Heavy rains and a series of roof collapses in eastern Afghanistan’s Nangarhar province have left at least 16 people dead or injured, local officials said, as severe weather continues to batter vulnerable communities.

The worst-affected areas include the provincial capital Jalalabad, particularly the Angoor Bagh neighborhood, as well as the districts of Sherzad, Khogyani, and Haska Mina.

According to provincial authorities, five people were killed and two others injured when the roof of a house collapsed in Angoor Bagh. In Sherzad district, a separate incident claimed the lives of a woman and two children after another roof gave way.

Further casualties were reported in Khogyani district, where one person was killed and two others injured. In Haska Mina, the collapse of two homes left one child dead and two more people wounded.

Provincial spokesperson Qari Ehsanullah Osmani said emergency response teams have been deployed across the affected areas, with both civil and military units working to assist victims and carry out rescue operations.

Authorities have warned that continued heavy rainfall poses an ongoing risk to homes and infrastructure, particularly in rural and mountainous areas where buildings are often not constructed to withstand extreme weather.

Afghanistan has increasingly faced severe weather events in recent years, with heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides exacerbated by climate change, deforestation, and fragile infrastructure, leaving communities highly exposed to natural disasters.

Australia’s most decorated living soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been arrested and is set to face multiple war crimes charges over alleged killings of unarmed civilians during his deployment in Afghanistan.

The 47-year-old former member of the Australian Defence Force was detained at Sydney Airport on Tuesday morning, according to authorities. The Australian Federal Police said he will be charged with five counts of war crime murder linked to incidents between 2009 and 2012. Each charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

AFP Commissioner Krissy Barrett said prosecutors will allege that the victims were not participating in hostilities at the time of their deaths. “It will be alleged the victims were detained, unarmed and under the control of ADF members when they were killed,” she told a press conference.

Investigators further allege that the victims were either shot by Roberts-Smith himself or killed by subordinates acting on his orders and in his presence.

Roberts-Smith, a recipient of the prestigious Victoria Cross for his service, rose to national prominence following six tours of Afghanistan between 2006 and 2012. He has consistently denied all allegations of wrongdoing.

The accusations first emerged in 2018 through investigative reporting by Nine Entertainment newspapers, which alleged, among other claims, that he was involved in the killing of unarmed detainees.

Roberts-Smith launched a defamation case against the publications, but in 2023 a Federal Court judge found that key allegations—including multiple unlawful killings—were substantially true. His final appeal was dismissed by the High Court of Australia in September 2025.

The case forms part of a broader investigation into alleged war crimes by Australian special forces during the Afghanistan conflict. A landmark 2020 inquiry found credible evidence that members of the Special Air Service Regiment were involved in the unlawful killing of dozens of unarmed prisoners.

A joint investigation by the AFP and the Office of the Special Investigator was launched in 2021 and has since examined dozens of cases. Officials say the process has been complex, in part due to the lack of access to crime scenes in Afghanistan.

Authorities confirmed that more than 50 investigations have been initiated, with several still ongoing. Another former special forces soldier is expected to stand trial on similar charges next year.

Roberts-Smith is due to appear in a local court in New South Wales later on Tuesday.

Members of the Afghan diaspora in the United States have joined a widening wave of international condemnation over recent Pakistani military strikes on Afghan territory, as tensions along the disputed Durand Line continue to escalate.

A group of Afghan citizens in Sacramento gathered this week to denounce the attacks, describing them as a violation of sovereignty and a threat to civilian lives. Participants issued a formal resolution calling on the international community to investigate the strikes and hold those responsible accountable.

Speakers at the event warned that continued military action risks deepening instability in the region, urging global leaders to take the situation seriously and push for measures to prevent further escalation.

The gathering in California follows a series of protests held last week by Afghan communities in Europe, highlighting growing concern among the diaspora over the deteriorating security situation.

In London, hundreds of demonstrators marched through central streets, chanting slogans against the strikes and calling for urgent international intervention.

Protesters pointed to rising civilian casualties in eastern Afghanistan and warned that repeated shelling along the Durand Line could further destabilize already fragile local communities.

Meanwhile, in Oslo, members of the Afghan community gathered outside the Norwegian Parliament to voice similar concerns. Organizers said a formal resolution was submitted to national authorities, as well as to the United Nations and the International Criminal Court, urging immediate steps to halt the violence and ensure civilian protection.

The demonstrations come amid renewed tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, where cross-Durand Line clashes and artillery exchanges have periodically flared. Analysts warn that without sustained diplomatic engagement, the situation risks escalating into a broader security crisis with far-reaching regional implications.