Turkish police have detained 35 Afghan migrants attempting to cross into Greece by sea in the northwestern province of Balikesir, while four suspects accused of migrant smuggling were also apprehended.

Police seized 12 life jackets, lifebuoys and three pumps during the operation.

Following police procedures, three of the four suspects were remanded in custody by a court, while the fourth was released under judicial supervision.

The 35 Afghan migrants were transferred to an Irregular Migrant Pre-Reception and Referral Center.

Mullah Abdul Wasi, Chief of Staff of the Office of the Prime Minister of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA), held a video conference with Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s Special Representative for Afghanistan, to discuss regional developments and efforts to resolve issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

According to a statement released by the PM’s office, James Belmonti, a Political Affairs Officer at the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and Faiz Mohammad Wafamel, a political adviser, also participated in the meeting.

During the conference, Abdul Wasi thanked the United Kingdom for its humanitarian assistance to Afghanistan and for its efforts, alongside other friendly countries, to help overcome the current issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He said the Islamic Emirate seeks positive engagement with neighbouring countries, regional states and the international community based on Afghanistan’s national interests and mutual respect, adding that the IEA supports peace and stability in the region.

For his part, Lindsay said the UK was closely monitoring the regional situation and had held meetings and consultations with both sides regarding the issues between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

He added that he would travel to Pakistan in the near future to hold discussions with Pakistani officials on the related issues and facilitate dialogue and better understanding between the sides.

Abdul Wasi said the Islamic Emirate attaches great importance to resolving disputes peacefully with neighbouring countries, regional states and the international community, in line with its foreign policy focused on economic engagement.

He also described Afghans as a peace-loving nation with considerable skills and experience in resolving disputes through negotiations.

The International Organization for Migration (IOM) recorded 95,489 movements into Afghanistan between October 25 and November 7, 2026, according to its latest Flow Monitoring Update.

The report shows that 64,732 of the recorded movements were from Iran, accounting for 68 percent of the total, while 30,757 were from Pakistan, representing 32 percent.

During the same period, IOM recorded 44,899 movements out of Afghanistan, including 34,206 towards Iran and 10,693 towards Pakistan.

Islam Qala was the busiest monitored crossing point for arrivals, accounting for 40.5 percent of recorded inflows, followed by Pul-e-Abrisham (Milak) at 25.7 percent and Spin Boldak at 17.6 percent.

The report also shows that 84 percent of those recorded entering Afghanistan were over the age of five, while two percent were under five.

IOM noted that its figures represent movements recorded at monitored border crossings, not necessarily unique individuals. The data may include returnees, deportees and people making repeated or temporary cross-border trips.