Explosion at Afghanistan-Pakistan Border Kills Multiple Migrants

Afghanistan witnessed an explosion and the release of a British couple on Friday.

A deadly explosion at a taxi stand in a migrant camp on the Afghanistan-Pakistan border has killed at least five people and injured several others. The blast occurred in the Chaman area, which has been severely strained by Pakistan’s mass deportations of Afghan migrants.

According to a report from Khaama Press, citing Deputy Commissioner Habib Bangalzai, the victims included both Afghan migrants and local residents. The injured were taken to a local hospital in critical condition. An initial investigation suggests the explosion was caused by an improvised explosive device hidden in a passenger’s belongings.

The incident was also covered by other news outlets, including the newspaper Dawn, which reported that the repatriation of Afghan refugees was temporarily suspended after the blast before resuming. The Dawn report also stated that the explosion killed six people—four instantly and two who later died from their injuries. The attack comes amid a significant increase in deportations of undocumented Afghans from Pakistan, which has created a worsening humanitarian crisis at the border.

Meanwhile, the Taliban have released a British couple, Peter and Barbie Reynolds, who had been imprisoned in Afghanistan since February, Amu TV reported. The couple, aged 79 and 75, were detained in Bamiyan province earlier this year.

According to a statement from the Taliban, the couple was released after a “judicial process” following a “violation of Afghan laws.” The Taliban added that they do not view cases involving foreign nationals “through a political or transactional lens.” The statement also thanked Qatar for its “mediation and facilitation efforts” in the release. The couple was handed over to Richard Lindsay, the United Kingdom’s special envoy for Afghanistan. The article notes that the couple had lived and worked in Afghanistan for 18 years, primarily in education, and that concerns about their health had been raised during their detention.