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Afghanistan war crimes claims review dismissed, UK inquiry hears

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has denied wrongdoing by the military as an institution but has faced criticism over attempts to limit the release of evidence presented to the inquiry.

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A judge-led inquiry into alleged war crimes committed by British special forces in Afghanistan has heard that an initial internal review of the allegations was dismissed within a single day, according to newly declassified documents.

The documents, released on Friday as part of the ongoing public inquiry, suggest senior British special forces officers failed to properly investigate repeated reports that members of the Special Air Service (SAS) had unlawfully killed unarmed Afghans during operations in the country.

The inquiry is examining allegations surrounding the deaths of 80 people during SAS counter-terrorism raids in Afghanistan between 2010 and 2013. It was established in 2023 following years of legal challenges and media investigations that uncovered claims of unlawful killings, the planting of weapons on civilians and the destruction of potentially incriminating evidence.

Among the latest evidence is testimony from a former senior officer, identified only by the cipher N2252, who served as chief of staff to the director of British special forces in 2010 and 2011.

According to the released documents, N2252 raised concerns after receiving reports that the number of people killed during some SAS operations exceeded the number of weapons recovered at the scenes.

The inquiry has previously heard that following a February 2011 raid in Afghanistan in which eight people, including a 15-year-old boy named Mohammad Taher, were killed, the officer alerted a senior military legal adviser to what he described as yet another case of “more bodies than weapons.”

In another operation, known as Objective Tyburn, internal correspondence reportedly noted that four individuals had been classified as enemy fighters killed in action while only two weapons were recovered.

The newly released material also suggests that senior special forces officers were reluctant to refer the growing allegations to military police investigators, with concerns repeatedly dismissed as unverified rumours despite mounting reports from within the military.

The inquiry was launched after a senior British special forces officer came forward with allegations that members of an SAS unit had committed war crimes in Afghanistan. The whistleblower reportedly told investigators that a “cancer had infected” part of the regiment and alleged that prisoners had been unlawfully killed during operations.

The inquiry, led by Lord Justice Charles Haddon-Cave, continues to examine evidence in both public and closed sessions. While many documents have been released, large portions remain redacted due to national security concerns and the protection of the identities of special forces personnel and witnesses.

Britain’s Ministry of Defence has denied wrongdoing by the military as an institution but has faced criticism over attempts to limit the release of evidence presented to the inquiry.

The investigation remains ongoing, with further hearings expected in the coming months.

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UK envoy to visit Pakistan to facilitate dialogue on issues with Afghanistan

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Mullah Abdul Wasi, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), held a video conference with Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, to discuss regional developments and efforts to resolve issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to a statement released by the PM’s office, James Belmonti, a Political Affairs Officer at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Faiz Mohammad Wafamel, a political adviser, also participated in the meeting.

During the conference, Abdul Wasi thanked the United Kingdom for its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and for its efforts, alongside other friendly countries, to help overcome the current issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said the Islamic Emirate seeks positive engagement with neighbouring countries, regional states and the international community based on Afghanistan’s national interests and mutual respect, adding that the IEA supports peace and stability in the region.

For his part, Lindsay said the UK was closely monitoring the regional situation and had held meetings and consultations with both sides regarding the issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He added that he would travel to Pakistan in the near future to hold discussions with Pakistani officials on the related issues and facilitate dialogue and better understanding between the sides.

Abdul Wasi said the Islamic Emirate attaches great importance to resolving disputes peacefully with neighbouring countries, regional states and the international community, in line with its foreign policy focused on economic engagement.

He also described Afghans as a peace-loving nation with considerable skills and experience in resolving disputes through negotiations.

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IOM records more than 95,000 border movements into Afghanistan in two weeks

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The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 95,489 movements into Afghanistan between October 25 and November 7, 2026, according to its latest Flow Monitoring Update.

The report shows that 64,732 of the recorded movements were from Iran, accounting for 68 percent of the total, while 30,757 were from Pakistan, representing 32 percent.

During the same period, IOM recorded 44,899 movements out of Afghanistan, including 34,206 towards Iran and 10,693 towards Pakistan.

Islam Qala was the busiest monitored crossing point for arrivals, accounting for 40.5 percent of recorded inflows, followed by Pul-e-Abrisham (Milak) at 25.7 percent and Spin Boldak at 17.6 percent.

The report also shows that 84 percent of those recorded entering Afghanistan were over the age of five, while two percent were under five.

IOM noted that its figures represent movements recorded at monitored border crossings, not necessarily unique individuals. The data may include returnees, deportees and people making repeated or temporary cross-border trips.

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Afghan, Iranian ministers discuss agricultural exports and trade facilitation

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Afghanistan’s Finance Minister Mohammad Nasir Akhund has met with Iran’s Agriculture Minister Gholamreza Nouri Ghezeljeh to discuss expanding bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

The meeting took place during Akhund’s official visit to Iran.

According to a statement from the Ministry of Finance, the discussions focused on preparations for the next meeting of the joint economic commission, exports of Afghan agricultural products to Iran, and ensuring 24-hour operations at customs facilities.

The two sides also discussed addressing challenges faced by Afghan traders, preventing the smuggling of illegal goods, and other trade and economic issues.

Iran’s agriculture minister expressed readiness to cooperate with Afghanistan in the fields of agriculture, livestock and irrigation. He also assured the Afghan delegation that Iran would make the necessary preparations for the upcoming meeting of the joint economic commission and continue efforts to strengthen cooperation in these areas.

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