Khaama: The incident occurred on Friday, May 16, 2025, in the Angur Ada area of Barmal district, near the Durand Line..Local sources identified the slain commander as Sibghatullah Matin, who served as the logistics chief of the Taliban’s 4th Brigade of the Mansouri Corps. The clash resulted in the deaths of two Taliban fighters and five Pakistani soldiers, with four additional Taliban members sustaining injuries. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban leader sidelines Haqqani in key reshuffles
Amu: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has continued reshuffling Taliban’s senior police commanders in a move that further sidelines Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting interior minister..In the latest changes, Akhundzada reassigned the Taliban’s police chiefs of Bamiyan and Samangan provinces, transferring each to the other’s post. These appointments, although officially under Haqqani’s purview, were made directly by the reclusive supreme leader in Kandahar, bypassing Haqqani’s authority. Click here to read more (external link).
Australia’s Ben Roberts loses defamation appeal over Afghanistan killings
Ben Roberts-Smith
Amu: Ben Roberts-Smith, Australia’s most decorated living war veteran, on Friday lost his appeal in a high-profile defamation case stemming from allegations that he unlawfully killed four unarmed Afghans during his military service. A full bench of the Federal Court upheld a 2023 ruling that found the former Special Air Service Regiment corporal was not defamed by a series of 2018 newspaper articles detailing the alleged killings and other war crimes. The articles, published by Nine Entertainment, had accused Roberts-Smith of being involved in six unlawful deaths during his deployments in Afghanistan. Justice Anthony Besanko, who presided over the original case, concluded that the majority of the allegations were “substantially true” to the civil standard of proof, finding Roberts-Smith responsible for four of the deaths. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – May 16, 2025
Kabulov: The Islamic Emirate Has Appointed Its Ambassador to Moscow
Kabulov
Tolo News: Russia’s special envoy for Afghanistan stated that the Islamic Emirate has appointed its ambassador to Moscow. Zamir Kabulov, Russia’s special representative for Afghanistan, said that the Islamic Emirate has nominated a diplomat to serve as ambassador of the interim government in Moscow. Kabulov said: “This nominee is currently undergoing the necessary approval procedures within Russian institutions. I hope that once the process is complete, an agreement will be signed.” Click here to read more (external link).
More Taliban Diplomatic News
Quartz Mine discovered in Khost, Afghanistan
Khaama: Mr. Sadiq Jan Hamza, the Head of Mines and Petroleum in Khost, made the announcement during a field visit to the Shamal Dwamanda district, confirming the identification of a significant quartz mine in the region. Quartz is a valuable and widely used mineral in various global industries. It plays a crucial role in the production of glass, electronic devices like computer and TV screens, precision watches, camera and telescope lenses, radar systems, and even in the oil industry. Click here to read more (external link).
More Economic News
Tolo News in Dari – May 15, 2025
FIDE condemns Taliban’s ban on chess in Afghanistan as ‘regrettable’
Amu: The International Chess Federation (FIDE) on Wednesday expressed deep concern over the Taliban’s reported ban on chess in Afghanistan, calling the move “regrettable” and warning it could have a lasting impact on the development of the sport in the country. In a statement, FIDE said it is in consultation with the International Olympic Committee, the Asian Chess Federation and other international sports bodies to explore “constructive solutions” to restore the game’s presence in Afghanistan. Since the Taliban’s return to power in August 2021, the Afghan Chess Federation has remained inactive, with no official clearance to resume its operations. Click here to read more (external link).
WHO warns lack of mental health services in Afghanistan is alarming
Ariana: The World Health Organization (WHO) has expressed deep concern over the absence of mental health services in provincial hospitals across Afghanistan, despite a critical need among the population. The organization reports that all 34 provincial hospitals in the country currently lack specialized mental health facilities. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban dismiss more than 200 university staff in southeastern Afghanistan, sources say
Taliban militants (file photo)
Amu: Taliban have dismissed more than 200 professors and university employees in the southeastern provinces of Khost and Paktia as part of a sweeping campaign to downsize public institutions, according to four academic and administrative sources familiar with the matter. A source close to Sheikh Zayed University said many of those let go were seen as politically inconvenient, either because of their previous affiliations with the former Afghan government or because of academic independence that clashed with Taliban ideology. Sources allege that the firings have been selective, sparing individuals with close ties to Taliban leadership, while disproportionately affecting those without political backing or those who had previously served in the former government. Click here to read more (external link).