13 hours ago
At least one Taliban fighter wounded in a border clash with Pakistan has been transferred to the Indian capital, Delhi, for treatment. Afghanistan International's Delhi correspondent met the wounded Taliban fighter - who was barely able to walk - and his two companions in the city on Friday.
The Taliban soldier, along with his two companions, is currently in the Lachpatnagar area of India. The Taliban member told Afghanistan International that he was injured during a border clash in Spin Boldak.
He said that then, on the direct orders of Mohammad Yaqub Mujahid, the Taliban's Minister of Defense, the opportunity for his trip to India was made possible, and the Indian Embassy in Kabul cooperated in issuing a visa.
A senior Taliban official implicitly confirmed this to Afghanistan International on Saturday. “Patients have been going to India for treatment,” he said.
The Indian embassy in Kabul has not yet officially commented on the matter. It is not clear exactly how many Taliban members are currently in India for medical treatment.
India stopped issuing regular and electronic visas after the Taliban took control of Kabul in Asad 1400. The country has not yet fully opened visa issuance, but a new visa system for Afghans has been activated since 2025.
According to the new Indian policy, medical visas, patient companion visas, business visas, study visas, entry visas and UN-related visas are available for Afghans; but not all citizens can get them. India's main focus is on medical and humanitarian visas. Visa issuance is reviewed on a case-by-case basis.
The conflict between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban is a gradual one, involving cross-border skirmishes, airstrikes, and direct military engagements, which has intensified in recent months.
After the Taliban returned to power in Asad 1400, border insecurity and the activities of militant groups intensified. Pakistani and Taliban soldiers have been killed and injured in these deadly clashes. However, the exact number of deaths and injuries is not clear. The United Nations has said that most of the victims of this war have been civilians.
Since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in Asad 1400, three Taliban ministers have officially visited India. Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi, and Minister of Public Health Noor Jalal Jalali. Pakistan’s reaction to the Taliban ministers’ visits to India has been largely cautious, concerned, and in some cases critical.
India is increasing its diplomatic and economic presence in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, a trend that Islamabad sees as geopolitical competition and is highly sensitive to