LAST 24 HOURS
BOMBING IN MAZAR — A suicide bombing occurred in Mazar-i-Sharif yesterday morning when a bomber detonated a device in the fourth police district. Four to six people were said to have been wounded in the blast, including the bomber. The Taliban disputed the casualties and claimed that only the bomber had been injured. In a possibly related incident, the Taliban claim to have arrested an ISIS-K member in Balkh shortly after the attack occurred.
PAKISTAN VISA ISSUES — The Pakistani ambassador in Kabul has been replaced, and the transition appears to have created issues with the issuance of Pakistan visas. For some unexplained reason, visa applicants from Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Khost are being rejected. The Pakistan visa process in Afghanistan is rumored to be notoriously corrupt and appears to involve Pakistani employees of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Several complaints are being lodged with INTERPOL in the hopes that an investigation is launched into the corrupt practices.
FLOODING — More severe weather is forecasted for central and southern Afghanistan with severe lightning strikes expected. The official death toll from flooding in August was estimated to reach 180 people. Unofficial estimates are significantly higher.
NEXT 24 HOURS
DISSENT AMONG THE TALIBAN — A source in Panjshir claimed there is significant dissension in the ranks among the Taliban forces fighting the NRF. Many are concerned the newly appointed special commander lacks the experience to challenge the proficient NRF fighters. While no reports of open rebellion have been received, the rumors are persistent. Without any notable successes soon, the Taliban forces in the region could fracture.
MORE STORMS — More severe weather is forecasted for eastern Afghanistan.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
By Rozina Ali – The New Yorker
On the morning of August 15, 2021, Samira was lying in bed, drifting in and out of sleep, in a room she shared with several other people. They were in a shelter in Kabul run by Women for Afghan Women (WAW), a U.S.-headquartered N.G.O. dedicated to protecting vulnerable women in Afghanistan. Samira and her roommates had found refuge there from abusive brothers, fathers, husbands. Suddenly, she was jolted awake by the voice of the shelter manager giving urgent orders: the Taliban had taken control of Kabul and they all had to get out. WAW could no longer guarantee their safety. Around Samira, women started to cry. Staff scrambled to determine who could go to relatives’ homes, and handed out forms stating that clients were leaving the shelter of their own accord.
AFGHAN NEWS
Explosion hits Afghanistan's Mazar-i-Sharif (+VIDEO)
By MEHR News Agency
Some news sources reported on Wednesday that an explosion hit the fourth-largest city of Afghanistan…
Panjshir Officials Confirms Detentions of 'Suspected' Civilians
By TOLO News
This comes as human rights activists expressed concerns, saying that these actions will create distance between the…
Taliban Make Millions From Passports Issued to Fleeing Afghans
By Akmal Dawi – VOA
Since taking power last year, the Taliban have issued more than 700,000 passports to Afghan nationals inside the country, earning about $50 million in revenue, according to officials.
REGIONAL NEWS
Türkiye’s 6th ‘Kindness Train’ departs for Afghanistan
By Daily Sabah
Three special "kindness trains" left for Afghanistan from Türkiye's capital city on Wednesday with roughly 1,500 tons of…
Rajnath urges SCO to fight terror in unison
By India News
Defence minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday said Afghan territory must not be used to intimidate or attack any country by providing safe…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Intelligence presented to Trudeau said Afghanistan would not fall for months
By Ryan Tumilty – Ottawa Citizen
Intelligence assessments presented to Prime Minister Justin Trudeau before the fall of Afghanistan last year said it would be months before the Taliban took…
How the world should oppose the Taliban’s war on women and girls
By Nature
Twelve months after their takeover, Afghanistan’s rulers have slammed the door on educational opportunities and leadership roles for girls…
THE DAILY WTF
Modern Science Education Center Built for Mujahideen of IEA In Jawzjan
By Bakhtar News Agency
Officials in the Directorate of Technical and Vocational Education of Jawzjan say that they have launched a special training program for the…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.24 AFN (as of 25 AUG 2022)
