Hekmatyar
Afghanistan International: Referring to Afghanistan’s political future, Hekmatyar said “change is inevitable and near”, arguing that just as governments backed by the Soviet Union and the United States had failed to endure, Taliban rule would also not last. He also said the Taliban administration remained politically isolated and, contrary to its claims, had no genuine and lasting allies in the region or internationally. Click here to read more (external link).
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CNN: Kabul is on track to be the first modern city to run out of water, and could do so as soon as 2030, according to a recent report from the nonprofit Prosper Global. Kabul is staring down a “human catastrophe,” said Mohd Faizee, a professor at the United Nations University Institute for Water, Environment and Health. “We have only a limited window of time.” Click here to read more (external link).
Zabihullah Mujahid
Khaama: Zabihullah Mujahid has rejected the International Criminal Court’s decision to unseal arrest warrants for four senior Taliban officials, saying the Taliban do not recognize the court or attach importance to its decisions. Mujahid said in a statement Monday that the Taliban condemned the warrants and insisted that its leaders had committed no acts warranting arrest or punishment by the ICC. He said the Taliban considers itself bound by Islamic law and its courts rather than what he described as “intelligence” and “so-called international courts.” Click here to read more (external link).
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Khaama: Aziz Rahman Mohajer, head of the Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Herat, said officials had instructed religious inspectors to prevent the sale of kites and kite strings across the city. Mohajer said the decision followed repeated complaints from residents, claiming that kite flying and kite strings had contributed in some cases to traffic accidents, public harassment and injuries to children. The restriction echoes the Taliban’s first period in power from 1996 to 2001, when kite flying was among several recreational activities banned by the group. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: Aino Mina Kandahar defeated Istiqlal Kabul 3–2 in the 40th match of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Tuesday. Istiqlal Kabul will face Arman FC in their next match on October 8, while Aino Mina Kandahar will take on Ariana Khost on the same day. The sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan is being broadcast live and exclusively on Ariana Television. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Following the escalation of anti-Taliban front activities, Mohammad Yusuf Wafa, the Taliban’s governor in Balkh, who is known as “Hibatullah’s Shadow” in the north, has traveled to the mountainous districts of Balkh, Sar-e Pul, Samangan, and Bamiyan and has inspected conditions there firsthand. In his most recent move, during a meeting with Taliban military commanders in the north, he ordered full alert. At the same time, the Taliban’s governor in Badakhshan has also threatened the people of the province into obeying Hibatullah Akhundzada, warning that those who defy the order of the group’s leader will be killed. This comes as attacks by the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) in Nuristan and Zibak have increased over the past month, and the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) announced yesterday that it had killed the Taliban’s deputy intelligence chief for Badakhshan in the city of Faizabad. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Examining historical roots and contemporary developments, the research report says that although ISIS is not necessarily aligned with the Taliban, its growing influence and anti-Shia ideology in different areas have contributed significantly to increasing the vulnerability of the Hazara community. The report also cites the latest findings of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA), which highlight the continuing difficult conditions faced by Hazaras. These include the killing of 12 civilians at a Shia shrine in Herat province in April 2026 and the detention of 45 Shia men in Kabul on June 18, 2026 for displaying Ashura flags. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: In a statement marking 25 years since the U.S.-led war began on October 7, 2001, HRW said successive governments have failed to provide adequate accountability or redress for Afghans subjected to abuses by foreign forces. The organization said many people detained by U.S. forces were held for months or years without being charged with crimes and that victims have largely been left without an effective mechanism to seek compensation. Patricia Gossman, senior associate Asia director at HRW, said Afghans tortured in U.S. custody and families of people who were wrongfully killed still lack a clear avenue to file claims or obtain redress from the U.S. government. HRW documented abuses including beatings, humiliation, waterboarding, prolonged sleep deprivation and mock executions. Click here to read more (external link).