On June 17, in a sermon to mark the festival of Eid al-Adha at a mosque in Kandahar Province, Taliban 'supreme leader' Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada warned Afghans against earning money or gaining ‘worldly honor’ at a time when the country is gripped by humanitarian crises and isolated on the global stage, reports apnews.com. Akhundzada said, “We were created to worship Allah and not to earn money or gain worldly honor. “Our Islamic system is God’s system and we should stand by it. We have promised God that we will bring justice and Islamic law (to Afghanistan) but we cannot do this if we are not united. The benefit of your disunity reaches the enemy; the enemy takes advantage of it,” he added.
Taliban official Sheikh Abdul Ali Deobandi shared an audio file on X in which he said that teaching women to read and write, even at homes, is prohibited, reports Afghanistan International on June 17. In the audio, he said, "If women learn to write, they will write letters to others." "Old and young women have been banned from education and attending congregational prayers because our times are times of temptation, and this leads to women's corruption," he added. Additionally, Ziaullah Hashmi, the spokesperson for the Taliban's Ministry of Higher Education, reposted the file, calling it an "important fatwa (religious decree)”.
On June 16, Ali Bagheri, the acting Minister of Foreign Affairs of Iran, announced his first telephone conversation with the Taliban's Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, during which he emphasized the Taliban’s close ties with regional countries and stated that the Taliban would not permit foreign actors responsible for the current situation in Afghanistan to interfere, reports Afghanistan International. Additionally, on the social media platform X, he said, “The people of Afghanistan are the primary decision-makers for their country, in cooperation with neighbouring and regional countries. They do not allow intervention from foreign actors who have a history of destructive interventions and are responsible for the current problems."
With the recovery one more body of a slain Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-Maoist) cadre in the encounter with the Police in the Tonto and Goilkera areas of the West Singhbhum District of Jharkhand on June 17, the death toll rise to five, reports The Telegraph. Earlier, SATP had reported that four Maoists were killed in an encounter in West Singhbhum District on June 17. As per a release issued by the West Singhbhum Superintendent of Police (SP) Ashutosh Shekhar on June 17 evening, the targetted Maoists have been identified as ‘zonal committee member’ Kande Honhaga, ‘sub-zonal committee member’ Singhrai alias Manoj Kunjam (a native of Sukma in Chhattisgarh), Jonga, Manta Devgam and a female Maoist member Sapni Hansda. While Kande Honhaga carried a reward of INR 500,000, Singhrai had a reward of INR 1 million and both were instrumental in planting IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices) in the Kolhan Forest which had killed several Security Forces (SFs). Arrested Maoists include ‘area commander’ Pandu Hansda and woman Maoist Batari Banra. Police seized three self-loading assault rifles, one rifle, two bolt action rifles, one pistol, 13 detonators and Maoist literature.
Security Forces (SFs) arrested a Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) militant, identified as Zakir Hamid Mir, and recovered a Chinese pistol, a hand grenade, and two magazines in Handwara tehsil (revenue unit) of Kupwara District in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K) on June 17, reports Daily Excelsior. He was reportedly in contact with a Pakistan-based handler.
On June 17, addressing a program organized by the families of the disappeared, Netra Bikram Chand alias Biplav, General Secretary of the Netra Bikram Chand-led Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist (CPN-Maoist-Chand), said that those victimized by the state during the CPN-Maoist-led People’s War should receive compensation, reports Khabarhub. He said, “I told the Prime Minister directly that the people should now receive compensation. The sacrifices have been made. In terms of physical calamity, familial loss, and the crises in their lives, millions of people were victimized by the state during the great process of the People’s War. This has not been accounted for yet, but now it is time to address it.”
At least two Sunni men were killed in a suspected sectarian attack when unidentified gunmen travelling in two vehicles opened firing on people on a roadside in the village of Boshera in Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 17, reports The Khorasan Diary.
A Jamiat ulema-e-Islam - Fazl (JuI-F) affiliate, Maulvi Deen Saeed Bobalai was killed by unidentified gunmen in Khamrang area of South Waziristan District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 17, reports The Khorasan Diary.
A Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) terrorist was killed in clashes in Kurram District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 17, reports The Khorasan Diary. The slain terrorist was identified as close associate of the TTP ‘commander’ Muhammad Irfan alias Kurmaywal.
Mirza Jan, a renowned scholar and senior leader of JuI-F, who was critically injured in a targeted attack near Wana bypass road in South Waziristan District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 13, succumbed to his injuries in the early morning of June 18 (today) at the combined military hospital in Peshawar, reports The Khorasan Diary. He was the former Ameer (Chief) of JuI-F South Waziristan District.
The Station House Officer (SHO) of the Hangu town Police Station, constable, and a passer-by were injured when two unidentified motorcyclists opened fire at their vehicle in Umerabad area of Hangu District in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa on June 16, reports Dawn. One of the suspected attacker was also injured when the Police retaliated. According to Police, SHO Nabi Rehman and constable Mohammad Younis were on a routine patrol when they came under attack. They returned the fire. A passer-by, identified as Mohammad Sohail, and one of the attackers, were injured in the exchange of fire. The other attackers, however, escaped.
The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) cadres attacked an Army camp established in the Sahaki School in Balgatar area of Kech District of Balochistan in the night of June 15, reports The Balochistan Post. Without mentioning the exact number of human and material losses, the BLF ‘spokesperson’ Major Gorham Baloch claimed responsibility of the attack.
The Baloch Liberation Army (BLA) cadres targeted a freight vehicle carrying supplies for the “exploitative” Saindaik project in the Mangochar area of Kalat District in Balochistan on June 15, reports The Balochistan Post. While claiming the responsibility of the attack, BLA ‘spokesperson’ Jeeyand Baloch stated that BLA fighters fired upon the vehicle and launched grenades from a grenade launcher, resulting in damage to the vehicle and its cargo.
The Ahmadiyya place of worship was destroyed by unidentified men in Kotli District of Pakistan Occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) on June 17, reports Aaj TV. According to the Ahmadiyya community, more than 50 people attacked their place of worship in the wee hours. They reportedly opened fire and destroyed its minarets and arch.
An accomplice linked with four suspected Islamic State (IS) operatives arrested in India, was apprehended during an operation conducted by the Special Task Force (STF) near the Orugodawatta bridge in Wellampitiya in Colombo District of Western Province, reports News 1st on June 15. Additionally, 6500 milligrams of heroin (narcotics) was recovered from his possession.