Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) says its forces attacked a Taliban post in Parwan on Tuesday evening, claiming three Taliban members were killed and two others wounded. According to a statement from the Afghanistan Freedom Front, the attack took place in the Pul-e Matak area of Parwan province along the main Kabul-North highway. The AFF has also previously reported clashes with the Taliban in Kamdesh district of Nuristan province. The group said it had, for the first time, engaged Taliban forces in conventional frontline fighting in Badakhshan and Nuristan. Click here to read more (external link).
US Lawmaker Pushes To Restore Deportation Protections For 8,000 Afghans
Afghanistan International: US Democrat Sam Liccardo says he will use a parliamentary procedure to force a House vote on a bill aimed at preventing the deportation of more than 8,000 Afghans who lost temporary protected status. Republican House leaders have so far not allowed the bill to leave committee and come to a vote. Liccardo said in his statement: “Regardless of political differences, we ought to be able to agree on the critical importance of keeping our promises as a country”. He added: “America promised thousands of Afghans who risked their lives as interpreters, as informants, as other support roles to our military; they risked their lives with the expectation that we would not betray them and put them in harm’s way for doing so”. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Deportation News
Tolo News in Dari – October 21, 2026
Kidnappings on the Rise in Kandahar as Families Fear for Children’s Safety
8am: Local sources in Kandahar say kidnappings have increased in the province, raising concerns among residents, particularly families worried about their children’s safety. Speaking to the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Wednesday, October 21, sources said that alongside an increase in thefts and other crimes, kidnappers have been abducting children and adults from various parts of Kandahar city and demanding money from their families in exchange for their release. Meanwhile, Taliban officials in Kandahar have also acknowledged an increase in kidnappings in the province. Click here to read more (external link).
Six New Polio Cases Detected In Afghanistan
Child getting polio drops (file photo)
Afghanistan International: The United Nations says six new polio cases have been recorded in Kandahar, Nangarhar and Kabul, bringing Afghanistan’s total for 2026 to 42 ahead of World Polio Day. With the new cases, the number of people infected with the poliovirus in Afghanistan this year has risen to 42. Afghanistan has recorded seven times as many polio cases as Pakistan so far this year. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Has Deployed 30000 Forces Across 700 Posts In Panjshir, Says NRF
Afghanistan International: A senior National Resistance Front official claims the Taliban has set up about 700 security posts and deployed nearly 30,000 forces in Panjshir, which he says the group views as its biggest strategic threat. Abdullah Khenjani, head of the NRF’s political office and its spokesman, wrote on X on Tuesday, 20 October, that no region in Afghanistan’s history had been as heavily militarised and repressed as Panjshir under Taliban rule. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – October 20, 2026
Australia Has Yet to Pay Compensation to Afghan War Crimes Victims
Khaama: Australia has yet to pay compensation to Afghan victims under a scheme established after a military inquiry identified credible information of unlawful killings and mistreatment by Australian special forces. In an investigation published on October 17, The Saturday Paper reported that more than 100 claims had been submitted, but dozens were deemed ineligible or rejected, while no applicants had received compensation. Click here to read more (external link).
US Supreme Court Declines Appeal in Disputed Afghan Girl Adoption Case
Joshua Mast
Khaama: The US Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear an appeal by Afghan relatives seeking to challenge the adoption of a seven-year-old girl whose parents were killed during a US military raid in Afghanistan in 2019. The decision leaves in place a ruling by Virginia’s highest court that favored Joshua Mast, a US Marine Corps officer and military lawyer, and his wife, who adopted the child. The Afghan relatives had asked the Supreme Court to review the case after years of legal disputes over the girl’s custody. Click here to read more (external link).
Arman FC begin second half of Afghanistan Champions League with 2-0 win
Ariana: Arman FC opened the second half of the Afghanistan Champions League Season 6 with a 2-0 victory over Ariana Khost at the Afghanistan Football Federation Stadium on Tuesday. Arman FC will next face league leaders Sorkh Poshan Khafi on October 24, while Ariana Khost are scheduled to take on Toofan Herat on the same day. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Afghan Sports News