Two people were killed and several others were wounded by an explosion during Friday prayers at a mosque in Nangarhar Province (TOLOnews)
Separately, officials from the United States, China, Pakistan, and Russia pledged yesterday at a meeting in Islamabad to ease pressure on Afghanistan’s banking system and warned of a growing humanitarian disaster (Reuters)
Taliban Authorize Start of Polio Vaccination Campaign in Afghanistan
The World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) will begin the nationwide polio vaccination drive this week—a campaign that had been barred for the past three years by the Taliban before taking control of Afghanistan (Associated Press)
Pentagon: No Criminal Negligence in Kabul Drone Strike
A Defense Department investigation of the U.S. attack, which killed ten civilians during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, found that the strike was not the result of criminal negligence. The Pentagon recommended no punishment (Washington Post)
Islamic State in Khorasan Claims Responsibility for Kabul Hospital Attack
The group said it was behind the attack in Afghanistan’s capital that killed at least twenty-five people yesterday (New York Times)
Afghan Military Hospital Suffers Deadly Explosions
At least nineteen people were killed and forty-three wounded in two explosions, which were followed by gunfire, at a military hospital in Kabul, a spokesperson for the Taliban interior ministry reported (Al Jazeera)
Chinese and Taliban Delegations Meet in Doha
China pledged to help rebuild Afghanistan and called for the lifting of sanctions on the country during the first high-level meeting between Chinese officials and Taliban representatives since the Taliban formed a government in September (Bloomberg)
Pakistan Announces Aid to Afghanistan, Eases Travel Restrictions
Pakistan’s foreign minister said the country will provide more than $28 million in humanitarian aid to Afghanistan and relax restrictions on trade and cross-border travel (Al Jazeera)
Russia Hosts Meeting with Taliban, Regional Powers
Delegates from the Taliban and countries including China, India, Iran, and Pakistan met in Moscow today to discuss terrorism and aid to Afghanistan (Mint)
U.S. Envoy to Afghanistan Resigns
Zalmay Khalilzad, who served as the top U.S. envoy to Afghanistan, resigned yesterday (TOLOnews)
United States to Pay Restitution to Families of Killed Afghan Civilians
The U.S. Department of Defense said it will pay the relatives of the ten civilians mistakenly killed in the last U.S. drone strike before American troops withdrew from Afghanistan (New York Times)
Dozens Killed in Attack on Afghan Shiite Mosque
Explosions at a Shiite mosque in the city of Kandahar killed at least thirty-two people, the second large-scale attack on a Shiite mosque in Afghanistan in eight days. No group immediately claimed responsibility for today’s attack (Al Jazeera)
Pakistan International Airlines Suspends Flights to Kabul
Pakistan’s national airline suspended flights to Kabul, citing interference from Taliban authorities. Flights between Pakistan and Afghanistan have been limited since the re-opening of Kabul airport last month (Reuters)
The European Union Pledges $1.15 Billion in Aid to Afghanistan
Following a virtual G-20 summit, the European Union pledged $1.15 billion U.S. dollars in aid to Afghanistan and neighboring countries who have received an influx of Afghan refugees (New York Times)
G-20 Leaders Discuss Afghanistan Crisis
Leaders from the world’s twenty largest economies (G20) discussed ways to address humanitarian and security concerns in Afghanistan at a virtual meeting hosted by Italy today (Voice of America)
United States and Taliban to Hold Talks
In the first bilateral conversation since the U.S. withdrawal, the United States and the Taliban will discuss combating terrorist groups in Afghanistan, evacuations of foreign citizens and Afghans, and the 2020 Doha Agreement (Associated Press)
More Than One Hundred People Killed or Wounded in Mosque Explosion in Afghanistan
A blast at a Shiite mosque in Kunduz, Afghanistan killed or wounded at least one hundred people today; the self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack (Associated Press)
Meanwhile, U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman met with Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi to discuss the situation in Afghanistan (U.S. News & World Report)
Moscow to Host Taliban for Talks
Russia said it will hold international talks on Afghanistan on October 20, 2021 (Reuters)
British Officials Meet With Taliban
British officials met with the Taliban for the first time to discuss humanitarian needs, safe passage for those leaving Afghanistan, and terrorism prevention (BBC)
Taliban Say They Destroyed ISIS-K Cell Following Kabul Attack
The Taliban carried out a counter-attack on an ISIS-K cell following the bombing of a mosque in Kabul that killed at least two people (The Hill)
Taliban Warn of Consequences if the United States Enters Afghan Airspace
The Taliban accused the United States of violating their withdrawal commitments by continuing to fly U.S. drones over Afghan airspace (Al Jazeera)
Afghanistan Banking System Reportedly on Verge of Collapse
Syed Moosa Kaleem Al-Falahi, chief executive of the Islamic Bank of Afghanistan, said the country’s financial industry is in peril due to increased withdrawals and frozen international funds following the Taliban takeover (BBC)
Separately, the International Criminal Court’s new prosecutor Karim Khan asked the court to relaunch its probe into war crimes committed by the Taliban and self-declared Islamic State and deprioritize alleged crimes committed by the United States and Afghan security forces (Guardian)
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s new chancellor for Kabul University announced that female instructors and students would be banned indefinitely from the university (New York Times)
Taliban Official: Executions, Hand Amputations Will Return
A Taliban cofounder said the group will reintroduce executions and hand amputations as punishments, but they might not conduct such punishments in public (Associated Press)
China Calls for Afghanistan Sanctions to Be Lifted, Foreign Reserves Unfrozen
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi called for the measures during virtual talks with his Group of Twenty (G20) counterparts, citing humanitarian concerns (South China Morning Post)
Taliban Name UN Envoy, Ask to Speak at UNGA
The Taliban’s request to address global leaders at the UN General Assembly raises tensions with the UN ambassador representing the Afghan government, which the Taliban ousted last month (Reuters)
Separately, unidentified attackers killed two Taliban fighters and three civilians in two separate attacks in eastern Afghanistan (Associated Press)
Taliban Add Ethnic Minorities but No Women to Cabinet
The Taliban announced new deputy members to their interim cabinet, including representatives of the Hazara ethnic minority but no women (Al Jazeera)