8am: Sources told the Hasht-e Subh Daily on Thursday, June 25, that the Taliban have begun collecting weapons permit cards and are confiscating and disarming weapons that had previously been issued to certain companies. These measures come amid rising tensions in Badakhshan, with the security situation in parts of the province described as alarming. Earlier reports had indicated that talks between a Taliban special commission and Juma Khan Fateh, a dissident commander within the group, had ended without result. Click here to read (external link).