Taliban Opposition Fronts Carried Out 116 Attacks, Says UN
Afghanistan International: The United Nations Security Council says Taliban opposition groups carried out 116 attacks between January and July 2025, but that the violence remains sporadic and does not pose a serious threat to Taliban rule. In its report, the Security Council said the National Resistance Front (NRF) claimed responsibility for 73 attacks during the period, while the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) claimed 43. Click here to read more (external link).
Fresh Clash Between Afghanistan and Pakistan in Kunar Province Amid Border Trade Losses
Khaama: Clashes erupted along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border in Kunar province on Wednesday afternoon, with Taliban forces and Pakistani border troops exchanging fire, according to local residents. The incident reportedly began after Pakistani forces fired rockets into Afghanistan territory, prompting retaliation from Taliban fighters. Officials have not yet confirmed casualties or material damage, and neither Kabul or Islamabad have issued statements regarding the incident. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Have Sidelined Thousands Of Tajik & Uzbek Fighters
Afghanistan International: The United Nations Security Council says the Taliban have dismissed thousands of their Tajik and Uzbek fighters, particularly in provinces with large Tajik and Uzbek populations. It follows a 20 percent reduction in the group’s security forces. Click here to read more (external link).
Iran and Pakistan deport more than 6,000 Afghan migrants in a single day
Amu: The data showed that 4,591 Afghans were deported from Pakistan and 1,691 from Iran in one day. Most deportations from Pakistan took place through the Torkham border crossing, with others returning via Spin Boldak and Bahramcha, the commission said. Those expelled from Iran entered Afghanistan through the Islam Qala crossing in Herat province and the Silk Road crossing in Nimroz, according to the statement. Click here to read more (external link).
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Farewell to Memories: Kabul’s Beloved Ariana Cinema Razed for Commercial Market
Khaama: This destruction follows a pattern: in recent years the Taliban has dismantled multiple cinema buildings across Afghanistan. In the Khairkhana district of Kabul, the historically significant Khairkhana Cinema was previously razed, with authorities announcing plans to build a mosque and a market on that site. Other cinemas in provinces such as Herat and Kandahar have similarly been closed or demolished under Taliban decrees. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – December 18, 2025
Trouble Mounts For Pakistan With Taliban’s New Move Over Cross-Border River
NDTV: Pakistan’s mounting water crisis is likely to worsen, as the Taliban government in Afghanistan has decided to move ahead with its plans to divert water from the Kunar River towards the Nangarhar region in the country — a move that could sharply reduce downstream flows into Khyber Pakhtunkhwa. The development, which threatens to open a fresh front in already strained Afghanistan-Pakistan ties, comes after India suspended the Indus Waters Treaty. Click here to read more (external link).
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AFF: Two Taliban fighters killed in Faryab
Freedom Fighters of the Afghanistan Freedom Front carried out a targeted operation at approximately 6:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, against a Taliban Highways Battalion base located close to the police headquarters in Faryab province.
As a result of this attack, two… pic.twitter.com/HwFSd4N1WO
— Afghanistan Freedom Front (@FREEDOMFRONTAFG) December 17, 2025
Germany begins deporting convicted migrants to Afghanistan
Khaama: Germany has deported its first convicted Afghan migrant to Kabul following a recent agreement between Berlin and Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities, German media reported on Wednesday, December 17. According to the daily Bild, the individual was flown from the southern German state of Bavaria to Kabul early on Wednesday and handed over to Taliban officials upon arrival. Click here to read more (external link).