Security officials in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province say the situation in Zebak district is currently stable, but claim that Pakistan is providing shelter and training to opponents of the Islamic Emirate in the Chitral region.

Abdul Basir Mazhari, Badakhshan’s police chief, said opponents of the Islamic Emirate have established shelters and training facilities near the Durand Line in Chitral.

He claimed the groups could attempt to use the Shah Salim Pass to disrupt security in Badakhshan and other northeastern provinces.

“There is evidence that Pakistan has established shelters and training centers for opponents of the government near the Durand Line,” Mazhari said. “Badakhshan is the only province in the north that shares a border with Pakistan, and Pakistan has gathered opponents of the government in Chitral.”

Despite the claims, residents in central Zebak said daily life remains normal and there have been no signs of fighting in the area.

Badakhshan security officials said their forces have been deployed along the Durand Line and remain on standby to respond to any potential threats.

According to local officials, Zebak district has three routes connecting it to areas across the Durand Line, with security forces stationed in the area.

Football fans across Afghanistan can watch Tottenham Hotspur take on Charlton Athletic live on Ariana Television Network (ATN) tonight, Wednesday, August 26, with coverage beginning at 23:15 Kabul time.

The two London clubs meet in the second round of the EFL Cup, with Tottenham looking to progress while Charlton will aim to produce an upset against their Premier League opponents.

Tottenham enter the match as favourites on paper, with their greater top-flight experience expected to make them the stronger side. However, cup football can produce surprises, and Charlton will be looking to take advantage of any opportunity at their disposal.

The match provides Tottenham with another chance to build momentum early in the season, while Charlton will see the tie as an opportunity to test themselves against one of England’s biggest clubs.

The EFL Cup remains an important route to silverware for clubs across the English football pyramid, with teams aiming to advance through each round toward the final at Wembley.

Afghanistan fans can watch Tottenham Hotspur vs Charlton Athletic live tonight on Ariana Television, from 23:15 Kabul time.

The United Nations has warned that around one million children in Afghanistan are suffering from life-threatening severe acute malnutrition and could die without urgent treatment.

UNICEF said on Tuesday that about 3.7 million children across Afghanistan are suffering from wasting, a condition caused by acute malnutrition.

Tajudeen Oyewale, UNICEF’s representative in Afghanistan, said around one million of these children are suffering from severe acute malnutrition, which is considered the most dangerous form of acute hunger.

“If there is no treatment and we are not able to act fast, that one million number are at risk of dying,” Oyewale said during a media briefing in Geneva, speaking from Kabul.

He said the nutrition crisis is worsening across the country, with more than 500,000 children requiring hospital care so far this year for moderate and severe wasting.

According to UNICEF, nearly 40 percent of children admitted to hospitals with severe wasting and medical complications are babies younger than six months. Children under the age of two account for more than 80 percent of severe acute malnutrition cases.

Oyewale said malnutrition is playing a major role in the increasing number of deaths among very young children in Afghanistan.

The situation has also placed growing pressure on hospitals. In July last year, around 6,000 severe malnutrition cases were recorded, while the number rose by about one-third to more than 8,000 cases by July this year.

“In parts of southern Afghanistan, some hospitals are now seeing three or four severely malnourished children for every available bed,” Oyewale said.