Four districts in four provinces fall to the Taliban: Sources

Published

5 years ago

June 13, 2021

Last Updated on: May 18, 2022

Four districts in four provinces fell to the Taliban in the past 24 hours, sources told Ariana News on Sunday, adding these were in Kunduz, Farah, Ghor and Zabul provinces.

The districts are Ali Abad in Kunduz, Arghandab in Zabul, Saghar in Ghor and Lash Jawin in Farah province.

However, security officials have not confirmed this yet.

According to Atta Jan Haq Bayan, the head of the Zabul provincial council, the Arghandab district government compound has been captured and forces have retreated.

“Headquarters of the district have fallen… and the army brigade also retreated and Taliban took over the district,” said Atta Jan Haq Bayan.

Local sources said that Saghar district in Ghor and Lash Jawin in Farah fell to the Taliban in the past 24 hours.

According to the sources heavy clashes were ongoing in Posht-Road district of Farah province.

“Jawin (Lash Jawin) and Posht-Road were attacked, unfortunately, the Jawin district fell to the Taliban,” said Dadullah Qani, a member of the Farah provincial council.

“Ghor province is in a crisis, three districts have fallen to the Taliban,” said Hamidullah Mutahid, a member of Ghor provincial council.

Afghan officials, meanwhile, said that these districts had not fallen to the Taliban but that the district centers had been relocated in consultation with locals.

Kunduz provincial council members meanwhile confirmed that the Ali Abad district center and some outposts had been seized by the Taliban. Security officials have not confirmed this.

“Enemy attacked security forces in Khan Abad and Ali Abad district,” said Inhamuddin, the spokesman for Kunduz police.

Meanwhile, heavy clashes have been ongoing between Taliban and security forces in nine districts in the eastern and southeastern zones of the country in the past 24 hours.

In addition, sources said that 42 public uprising force members have surrendered to the Taliban in Gardez city, the capital of Paktia province.

Sholgara district in Balkh province has also witnessed heavy clashes between the Taliban and security officials in the past 24 hours, officials said.

“Eight districts are under threat; Sholgara district is also under threat,” said Farhad Azimi, governor of Balkh province.

The Ministry of Defense (MoD) meanwhile said the Taliban have suffered heavy casualties in the past 24 hours and at least 181 Taliban members have been killed in clashes.

“We assure people that enemies who posed great threats are defeated,” said Rohullah Ahmadzai, a spokesman for the MoD.

The Presidential Palace (ARG) also said that the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF) can defeat the Taliban.

“The ANDSF are able to provide security and defend the country’s sovereignty” said Mohammad Amiri, deputy spokesman for ARG.

US State Department: Afghanistan fails to meet minimum fiscal transparency standards

Published

34 minutes ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The U.S. Department of State says Afghanistan’s ministries and other public-sector institutions failed to meet any of the minimum requirements for fiscal transparency during the review period.

In its 2026 Fiscal Transparency Report, released Tuesday, the State Department said no Afghan entity had published an executive budget proposal or an end-of-year report within a reasonable timeframe.

The report said that in the absence of a publicly available budget, there was no confirmation of government expenditures made to support public services. It also said Afghan institutions had not published timely information on public-sector debt obligations.

According to the report, publicly available revenue and expenditure figures did not correspond to actual revenues and expenditures, based on information gathered through contacts and the government’s inability to service public-sector debts.

However, some state-owned enterprises independently published information on their revenues and expenditures.

The State Department also said an entity calling itself the Supreme Audit Office, which announced that it would begin operating in 2022, had not clarified the legal basis for its activities and did not publish any audits or audit findings during the review period.

The report further noted that the IEA did not make public the budgets of their “military” and intelligence services.

The U.S. State Department recommended that Afghan ministries and public institutions improve fiscal transparency by publishing reliable budget documents on time, following internationally accepted budgeting principles, strengthening oversight of off-budget accounts, and making information on public-sector debt publicly available.

