Daily Evacuation Brief | December 2, 2022
LAST 24 HOURS
ISIS CONFIRMS LEADER KILLED IN BATTLE, ANNOUNCES NEW LEADER APPOINTED – An ISIS spokesman announced yesterday that the ISIS chief, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, had been killed in an unspecified battle. US Central Command confirmed the news on 30 November 2022 and attributed his death to the Free Syrian Forces. It is believed he committed suicide with some of his followers after being surrounded. He had led the group since early March of 2022 and is said to have been killed near the village of Jasim in Daraa Province, Syria…possibly in October. His successor is thought to have assumed the same name and little is currently known about him.
TALIBAN HALTS SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL RADIO BROADCASTS – The Taliban suspended broadcasts from both Voice of America and Radio Free Europe yesterday. They have cited concerns that the programming was misinforming people and inciting potential treason. The move is being seen as simply another measure to limit press freedoms. The move has brought swift condemnation from the journalism sphere.
PLANNED POWER OUTAGES IN 11 PROVINCES AND KABUL – The national electric company, Da Afghanistan Bareshna Shirkat (DABS) announced yesterday that power would be out in 11 Provinces and Kabul starting at 7 AM Friday and may be completed by the ‘end of the day’. Power is being cut in order to fix some technical issues with the 220 kV distribution lines coming in from Uzbekistan. The outages are expected to last twenty-four hours but could take longer. DABS scheduled the work to try and resolve issues before winter arrives in full force.
PAKISTAN DEMANDS TALIBAN HALT TERROR ATTACKS FROM AFGHAN SOIL – In the wake of the deadly suicide bombing in Quetta, the Interior Minister of Pakistan seemed to suggest the TTP attack may have originated inside Afghanistan. The Taliban responded with a statement of their own that assured their neighbors that Afghan soil would not be used to launch attacks against them. The Interior Minister claimed at 5,000 TTP militants were known to be sheltering in Afghanistan.
NEXT 24 HOURS
THREAT OF A MOSQUE BOMBING IN WESTERN KABUL – A source in the Police has said a threat to bomb a Mosque in an unspecified Hazara neighborhood on Friday was received late Wednesday night. The source said the Police are taking it seriously because a mobile number associated with the threat is known to them. It is not clear if communities have been warned or if additional security will be dispatched. At-risk Afghans planning on attending Friday worship services in these neighborhoods should be cognizant of the risk.
POWER CUTS COULD TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED – At-risk Afghans should be prepared for up to 48 hours of power outages. A source familiar with the national grid says the work required to reinforce the distribution network is highly technical and will likely see power restored across the 11 Provinces in a piecemeal fashion.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
A man who was thought to be celebrating Iran’s loss to the US has reportedly been killed by security forces. Initial reports indicated he was seen honking the horn in his car before being approached by Iranian security forces.
Iranian authorities are reportedly looking into several instances where protestors confronted the regime’s security forces with weapons. It is thought the weapons are being supplied from Kurdish regions. However, the IRGC continues to point the finger at Afghanistan.
PAKISTAN
The TTP claimed they had attacked a Pakistani military detachment at an Army education center in Azam Warsak.
Pakistan has apparently announced the addition of 4,500 scholarships for Afghan students to study in the country. The scholarships are designated for graduate and post-graduate programs at various universities across the country.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Afghanistan: A Work in Progress
By Strategy Page
The IEA (Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan) government (since mid-2021) is still trying, and still failing, to get official recognition that it is the legitimate government of Afghanistan. The IEA is imposing the same kind of Islamic (Sharia) law lifestyle restrictions that Iran employs. This has caused Afghan women to openly support Iranian women who are very active in two months of anti-government protests. This unrest was triggered by the murder in custody of an Iranian woman who was accused by the religious police of not covering her hair in public.
AFGHAN NEWS
SPECIAL REPORT: AFGHANISTAN POLLING RESULTS (Gallup):
Explosion at Samangan school sparks widespread condemnation
By Ariana News
The deadly explosion on Wednesday at the Al-Jihadi school in the city of Aybak, the center of Samangan province, which killed and…
Resistance Front Commander Allegedly Surrenders to Authorities in Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal - Khaama Press
“Twelve rebels led by commander Baz Mohammad and his brothers Mohammad Arez and Nek Mohammad joined the…
Media outlets must ‘not cause misery and sedition’: Ministry
By Ariana News
In a meeting on Wednesday with media representatives, officials from the ministry, including the minister, Mullah Khairullah Khairkhah, said the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Why Did the Taliban Welcome This Woman to Afghanistan With Big Smiles?
By Kaukab Shairani - VICE
Pakistan’s minister of state for foreign affairs Hina Rabbani Khar is one of Islamabad’s most seasoned diplomats, and while Afghan women can’t…
Turkey's EU-funded detention centres ripe with abuse: NGO
By Nikolaj Nielsen - EU Observer
Afghan and Syrian nationals are being abused at EU-funded removal centres in Turkey amid a lack of proper monitoring and oversight, says…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Top women Afghan athletes evacuated by Fifa denied asylum in New Zealand
By Bridie Witton - Stuff
Mara Gubuan, founder of nonprofit organisation Equality League, helped the group - some of whom had…
US Representative to Undertake Regional Visit to Consult on Situation of Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal - Khaama Press
According to a press release from the US Department of State, and the US official’s Twitter handle, West will visit the regional countries from December 1- December 8 to…
THE DAILY WTF
Taliban Bans VOA, RFE/RL Radio in Afghanistan
By Akmal Dawi - VOA
Taliban authorities have announced a ban on FM radio broadcasts from Voice of America (VOA) and Radio Free Europe…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.28 AFN (as of 2 DEC 2022)