 sites in Afghanistan that it described as storage and launch facilities for drones used in attacks against Pakistan on Wednesday.

Afghan government spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said Thursday that the Pakistani strikes hit the southern and eastern provinces of Kandahar, Paktia and Khost, killing four civilians.

Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said in a statement Thursday that the strikes were carried out after eight drones were launched from Afghanistan and Afghan forces shelled Pakistani border posts. He said the attacks followed an attempt by militants to infiltrate Pakistan that was thwarted by Pakistani troops.

The renewed hostilities threaten mediation efforts by China, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia aimed at securing lasting peace between the two countries.

The Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, is separate from but allied with Afghanistan’s Taliban. The group has been emboldened since the Afghan Taliban returned to power in 2021.

Afghan reported from Kabul.

Kabul Fires Eight Drones at Pakistan, Islamabad Says

September 24, 2026 Current News Articles

By Fidel Rahmati

Khaama Press

September 23, 2026

Pakistan’s military has shot down eight drones that allegedly entered its airspace from Afghanistan near the Torkham border crossing and the northwestern city of Kohat, according to Pakistani security sources, marking the latest escalation in worsening tensions between Islamabad and Kabul.

Security officials claimed that four drones were intercepted near Torkham in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while another four were destroyed in mountainous areas near Kohat after crossing into Pakistani territory. Pakistan said its air defense systems detected and neutralized the drones before they reached their intended targets.

Pakistani authorities claimed the drones were launched from Afghanistan territory and described the incident as another example of cross-border security threats originating from areas under Taliban control. Officials said the armed forces and the Pakistan Air Force responded immediately after the drones violated Pakistani airspace.

Pakistan’s military has not released photographs, video footage, or technical details identifying the drones, and Reuters said it could not independently verify Islamabad’s claims. Taliban authorities in Afghanistan had not publicly responded to the allegations at the time of reporting.

The reported drone interceptions come amid months of escalating hostilities between Pakistan and the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. Earlier this year, Afghanistan’s Defense Ministry claimed it had carried out strikes on targets inside Pakistan, while Islamabad said it intercepted Afghan drones and accused Kabul of allowing militant groups to operate from its territory.

Relations between the two neighbors have deteriorated sharply in 2026 after Pakistan accused the Taliban government of failing to curb Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and other militant groups blamed for attacks inside Pakistan. The Taliban has repeatedly rejected the accusations, insisting that it does not allow Afghanistan territory to be used to threaten other countries.

The latest incident follows a series of cross-border military exchanges around Torkham and other frontier areas, underscoring growing security concerns along the 2,600-kilometer Afghanistan-Pakistan border. Despite diplomatic efforts, including mediation by regional actors, violence and mutual accusations have continued to strain ties between Islamabad and Kabul.

Pakistani officials said no casualties or property damage were reported from the drone incident. Authorities said investigations are continuing into the origin and intended targets of the drones.

OIC Contact Group Discusses Afghanistan on Sidelines of UN General Assembly

September 24, 2026 Current News Articles

TOLOnews

TV Network

24 Sept. 2026

Pakistan’s foreign minister also described continued attention to the situation in Afghanistan as important.

A meeting of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation’s Contact Group on Afghanistan was held on the sidelines of the 81st session of the United Nations General Assembly.

Qatar’s Minister of State at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs stressed at the meeting that the Organization of Islamic Cooperation should, through effective coordination and genuine dialogue, continue to keep Afghanistan high on the international agenda.

Referring to Qatar’s hosting of meetings under the Doha process, Al-Khulaifi said his country is also ready to host the fourth meeting of special envoys on Afghanistan.

Qatar’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement: “Al-Khulaifi also referred to the third meeting of the Working Group on Counter-Narcotics and the second meeting of the Working Group on the Private Sector, which were held on the 9th and 10th of Saratan this year, and said Qatar looks forward to the fourth meeting of special envoys.”

The Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation also reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting the people of Afghanistan, adding that its approach is based on engagement and practical cooperation with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities.

The OIC said in a statement: “Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, Secretary-General of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, reiterated the organization’s commitment to supporting the people of Afghanistan and said the OIC’s approach is based on engagement and practical cooperation with Afghanistan’s de facto authorities—an approach that, according to him, should serve the interests of the Afghan people and ensure the continuation of humanitarian activities.”

Pakistan’s foreign minister also described continued attention to the situation in Afghanistan as important, adding that expanding cooperation with Afghanistan is conditional on a change in the current approach of the country’s de facto authorities.

Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar said: “As members of the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, regional partners and neighbors, we can help Afghanistan integrate with the international community; however, the Taliban must first take the necessary steps to create a conducive environment.”

Azerbaijan’s deputy foreign minister said at the OIC Contact Group meeting on Afghanistan that by expanding cooperation in trade, transit and energy, Afghanistan has the potential to become a regional connectivity hub.

Yalchin Rafiyev also expressed support at the meeting for the efforts of the OIC Contact Group on Afghanistan.

A statement from Azerbaijan’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “At the meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Afghanistan, support was expressed for the group’s efforts, and Afghanistan’s potential to become a regional connectivity hub through expanded cooperation in trade, transportation and energy was emphasized.”

The first meeting of the OIC Contact Group on Afghanistan was held on the sidelines of the 80th session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York.

