Two Afghan women were killed and three others seriously injured when Pakistani security forces reportedly opened fire on a vehicle carrying Afghan migrants in Pakistan’s southwestern province of Balochistan.

According to local sources, the bodies of the victims and the wounded were taken to a nearby hospital, while several other Afghan nationals were detained following the incident.

Details surrounding the circumstances of the shooting remain unclear.

The violence comes amid mounting concern over the growing returnee crisis.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) has warned that mass returns are worsening an already fragile humanitarian situation in Afghanistan.

In a newly released report, UNAMA said nearly five million Afghans — roughly 10 percent of the country’s population — have returned over the past two years, largely driven by forced deportations and stricter migration policies in neighboring countries, particularly Iran and Pakistan.

The report states that in 2025 alone, approximately 2.78 million Afghans returned home, including 1.88 million from Iran and 899,000 from Pakistan. Nearly one-third of the returnees are women and girls.

At the height of the influx, daily arrivals from Iran reached between 30,000 and 40,000 people, placing severe strain on border registration systems, transport networks, and basic services.

UNAMA stressed the urgent need for expanded shelter, food assistance, livelihood opportunities, and long-term reintegration programs. It warned that without sustained international support, returnees — particularly women, girls, and children, including unaccompanied minors — could face heightened vulnerability and increased risk of social instability.

Reza Amiri Moghadam, Iran’s ambassador to Pakistan, has urged restraint and continued dialogue between Kabul and Islamabad amid heightened tensions following recent Pakistani airstrikes in eastern Afghanistan.

Speaking at the Institute of Strategic Studies Islamabad, Amiri Moghadam cautioned that further escalation would serve no side and risk destabilizing the broader region.

He said actors opposed to regional stability could exploit the situation and emphasized that sustained diplomatic engagement — particularly on border security and cooperation — is essential to prevent further deterioration.

The envoy added that despite ongoing differences and challenges in relations with Afghanistan, Tehran has pursued practical engagement, similar to its approach under the previous Afghan government, though Iran has not formally recognized the current administration.

Earlier, Iran’s Foreign Ministry signaled its readiness to help ease tensions between Kabul and Islamabad, reaffirming support for diplomatic efforts to resolve disputes.

The comments follow Pakistani airstrikes in Nangarhar and Paktika provinces, which local sources say caused civilian casualties.

Noor Jalal Jalali, the Minister of Public Health of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has met with the Turkish Chargé d’Affaires to Kabul, Sadin Ay Yildiz, to discuss expanding cooperation in the health sector.

During the meeting, Noor Jalal Jalali thanked Turkey for its continued assistance and outlined key priorities, including the training of Afghan healthcare workers, expansion of medical services for children with congenital heart diseases, construction and equipping of district-level hospitals, and the launch and strengthening of pediatric neurosurgery services in Kabul.

The minister also emphasized the importance of Turkish medicines in Afghanistan’s healthcare system, stressing that quality standards and affordable pricing must be ensured.

For his part, Yildiz reaffirmed Turkey’s commitment to supporting Afghanistan’s health sector and said Ankara would work to provide equipment and facilities in line with the needs of the Ministry of Public Health. He also requested a detailed list of required medical equipment and resources to facilitate further cooperation.