Afghanistan International: The remarks come despite the Taliban previously rejecting negotiations and political participation with opposition groups. The repeated emphasis by senior Taliban leaders on their opponents reflects concern over the rise in armed activity in the country. Armed groups opposing the Taliban have increased their attacks against the group in recent months to an unprecedented level. The Afghanistan Freedom Front, National Resistance Front, Sepahiyan-e Mihan Front, United Front of Afghanistan and Republican Front are among the groups that have recently targeted Taliban forces in different provinces. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – August 19, 2026
Afghanistan marks 107th anniversary of independence
King Amanullah Khan
Amu: Afghanistan marked the 107th anniversary of its independence Wednesday, commemorating the end of British control over the country’s foreign affairs following the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919. Aug. 19 is observed annually as Afghanistan’s Independence Day, marking the country’s assertion of full sovereignty during the reign of King Amanullah Khan. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghan man sentenced to 51 days for illegally entering US from Canada
Amu: An Afghan man has pleaded guilty to illegally entering the United States from Canada and was sentenced to 51 days in jail, federal prosecutors said. Khan Afsar Ahmadzai, 30, of Kabul, admitted that he crossed the US-Canada border on foot near Champlain, New York, on June 3, bypassing an official immigration inspection point, according to the US Attorney’s Office. US Border Patrol agents apprehended Ahmadzai after he crossed the border, prosecutors said. Ahmadzai pleaded guilty to illegal re-entry and was immediately sentenced to 51 days in jail. Federal prosecutors said he would be subject to deportation after completing his sentence. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – August 18, 2026
Explosion Inside School in Western Kabul Injures Several Students
KabulNow: An explosion inside a private school in western Kabul on Monday afternoon injured several students, including children, as they were leaving their classrooms, health sources confirmed. The blast occurred at about 4:30 p.m. local time at Shams-e-Hedayat private school in Mahdia Township, in the Dasht-e-Barchi area of Kabul’s 13th district, according to the sources. A health source in western Kabul told KabulNow that a grenade was thrown from an alley opposite the school into its courtyard after students had been dismissed from their classes. Click here to read more (external link).
Update:
The fragmentation of resistance in Afghanistan
Lowy Institute: Afghanistan does not have an armed resistance so much as a collection of armed groups, operating separately under ambitious leaders with different constituencies, patrons and political ambitions. That fragmentation mirrors the Afghan opposition(Opens in new window) abroad: plenty of organisations and aspiring leaders, with no common command, coherent political program, or agreement on who should govern if Taliban rule ends. That disunity is helping keep the Taliban secure. Click here to read more (external link).
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Taliban Discrimination: Hazaras and Shiites in Ghazni and Kabul Protest Eviction of Their Homes
8am: Some residents of Naw Abad township in the center of Ghazni and residents of Omid-e Sabz township in the sixth district of Kabul city, which is predominantly populated by Shiites, are complaining about biased and one-sided treatment from Taliban officials at the Ministry of Justice and the Commission for the Prevention of Land Usurpation and Restitution. They emphasize that in the rulings issued by this Taliban commission, documents and records are not evaluated impartially, and pressure is deliberately applied against a specific group and segment of the population. Residents of these townships say that efforts to create an atmosphere of fear, intimidation, and extortion against the people are ongoing. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Clashes End in Badakhshan: How Did Juma Khan Fateh Surrender?
8am: Juma Khan Fateh, a disgruntled Taliban commander who had clashed with non-local fighters of the group in Nusay district of Badakhshan last Tuesday, was transferred to Faizabad today by a Taliban helicopter. Meanwhile, the process of disarming the forces under his command is proceeding intensively. A local source says that Juma Khan’s men have gathered in the Qoghz area and are surrendering their weapons to Taliban forces who arrived in the area along with the group’s district governor. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – August 17, 2026