Zabihullah Mujahid
Afghanistan International: Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Sunday denied the presence of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan, rejecting a Washington Post report that cited Western security officials and a UN body as saying the group is active again in the country. Mujahid described the report as propaganda against the Taliban and said there was no evidence proving the presence of foreign groups in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
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Ariana: The Afghanistan Cancer Foundation has raised concern over the rising number of cancer cases across the country, saying at least 1.5 million people are currently suffering from the disease. According to figures released on Saturday, September 11, about 50,000 new cases are recorded annually. The figures are based on data from the Ministry of Public Health and international organizations. Shafiq Shinwari, head of the Afghan Cancer Foundation, said in a recent interview that breast and uterine cancers are among the most common cancers in women, while lung, stomach, prostate and colon cancers are widespread among men. He said cancer is the second-leading cause of death in Afghanistan after heart disease. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: German lawmaker Beatrix von Storch has called for Germany to accelerate the deportation of undocumented Afghan migrants, arguing that Berlin has the logistical capacity to return rejected asylum seekers and convicted offenders to Afghanistan despite ongoing security and human rights concerns. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: India defeated Afghanistan by seven wickets in the first T20I at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in New Delhi on Sunday, taking a 1-0 lead in the series after chasing down a target of 157 in 13.4 overs. Afghanistan made a positive start after being asked to bat first, but their innings was disrupted by a sharp collapse in the middle overs. The sides will meet for their second T20I on Tuesday. Click here to read more (external link).
8am: Several recovered drug addicts and their families claim that at some drug treatment centers in Kandahar, instead of preventing drug use, the environment has been made accessible for patients to obtain and sell narcotics. They say that in some cases, treatment center staff supply drugs to patients or facilitate the buying and selling of these substances inside the centers. Another source, who wished to remain anonymous, claims that some senior Taliban military officials are involved in drug trafficking. Click here to read more (external link).
By Abdul Hamid Hakimi
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty
September 12, 2026
The US State Department has urged American companies to exercise extreme caution when considering business transactions with Taliban-ruled Afghanistan after a former US official attended the signing of a deal between a Saudi energy group and the hard-line authorities.
A US State Department spokesperson, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the warning to RFE/RL, adding that private companies interested in doing business in Afghanistan should ensure their transactions comply with applicable US laws and regulations as the Taliban is on the list of Designated Global Terrorist Groups (SDGT).
The warning comes after a visit to Afghanistan earlier this week by Zalmay Khalilzad, who was US special envoy to Afghanistan from 2018 to 2021. Khalilzad was in Kabul on September 7 for the signing of a Saudi oil and gas deal and he also met with the Taliban’s foreign minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi.
The trip, which came on the eve of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks, raised eyebrows as the United States does not recognize the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
Washington has distanced itself from Khalilzad’s trip, with a State Department spokesman telling RFE/RL that “Khalilzad is not a US government employee. As such, he does not represent the United States government.”
According to the US Treasury Department, US citizens and companies generally do not have the right to engage in any transactions, payments, contracts, services, or financial cooperation with individuals and entities on this list.
Treasury added that non-US individuals and companies that conduct certain transactions with these groups may themselves be subject to US sanctions and civil or criminal penalties.
The Taliban’s Mines and Petroleum Ministry, which signed the initial $200 million contract with the Saudi company Delta International Energy, says it includes the Kashk-Tirpol oil field located between Herat and Badghis in western Afghanistan.
According to the ministry, the deal covers oil and gas exploration across some 23,000 square kilometers of territory of the oil field in western Afghanistan, including a proposed 700-kilometer gas pipeline.
Delta International Energy is a Saudi company that invests and engages in business in the Middle East and other markets.
The Taliban, which retook power in 2021, is considered one of the most repressive regimes in the world. The international community has blacklisted Taliban leaders and cut off the group from the global financial system.
In recent months it has sought to reverse its isolation, seeking both foreign investment and international legitimacy.
Russia is the only country that has formally recognized the Taliban as Afghanistan’s legitimate government.
Several countries — including China, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan — maintain diplomatic, trade, and economic ties with the Taliban without officially recognizing its government.
In June, Taliban officials for the first time held talks in Brussels on the repatriation of Afghans despite sharp criticism from rights groups that said the European Union was legitimizing the hard-line group, which has been accused of severely curtailing the basic rights of Afghans, especially of women.
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8am: Leaked documents from the Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence (GDI) show that the group has allocated a budget of more than 70 million Afghanis to advance a broad propaganda and media campaign, using media outlets and fake accounts to portray opposition fronts as weak, sow discord among former political leaders and their supporters, instill fear of a return to civil and ethnic war should the Taliban fall, and project the group’s invincibility. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Residents said the arrests have mainly targeted former Afghan government security personnel and that the number detained may exceed 40. Sources said at least 15 people had been arrested over the past two weeks on accusations of cooperating with the “Afghanistan’s Guardians of the Homeland Front”. Taliban-affiliated media have also released a video showing some detainees saying they had been recruited by the group. Click here to read more (external link).