Pakistani officials say Afghan Taliban shelled Pakistan’s border posts. Kabul denies the attack

September 23, 2026 Current News Articles

By RIAZ KHAN and MUNIR AHMED

Associated Press

September 23, 2026

PESHAWAR, Pakistan (AP) — Afghanistan’s Taliban forces shelled Pakistani border posts overnight after Pakistani troops foiled what they described as a cross-border infiltration attempt by militants, local Pakistani officials said Wednesday.

The spokesman for Afghanistan’s Taliban government, Zabiullah Mujahid, denied any attacks by the Afghan Taliban forces.

The conflicting statements came just days after Pakistani fighter jets struck sites in eastern Afghanistan that Islamabad said were militant hideouts, an escalation between Kabul and Islamabad that threatens mediation efforts by regional powers.

Separately, Pakistani security forces neutralized eight rudimentary drones, which Islamabad said were launched by the Afghan Taliban, before they could enter the northwestern city of Kohat and the border town of Torkham. All the drones were shot down and caused no damage, authorities said, adding the action underscored Pakistan’s round-the-clock vigilance and readiness.

This week’s airstrikes ended several weeks of relative calm following months of cross-border hostilities. Also, earlier this month, Pakistani security forces killed 15 militants attempting to cross into the country from Afghanistan.

According to four local Pakistani officials, the militants’ infiltration attempt focused on areas near Afghan border posts in Paktia and Nangarhar provinces, allegedly with support from the Afghan Taliban forces.

The officials referred to the militants as Fitna-ul-Khawarij, a term Islamabad uses for the Pakistani Taliban, a group that is separate but allied with the Afghan Taliban. Pakistan has repeatedly accused Afghanistan’s Taliban government of allowing militants to operate from its territory and carry out attacks across the border, an accusation that Kabul denies.

After Pakistani troops thwarted the infiltration attempt, Afghan Taliban forces allegedly fired mortars and other heavy weapons at Pakistani border posts, the four officials said. Pakistani forces responded with artillery fire, targeting Taliban border posts, mortar sites, and defensive positions.

The officials said Afghan Taliban forces subsequently abandoned several positions and suffered casualties. The four officials spoke on condition of anonymity as they were not authorized to talk to the media about the latest flare-up.

The accounts could not be independently verified. The latest escalations threaten mediation efforts by China, Turkey, Qatar and Saudi Arabia to broker a lasting peace between Kabul and Islamabad.

In Monday’s airstrikes, Pakistan’s Information Ministry said 28 militants were killed, while Afghan authorities said at least three civilians died and four others were wounded. The U.N. mission in Afghanistan confirmed the civilian casualties and Kabul formally protested the attack.

On the sidelines of the U.N. General Assembly in New York, Pakistani Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar expressed concern about what he said was the presence of more than two dozen anti-Pakistani militant groups in Afghanistan.

Monday’s Pakistani airstrikes followed a shootout with militants in Hangu, a district in northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province near the Afghan border, that killed six Pakistani security personnel. Days earlier, a suicide bomber struck a mosque inside a police compound in the nearby city of Kohat.

Eight gunmen then stormed the compound, triggering a 20-hour gunbattle that killed at least 21 people, most of them police officers. No group had claimed responsibility for the attacks.

Pakistani authorities blamed the violence on the Pakistani Taliban and allied militant groups. The Pakistani Taliban, formally known as Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, have stepped up their attacks on Pakistani security forces, boosted by the Afghan Taliban’s return to power in Afghanistan in 2021.

Ahmed reported from Islamabad.

Support for Afghan Women and Girls Emphasized at UN Sideline Meeting

September 23, 2026 Current News Articles

Tolo News

23 Sept. 2026

Participants at the meeting emphasized continued support for Afghan women and girls and the importance of their participation in processes related to the country’s future.

Volker Türk, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, stressed the importance of a comprehensive and coherent approach by the international community in its engagement with Afghanistan. He said human rights should be part of discussions on humanitarian assistance and other issues related to Afghanistan.

Volker Türk, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, said: “A comprehensive human rights perspective must be an integral part of these discussions. Human rights, particularly the rights of women and girls in Afghanistan, must be placed firmly at the center of these discussions.”

Meanwhile, the United Kingdom’s Special Envoy for Women and Girls emphasized the role of women in processes related to peace, stability and development in Afghanistan, saying that women’s perspectives must be taken into account in decisions concerning the country’s future.

Baroness Harriet Harman, the UK Special Envoy for Women and Girls, said: “Afghan women and girls must be able to participate actively in decisions that shape Afghanistan’s future and their own. Any sustainable path toward peace, stability and international engagement must include the participation, leadership and perspectives of Afghan women.”

Diego Martínez Belío, Spain’s State Secretary for Foreign and Global Affairs, said: “We also feel that the resolve of the international community is weakening. We will do everything we can to maintain these two dimensions of our policy—a policy that is the right one for Afghanistan and Afghan women.”

Ireland’s foreign minister also emphasized the importance of continuing cooperation with trusted organizations in Afghanistan, saying that assistance should reach people in need directly.

Helen McEntee, Ireland’s foreign minister, said: “Afghanistan is also facing a humanitarian crisis. Millions of people in Afghanistan are facing and living through this humanitarian crisis. Therefore, we must ensure that we can continue our support.”

Although the Islamic Emirate has not recently commented on this meeting, it has previously said that women’s rights are guaranteed within the framework of Islamic principles.

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