Turkish national Uğur Bahadır, a suspected member of Daesh, arrived at Islamabad Airport from Turkey before travelling to Mastung in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, where he reportedly received training at a Daesh camp, sources said.

The sources say Bahadır, son of Kazim, was arrested in Pakistan in March 2025, contradicting Turkish media reports that Türkiye’s National Intelligence Organization (MIT) recently captured him in an intelligence operation in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

According to information obtained from the sources, Bahadır joined the sixth training group at a Daesh camp in Mastung, where he used the name Abdul Rehman. After completing his training, he remained at the Muawiya training centre while awaiting further instructions.

The sources said that following the destruction of Daesh camps in Mastung in late February 2025, Bahadır moved with other group members to Orakzai district in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, on the instructions of the group’s leadership. He subsequently adopted the alias Abdullah.

In Orakzai, Bahadır initially stayed with a local Daesh commander identified as Hamza. After Hamza was killed in the Toorsmat area on February 20, Bahadır reportedly joined a group led by Haji Rehman, also known as Abu Nasir.

When Haji Rehman was killed during an operation in the Ghalju area on February 28, Bahadır and another Daesh member, identified as Yunus, son of Muhammad, and known as Yasser, attempted to travel to Peshawar.

The two were subsequently arrested at a local police checkpoint, according to the sources.

They said police initially suspected the men of involvement in drug trafficking before identifying their alleged links to Daesh.

The sources further alleged that the arrests were later presented as the outcome of a coordinated intelligence operation. They claimed that similar cases involving foreign Daesh members had also been portrayed as organized security operations after the individuals were detained in areas under Pakistan’s control.

Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for Afghanistan’s Islamic Emirate, says Kabul has made its final efforts to resolve tensions with Pakistan through dialogue, but these efforts have so far failed to produce tangible results.

Speaking to a local radio station, Mujahid confirmed that messages have been exchanged between Kabul and Islamabad. However, he said diplomatic initiatives by mediating countries and Islamic Emirate officials to ease tensions between the two neighbouring countries have also proved unsuccessful.

Mujahid attributed the lack of progress to what he described as Pakistan’s “wrong policies,” claiming that Islamabad has shown little willingness to resolve its differences with Kabul through peaceful negotiations.

He reiterated that Afghanistan was not responsible for the emergence of the current tensions, adding that the Islamic Emirate remains committed to resolving disputes through dialogue and diplomatic engagement.

His remarks come amid continued tensions between Afghanistan and Pakistan, as diplomatic efforts to ease bilateral differences have yet to produce a lasting breakthrough.

Rahmatullah Najib, the governor of Badakhshan, has urged young Afghans to reject what he described as foreign propaganda and recruitment efforts by opposition groups, calling for national unity, stability and an end to violence.

Speaking at a meeting on the implementation of Sharia and public coordination within the framework of the Islamic Emirate’s administration in Badakhshan, Najib claimed that foreign countries were attempting to influence Afghan youth and encourage them to oppose the current administration.

He stressed that human life, particularly the lives of Muslims, should be protected and not sacrificed. He also said that armed activities carried out in the name of jihad without what he considers a legitimate religious objective should not be regarded as jihad.

Najib alleged that some Afghan youths had been influenced by propaganda originating from across the Durand Line and encouraged to fight against the Islamic Emirate. He questioned the motives of those opposing the current administration and challenging its system.

The governor further accused foreign powers of supporting opposition groups in an attempt to undermine Afghanistan’s values and stability. Referring to the former presence of US and Western forces in Afghanistan, he said their efforts to establish democracy had failed despite the resources and capabilities at their disposal.

He also accused Pakistan of supporting groups opposed to the Islamic Emirate rather than addressing its own domestic challenges. Najib claimed that some young Afghans were taken to border areas and left with limited opportunities to return, exposing them to serious risks.

He maintained that the Islamic Emirate’s administration was capable of confronting its opponents and addressing threats to public security.

Najib concluded by describing the current system as a common home for all Afghans and called on citizens to maintain unity, preserve stability and prevent further conflict and bloodshed.