Daily Evacuation Brief | April 13, 2023

Apr 13, 2023

LAST 24 HOURS

CORRECTION: We incorrectly reported the affiliation of the Resistance Force members who were killed in clashes that occurred in the North recently as members of the National Resistance Front. They were in fact members of the Freedom Front. The mistake was made in the 12 April issue of the Daily Evacuation Brief and a correction will be made. The TAD Staff apologizes for this discrepancy.

FAMILY MEMBERS OF POPULAR FREEDOM FRONT COMMANDER ROUNDED UP AND DETAINED – GDI agents conducted search operations in Kabul to find family members and associates of Akmal Amir (recently reported to have been killed in either Parwan or Panjshir). His house was reportedly burned to the ground and approximately 70 of his relatives have been arrested. Unconfirmed reports say that some early morning clashes took place between the Taliban and AFF forces in the city but these have yet to be confirmed. There are also rumors circulating that Amir was not killed. The situation remains highly confusing.
CHINA ISSUES ITS POSITION PAPER ON AFGHANISTAN – China used the paper to clarify its bilateral relations with Afghanistan. Three of the key engagement points were focused on terrorism and China spelled out specific concerns over the existence of the East Turkistan Islamic Movement in Afghanistan. The document lashed out at the US and urged US leaders to unfreeze Afghanistan’s international holdings while also warning the US against redeploying military assets to the region. A synopsis of the paper can be accessed HERE.
MONEYCHANGER MURDERED IN KHOST – Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a moneychanger in his stall at the exchange market in Khost’s capital on Wednesday. The murder prompted a protest by other money changers who accused the Taliban of not doing enough to protect their businesses. Some even accused the Taliban of participating in schemes to force money changers to issue loans to them that are never paid. The Taliban responded by saying they had assisted in a rescue of a kidnapped money changer earlier in the week and that they had arrested 6 men who (they say) were claiming to be Taliban security forces. There were no casualties reported during the protest.
EDUCATION DEPARTMENT BUILDING BURNED IN PANJSHIR – The Directorate of Education building caught fire and burned well into the morning in Panjshir. Local eyewitnesses reported gunfire shortly before the fire occurred. There have been attacks against many schools across the country since the Taliban rose to power and notes have been discovered that appear to criticize secular education while praising Madrassas. It is not clear if the incident in Panjshir involved arson at this time.

NEXT 24 HOURS

PAKISTAN ON ALERT IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA – Security forces in the Province have been placed on high alert after receiving intelligence that a suicide bomber (Abdullah Badshah Gul) had entered Kurram and may be planning to conduct a suicide attack against the Shiah community in Parachinar. Security forces are actively searching for the man. At-risk Afghans in the area are advised to avoid Shiah community/religious centers while the threat continues.
FOREIGN MINISTER’S MEETING TO CONVENE IN UZBEKISTAN TODAY – Officials from Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Iran, China, Pakistan, and Russia will open the Fourth Foreign Minister’s Dialogue on Afghanistan in Samarkand, Uzbekistan. The Taliban have lobbied extensively to be included in the meetings but the regional powers have not allowed them to participate. Security in Samarkand and Tashkent is said to be extremely tight and there were several security alerts issued over possible ETIM or ISIS-K plans to attempt to disrupt the gathering.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

The regime has announced that women who do not wear the hijab will be barred from riding Tehran’s metro.
Iran announced the reopening of its embassy in Riyadh after a multi-year closure.
Several sources have released information purporting that Iran sent several shipments of weapons under the auspices of ‘earthquake aid’ in February and March.

PAKISTAN

The IMF has signaled it is close to finalizing the loan agreement and pledged to have it in the government’s hands soon.
Several anti-terrorism operations took place around the country and an operation in Bajaur netted three suspected terrorists and a cache of weapons and ammunition. The Army in particular has stepped up operations over the last week.
Sweden announced it was closing its embassy in Islamabad indefinitely. Swedish officials announced the closure was due to the ‘current situation’ in Pakistan and cited the safety of its staff as the main concern.

SPOTLIGHT RESETTLEMENT

Afghans' American Dream Clashes With Housing Crisis: Part 2

By Valentina Pasquali - Law 360

When Shir Agha Safi landed in Iowa in early October 2021 after being evacuated from Afghanistan, he was carrying little more than the clothes on his back as he was driven by a Catholic Charities caseworker to an Extended Stay America in Urbandale, Iowa, right off Interstate 80. Yet, he and the other refugees staying at the motel were initially given little food or supplies.

TAD Staff Note - For the first part in this series please refer to the 11 April Daily Evacuation Brief.

AFGHAN NEWS

Taliban say forbidding Afghan women from working for UN was an ‘internal issue’

By Al Arabiya

Afghanistan’s Taliban administration has said forbidding Afghan women from working for the United Nations was an “internal issue,” after the…

DAB Raises Limit on Bank Withdrawals to $600 a Week, but Banks don not comply accordingly: Businessmen

By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press

The Banks do not comply based on the recent instructions of the Central Bank or Da Afghanistan Bank; instead follow the previous restrictions on Bank withdrawals, lifting at most $200…

Taliban aim to boost Afghan security forces, anti-aircraft capacity -army chief

By Mohammad Yunus Yawar - Reuters

Defence has received the largest share of funds in Afghanistan's budget as the Taliban government aims to boost forces by a third and build anti-aircraft missile capacity, the army…

REGIONAL NEWS

US special envoy embarks on ‘outreach’ to region over Afghanistan crisis

By AMU TV

The US Special Representative for Afghanistan Thomas West is expected to meet with numerous stakeholders this week to seek solutions to Afghanistan’s “compounding challenges” made…

Uzbekistan to Host Meeting of Special Envoys of Afghanistan’s Neighbors on Thursday

By Fidel Rahamti - Khaama Press

The special envoys from the neighbouring countries, including Russia, China, Pakistan, Iran, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan, will come together in Samarkand City to discuss…