8am: Following the release of a video showing the severe beating of two elderly men by Taliban fighters, the Human Rights Activists Union (HRAU) says the footage once again reveals the deeply rooted and systematic nature of Taliban violence. In a statement issued on Monday, May 18, the HRAU said that scenes of attacks on civilians with “sticks, fists, and kicks” by a group of armed men demonstrate a level of brutality that crosses all moral, legal, and human boundaries. According to the statement, reports and visible evidence suggest that the attack may be linked to land grabbing, forced displacement, or intimidation of civilians. It added that similar incidents have previously been reported, including videos of men and women being beaten and tortured by Taliban fighters. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Arrest Member of Former Public Uprising Forces in Faryab
8am: The Taliban have announced the arrest of a member of the former government’s Public Uprising Forces in Faryab province on charges of possessing weapons and military equipment. This comes amid numerous media reports of arrests, torture, and killings of former security forces and members of the Public Uprising Forces by the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – May 18, 2026
Afghanistan launches new polio campaign amid continuing access challenges
Child getting polio drops (file photo)
Amu: The second subnational polio vaccination campaign of the year was launched in 20 provinces of the country, with the Taliban health ministry saying the effort aims to immunize 8.3 million children. The campaign will continue for three days. Noor Jalal Jalali, the Taliban’s minister of public health, said the ministry remained committed to eliminating polio in coordination with international partners. Afghanistan remains one of only two countries in the world where transmission of wild poliovirus has never been fully interrupted, alongside neighboring Pakistan. According to the World Health Organization, nine cases of wild poliovirus type 1 were reported in Afghanistan in 2025, compared with 25 cases recorded during all of 2024. Click here to read more (external link).
Kabul’s Youth: Unemployment, Nepotism, and Vanishing Opportunities Have Destroyed Our Future
Taliban militants (file photo)
8am: Several young people in Kabul have voiced complaints about shrinking job opportunities and rising unemployment across the city. They say that since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan, employment in private companies has dropped sharply, while government posts are increasingly reserved for those with prior ties or close connections to the Taliban. These young people say the absence of meaningful work has pushed many of them toward migration, temporary jobs, or low-paying labor. They warn that the prolonged crisis has taken a serious toll on their economic stability and mental health. In their view, a hiring process lacking any transparency, a broken job market, and the concentration of opportunities in the hands of a select few have stripped many of them of any real hope for a better future. Click here to read more (external link).
Wave of killings in Kabul, Jawzjan raises security concerns
Amu: At least eight people, including several women and children, were killed in separate violent incidents in Kabul and northern Afghanistan over the past two days, according to local sources and Taliban officials, raising fresh concerns about public security under Taliban rule. Security analysts say such crimes risk undermining public confidence and social stability, particularly as economic hardship and unemployment continue to worsen across the country. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Rights Groups Warn Over Child Marriage Rules in Afghanistan
Khaama: A coalition of human rights and women’s rights organizations has expressed concern over new marriage-related regulations introduced by the Taliban, warning that the rules could legitimize child marriage and deepen restrictions on women and girls in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
West Kabul residents say Taliban demolished homes without compensation
Amu: Residents of the Pul-e Khushk area in western Kabul say Taliban have demolished homes, shops and other private properties as part of a road construction project, without compensation and in some cases without prior notice. Rights advocates and legal experts say disputes over land ownership and redevelopment have become more difficult to challenge under Taliban rule because of weakened judicial oversight and limited avenues for public protest. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – May 17, 2026
Band-e-Amir edge Mis-e-Ainak in cricket tournament opener
Amu: Band-e-Amir Region opened its List A Tournament campaign with a tense seven-run victory over Mis-e-Ainak Region on Sunday after surviving a powerful late chase in a high-scoring match at the Ghazi Amanullah Khan Cricket Stadium in Nangarhar. Sunday’s result gives Band-e-Amir an early advantage in the regional one-day competition, which brings together Afghanistan’s top domestic cricket sides in a 50-over format. Click here to read more (external link).
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