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Ariana News female anchor Mina Khairi killed in Kabul blast
Ariana News and Ariana television female anchor Mina Khairi and her mother have been killed in Thursday evening’s blast in the west of Kabul.
The Afghan authorities confirmed through DNA tests that two of the victims of the Kabul blast were Khairi and her mother.
According to Khairi’s family members, Mina’s sister, who has also sustained serious injuries in the explosion, is currently hospitalized for treatment.
Mina Khairi started working as a presenter and announcer of radio and television programs in May 2017 with Ariana News and Ariana.
The blast took place in the Pul-e-Sokhta area in PD6 in the west of Kabul city on Thursday evening.
At least four civilians were killed and five others wounded in the explosion.
This comes amid a surge in explosions targeting civilians in the western parts of Kabul city in the past few days.
Meanwhile, the Reporters without Borders (RSF) has formally asked the International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda to investigate murders of journalists and media workers in Afghanistan since March 2020.
RSF has asked Bensouda to investigate these murders – which the organization said Wednesday could be regarded as war crimes – under article 15 of the ICC’s Rome statute.
The latest media victims were three women working for Enekaas TV in the eastern city of Jalalabad, who were gunned down while on their way home on 2 March.
Before that, Voice of Ghor radio station director Besmellah Adel Imaq was shot dead as he was returning home in Firoz Koh, the capital of the central province of Ghor, on 1 January.
Imaq was the fifth media worker to be killed in the space of two months.
The others were Mohammad Aliyas Dayee of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Pashto-language service, who was murdered in Lashkargah on 12 November; Malalai Maiwand, a TV presenter and representative of the Centre for the Protection of Afghan Women Journalists (CPAWJ), and her driver Taher Khan, who were murdered in Jalalabad on 10 December; and Rahmatollah Nekzad, a reporter for international media, who was gunned down in Ghazni on 21 December.
All of these journalists and media workers were targeted because of their work amid an armed conflict that has seen an increase in violence against journalists and civil society in general since early 2020, RSF said in a statement.
“RSF has every reason to believe that armed groups, especially the Taliban or Taliban affiliates, are responsible for this wave of killings,” the organization stated.
“RSF has asked the ICC’s chief prosecutor to include these murders in the crimes committed in Afghanistan since 2003 that she was authorized to investigate by the ICC’s Appeals Chamber in March 2020.
“With a view to prosecuting those responsible, RSF has asked her to determine whether they should be treated as war crimes or as another category of crimes defined by the ICC’s Rome Statute, such as crimes against humanity,” the organization stated.
At least 100 journalists, including 15 foreign journalists, have been killed in connection with their work in the past 20 years in Afghanistan, while more than 60 media outlets have been destroyed or attacked and hundreds of threats have been made against journalists and media.
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UNAMA reports hundreds of civilian casualties in Pakistan-linked violence across Afghanistan
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has reported that nearly 800 civilians were killed or wounded during the first three months of 2026 in attacks and clashes linked to tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
According to the report, 95 security-related incidents were recorded between January and March along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border areas. The highest number of casualties was reported in Kabul, Kunar, and Paktika provinces, with women and children among those affected.
UNAMA stated that more than 750 civilian casualties occurred during armed confrontations involving Afghan security forces and Pakistani military forces. The report noted that 64 percent of the casualties were caused by airstrikes, while 35 percent resulted from rocket attacks.
The UN mission also said that approximately 94,000 people, including over 13,000 families, were displaced by the violence. Homes, schools, mosques, and other civilian properties were reportedly damaged during the clashes.
Among the deadliest incidents highlighted in the report was the March 2026 airstrike on a drug treatment center in Kabul.
UNAMA urged Pakistan to adhere to international humanitarian law and avoid targeting civilian-populated areas during military operations.
Meanwhile, Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said militant attacks inside Pakistan were being conducted through Afghan territory with Indian support. He called for an end to militancy in Pakistan and urged Afghanistan not to allow its soil to be used for attacks against neighboring countries.
The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has repeatedly rejected such allegations, describing them as baseless and insisting that Afghan territory will not be used against any country. Afghan officials have also argued that insecurity in Pakistan remains an internal issue for Islamabad.
The latest developments come amid ongoing regional tensions and growing concerns over cross-border violence between Afghanistan and Pakistan.
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Floods in Nuristan kill dozens of livestock following heavy rain and hail
Residents said the storms and hail have caused serious damage to their livestock, worsening economic hardships for many families in the area.
Heavy rainfall and hailstorms in Kamdesh district of Nuristan province have caused severe flooding, killing dozens of livestock and leaving local families facing major financial losses, provincial officials said.
According to the Nuristan provincial media office, floods swept through Nangal village, killing around 70 animals, including cows, calves, goats, and sheep.
Residents said the storms and hail have caused serious damage to their livestock, worsening economic hardships for many families in the area. They have urged government authorities and aid organizations to provide urgent assistance.
The Nuristan provincial administration expressed concern over the incident, stating that relevant departments would assess the damage and take necessary steps to support affected households.
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Iran allegedly relocates aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan amid US strike fears: CBS Reports
The spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan in comments to CBS News.
Iran is reported to have moved several military and civilian aircraft to Pakistan and Afghanistan, reportedly to safeguard them from potential US airstrikes, according to CBS News citing unnamed informed sources.
The report claimed that multiple Iranian military aircraft were spotted at Pakistan’s Nur Khan Air Base near Islamabad, including an RC-130 reconnaissance plane. Additionally, CBS News said Iran’s Mahan Air had transferred part of its civilian fleet to Kabul before the escalation of regional tensions, with aircraft later moved to Herat Airport amid clashes along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border.
However, Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, denied the presence of Iranian aircraft in Afghanistan in comments to CBS News. Pakistani officials also rejected claims that Iranian military planes were stationed at their airbases, describing the reports as inaccurate.
The situation underscores heightened regional security concerns as tensions continue to rise over potential US military action.
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