Ariana: Pakistan has set July 10 as the final deadline for undocumented Afghan nationals to leave the country, with authorities ordered to launch a nationwide crackdown on those who remain without legal status after the deadline expires. The Ministry of Interior has instructed provincial governments, police chiefs and the Islamabad administration to strictly enforce the directive. From July 10, officials will begin operations targeting Afghan nationals living illegally in Pakistan, while anyone found without valid documentation faces arrest. Click here to read more (external link).
Pakistani Strikes Along Afghan Border Leave Dozens Dead
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
June 29, 2026
Afghanistan’s Taliban leaders said Pakistani air strikes killed dozens in the border regions between the two countries that Islamabad claimed were being used by militants as bases to launch attacks on Pakistan.
Hamdullah Fitrat, deputy spokesman for the Taliban government, said in a post on X on June 29 that the Pakistani military targeted the eastern Afghan provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Kunar, along the border with Pakistan, killing 36 civilians, including children, and injuring 163 others.
Meanwhile, Pakistani Information Minister Attaullah Tarar said his country’s security forces “precisely struck terrorist camps and safe havens” in Afghanistan, “eliminating terrorists and destroying weapons and ammunition stockpiles.”
He added that Pakistani security forces conducted an “intelligence-based ground operation” near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border in the Bajaur district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province.
The Pakistani minister said the attacks targeted Fitna al-Khwarij, the government’s term for the banned Tehrik-e Taliban Pakistan (TTP), also known as the Pakistani Taliban, and Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group.
The June 28 cross-border strikes and ground operation came less than three weeks after Pakistan’s military carried out air strikes on alleged militant hideouts in Afghanistan on June 10, ending about a month of relative calm following what Islamabad had described as an “open war” between the neighboring countries, despite international efforts to broker lasting peace.
Islamabad has repeatedly accused Kabul of providing sanctuary to the TTP and its affiliated militant groups, which it blames for plotting attacks in Pakistan. The Afghan Taliban denies the accusations, saying the militant groups are Pakistan’s internal problem.
With reporting from RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi, Reuters, and AP
Copyright (c) 2026. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
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Sources Report Clashes Between Residents and Taliban in Helmand
8am: Sources in Helmand say the Taliban clashed with residents over a land dispute, with residents reportedly throwing stones at Taliban fighters and their vehicles. Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Monday, June 29, that the Taliban have forcibly evicted residents from their homes in Lashkar Gah, the capital of Helmand province, and are distributing their land, under the designation of “martyrs,” among Taliban members and suicide bombers. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 29, 2026
Taliban Tout Economic Growth as Kabul Residents Say They Cannot Afford a Single Meal
8am: As the Taliban claim economic growth in Afghanistan, several Kabul residents say these claims are incompatible with the realities of people’s daily lives. According to them, the Taliban have dealt a severe blow to the country’s economy by imposing restrictions on women and excluding them from social activities, government institutions, and private and international organizations. They say that while Taliban officials speak from podiums about remarkable economic growth, many families cannot afford three meals a day and can only provide a single meal for their household members. Street vendors also stress that before the Taliban speak of economic growth, they would do better to ask people whether they can even provide one meal of bread for their families. Click here to read more (external link).
Pakistan Says Afghan National Was Among Karachi Base Attackers
Khaama: Pakistan’s military said on Sunday that an Afghan national was arrested after being wounded during an attack on a paramilitary Rangers facility in Karachi that killed three Pakistani security personnel. In a statement, the military said four attackers targeted the Rangers compound with a vehicle-borne explosive before attempting to storm the facility. Security forces killed three of the attackers during the ensuing gun battle, while the fourth, identified as an Afghan citizen, was captured in an injured condition. The military blamed the attack on the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) and its faction, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar. Neither group has claimed responsibility for the assault. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – June 28, 2026
US Sought Military Base In Afghanistan, Says Senior Taliban Official
Afghanistan International: Shahabuddin Delawar, a member of the Taliban’s Doha negotiating team, said US officials sought to retain a military base in Afghanistan during the Doha talks. He also claimed former US envoy Zalmay Khalilzad warned Afghanistan could become “another Syria” after the US withdrawal. Click here to read more (external link).
Rickshaw Ban in Nangarhar Leaves Drivers Without Income and Answers
8am: Several rickshaw operators in Nangarhar province are complaining about the Taliban’s ban on these vehicles, saying the decision has stripped them of their only source of income and livelihood. They say they had purchased their rickshaws through great hardship and by investing all their savings in order to provide for their families, but now find themselves unable to meet their households’ daily expenses. The drivers add that the ban has not only failed to resolve traffic congestion but has actually led to a surge in the number of Suzuki minivans on city streets. Meanwhile, some economic analysts warn that under the current difficult economic conditions, this decision carries severe consequences for family livelihoods. In their view, the ban not only destroys the drivers’ capital investment but also limits access to affordable transportation for citizens, particularly low-income residents and women. Click here to read more (external link).
Iran emerges as Afghanistan’s main trade route: WFP
Amu: Iran has become Afghanistan’s principal trade corridor after prolonged disruptions along the Pakistan border forced traders to reroute imports and exports, a shift the World Food Program says is raising transport costs, increasing food prices and deepening the country’s humanitarian crisis. Click here to read more (external link).
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