Unidentified drones seen over Panjshir, residents say

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Amu: Residents of Panjshir said unidentified drones were flying over parts of the province on Tuesday night, particularly during late-night and pre-dawn hours, raising concern among local communities. Several residents said the drones were observed over the districts of Rokha, Khonj, Anaba, Bazarak and Dara, sometimes flying at low altitude and producing a loud sound. It is not the first time residents of Panjshir have reported unexplained drone activity. The origin and purpose of the aircraft remain unclear, and Taliban authorities have not issued a formal statement addressing the claims. Click here to read more (external link).

Anti-Taliban Group Claims Deadly Attack In Kunduz

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Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said its forces attacked a Taliban checkpoint in Bala Hesar Square in Kunduz on Monday evening, claiming two Taliban members were killed and two others wounded. Local sources in Kunduz told Afghanistan International that an explosion was reported in Bala Hesar Square around the same time. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghanistan faces acute shortage of specialist doctors, officials urge ethics and expansion of health services

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Ariana: Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health, said the ministry is making sustained and intensive efforts to address the gap and expand access to healthcare services in remote and underserved areas of the country. Click here to read more (external link).

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Iran’s Possible Recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan: a Strategic Outlook

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Special Eurasia: Tehran’s potential recognition of the Taliban is a strategic security hedge designed to stabilise its eastern frontier and prevent Afghanistan from being used as a platform for hostile intelligence or militant activity. Deepening trade interdependence, energy exports, and border free-trade zones are embedding Afghanistan structurally into Iran’s economy, transforming geopolitical risk into geo-economic leverage. Recognition could integrate Afghanistan into a Russia–Iran–Eurasia connectivity framework, linking Chabahar and the Caspian to the International North–South Transport Corridor and accelerating a regional, non-Western stabilisation model. Click here to read more (external link).

Afghanistan has just legalised domestic violence

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Tyla: A new penal code has been published by Taliban leaders in Afghanistan, which will legalise acts of physical punishment against women. The alarming news comes in light of Hibatullah Akhundzada – the Supreme Leader of the Islamist extreme group – signing a 90-page criminal code which outlines different degrees of legal penalisation depending on whether or not the recipient is ‘free’, or a ‘slave’. Click here to read more (external link).

Promoting Violence and Indoctrinating Ideology: How Taliban Songs Draw Children into the Battlefield

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8am: Some families in Kabul say that their children’s attitudes toward the future have changed after listening to songs produced by the Taliban. They add that after hearing these songs, their children show greater curiosity about topics related to war and frequently use terms such as “suicide, jihad, and martyrdom” and other violent concepts in daily conversations and play. These families believe that repeated exposure and easy access to such content could influence children’s mindset and shape their worldview over time. They also told the Hasht-e Subh Daily that easy access to these songs via social media and mobile phones makes monitoring and controlling them difficult. According to the families, the absence of awareness programs and stricter oversight of violent content has increased their concerns about the intellectual and behavioral future of their children. These families also criticized companies like Meta and YouTube, saying that despite regulations requiring review and removal of violent content, these songs remain readily accessible to children. One of the Taliban songs playing on the phone of Nooragha’s child (pseudonym) goes: “Oh Ghazi! Blow up the barrel, blow up the barrel. The caravan is passing by; be ready to strike it.” Click here to read more (external link).