It also called for clearer laws governing natural-resource extraction and public procurement, as well as ensuring that any supreme audit institution operates independently and meets international standards.

Meanwhile, the Islamic Emirate’s spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, said Afghanistan’s budget does not belong to any other country, and therefore there is no obligation to provide information to others about how it is spent.

Latest News

FAO warns water shortages and heat put Afghanistan’s agriculture under pressure

FAO assessed current conditions and prospects using climate forecasts, remote-sensing data and consultations with farming communities across all 34 provinces.

Published

3 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) has warned that water shortages and above-average temperatures are placing increasing pressure on summer crops and grazing across Afghanistan.

In its August 2026 outlook for Afghanistan’s 2026/27 agricultural season, FAO assessed current conditions and prospects using climate forecasts, remote-sensing data and consultations with farming communities across all 34 provinces.

The agency said persistent water shortages, combined with high temperatures, are affecting agricultural conditions during the summer season and increasing pressure on crops and livestock.

FAO also warned that persistently high fertilizer prices could limit farmers’ ability to invest in the upcoming winter wheat season, potentially affecting production prospects.

Looking ahead, the report says a strengthening El Niño and the possible development of a positive Indian Ocean Dipole could bring above-average precipitation during winter and spring.

Such conditions could improve water availability and boost prospects for agricultural production, but FAO cautioned that heavier rainfall could also increase the risk of floods, landslides, crop damage and livestock losses.

The agency said the latest outlook highlights the need for continued monitoring, anticipatory action and timely, practical climate and agricultural advisories to help farmers and livestock owners prepare for changing conditions.

Latest News

Hana raises concerns over Afghan women and children amid Iran’s expulsion policy

It said the risks are particularly serious for children born in Iran or those who have spent much of their lives there.

Published

4 hours ago

August 12, 2026

Ariana News

The Hana Human Rights Organization has raised serious concerns over the situation of Afghan women and children in Iran, saying the country’s plan to regulate and expel undocumented Afghan nationals remains in effect.

According to Hana, Iran’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that the “Plan for the Regulation and Expulsion of Unauthorized Afghan Nationals” has not been suspended.

The organization said the policy is continuing amid the consequences of armed conflict and an increasingly securitized environment in Iran, which it said has heightened the vulnerability of Afghan migrants and asylum seekers.

Hana said it has previously documented cases involving the arrest and mistreatment of Afghan nationals, deportations, family separation and difficulties obtaining civil documentation and accessing essential services.

The organization warned that continued implementation of the expulsion policy could worsen these problems.

Hana expressed particular concern for Afghan children under 18, stressing that children’s rights are independent of their parents’ migration status.

It said irregular residence should not, by itself, justify a child’s detention, separation from family or removal without an individualized assessment. Any decision affecting a child, it added, should prioritize the child’s best interests, preserve family unity and provide additional safeguards for unaccompanied and separated children.

The organization warned that large-scale expulsions without clear procedures to identify and protect children at risk could result in family separation, disruption to education, lack of legal protection, difficulties establishing legal identity, exploitation and return to unsafe conditions.

It said the risks are particularly serious for children born in Iran or those who have spent much of their lives there.

Hana also highlighted gender-specific risks facing Afghan women and girls. It warned that deportation to Afghanistan without assessing risks linked to gender, previous political or social activities, family circumstances and access to support networks could expose them to serious human rights violations.

The organization said being classified as an “unauthorized foreign national” should not replace an individual assessment of a person’s protection needs and the risks they may face upon return.

Hana stressed that while states have the authority to regulate the entry and residence of foreign nationals, migration enforcement must comply with international human rights principles, including non-refoulement, the prohibition of collective expulsion, access to individualized procedures and respect for family unity.

It called for heightened protection for women and children, warning that continuing the expulsion plan without effective legal and protection safeguards could lead to further human rights violations against Afghan migrants and asylum seekers in Iran.