By Freshta Shikhany Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty January 28, 2026 The bombing earlier this month on a Chinese hotel restaurant in Kabul, claimed by a regional affiliate of the Islamic State extremist group, has raised new questions about the its operations in Taliban-run Afghanistan and what analysts say is an emerging campaign targeting Chinese citizens. The January
Afghanistan International: Afghanistan International has previously published investigations and video confessions showing Taliban members’ involvement in targeted extrajudicial killings in several provinces. Human rights organisations have reported bodies found in eastern regions, disappearances of young men in northern Kabul, killings of Ismailis for religious reasons and systematic targeting of former Afghan security personnel. Click here
Afghanistan International: In a statement published by ISIS’s Amaq News Agency, the group said a suicide bomber entered a Chinese restaurant in Shahr-e Naw and detonated explosives among Chinese nationals and their guards. The statement said Chinese nationals were targeted over what the group described as China’s treatment of Uyghur Muslims. Taliban officials said the
Khaama: A powerful explosion struck a hotel in Kabul’s Shahr-e-Naw district, killing several people and injuring others, officials said. An explosion struck a hotel area in central Kabul on Monday, causing casualties, as witnesses said Chinese nationals were the main target. Click here to read more (external link).
Khaama: Tajik media reported that four members of what authorities described as a “terrorist group” were killed after crossing from Afghanistan into Tajikistan’s Badakhshan region, officials said on Sunday. Since the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan in 2021, Tajikistan has repeatedly voiced alarm over militant movements near its frontier, increasing patrols and coordination with regional security
Afghanistan International: Pakistan’s military spokesperson said Afghanistan became the region’s primary hub for terrorism in 2025, accusing militant groups based there of driving a sharp rise in violence. He added that Pakistan’s concerns have gained international acceptance. The military spokesperson said Afghanistan has become a safe haven for smugglers as well as regional and international
8am: Residents of Kabul are increasingly alarmed by a surge in thefts, especially pickpocketing, across the city. They say that despite repeated Taliban promises to guarantee public safety, the group has failed to curb these crimes. According to many residents, pickpockets operate most often in crowded areas, public buses, and narrow alleyways, where people are
Afghanistan International: The Taliban’s foreign minister has said that “malicious elements” are seeking to disrupt relations between the Taliban and Tajikistan, following the killing of Tajik border guards in an attack by militants who crossed from Afghan territory. Amir Khan Muttaqi said an investigation into the incident has begun and stressed that cooperation with Tajikistan
8am: Health sources in Kabul say that in recent weeks, several residents of the city have been taken to hospitals as a result of armed robberies, with some of them losing their lives. According to these sources, only four incidents have occurred over a little more than two weeks in Karte Char. The health sources
Ariana: Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said at Security Council committee briefing, the militants are deliberately fueling tensions and attempting to position themselves as an alternative power in the country. Nebenzia added that Daesh continues to receive foreign financing and includes fighters with battlefield experience from Syria and Iraq. He also warned that weapons left