LAST 24 HOURS
TALIBAN SAID TO BE PERSECUTING SALAFIS IN BADAKHSHAN – Several reports on Friday stated that prayers had been banned in some Salafist Mosques. Those in the Shuhada District were particularly affected. In addition, a Madrasa was reportedly raided and the officials were either detained or fled into the countryside.
MOSCOW SECURITY SUMMIT WRAPS UP – The meeting of regional national security heads in Moscow concluded on Friday. A statement was released that outlined the joint strategic goals with regard to security. The Taliban regime is expected to meet the following obligations:
Commit to countering terrorism and extremism
Eradicate the trafficking of drugs
Form an inclusive and ethnically representative government
Respect the human rights of the people of Afghanistan
UZBEKISTAN BOOSTS POWER EXPORTS TO AFGHANISTAN – Power shortages in Kabul and other cities have decreased over the last several days. The national power company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) claims that power imported from Uzbekistan has returned to levels agreed to in late 2022. Factories are thought to be receiving approximately 9 hours of electricity per day while households can expect to receive 5 hours during the day and another 5 hours at night. While the power increase for the industrial sector has been welcomed, manufacturers noted that the current cumulative totals are far below what is required to maintain production levels. It is thought the industrial and manufacturing sectors in Kabul alone need approximately 160 megawatts. Current levels have oscillated between 70-100 megawatts.
TALIBAN SECURITY FORCES “IMPOSTERS” A PROBLEM FOR CITIZENS – The Taliban announced they had arrested a team of 4 men who had been donning Taliban-style clothing and stopping citizens in Kabul to demand bribes. The situation is something that has been reported in nearly every Province since early 2022. The Ministers of the Interior and Defense made it a priority to issue uniforms to its personnel in order to help citizens identify legitimate Taliban from potential grifters. However, the uniform distribution program has been slow and many Taliban security forces personnel have eschewed wearing their uniforms in favor of their traditional garb. Some rumors have circulated among citizens in Kabul that Taliban security force members “rent” their clothing and weapons to men engaged in forcing bribes.
HEAVY SNOWFALL CLOSES MAIN ROADS IN BADAKHSHAN – A severe storm dropped several centimeters of snow across Afghanistan’s Northern Province, closing roads and disrupting communications. A source in the Ministry of Defense says a Taliban column of supplies and reinforcements has gone missing while traveling from Faizabad to an outpost in an undisclosed location. Attempts were being made to rescue the fifty men but efforts are being hampered by the deep snow and a lack of fuel.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SEISMOLOGISTS CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION – Several minor earthquakes and aftershocks from the devastating Turkish-Syrian earthquake continue to rattle the region. While most of the seismic activity is very deep, there are concerns that a follow-on quake could hit Afghanistan and Pakistan relatively soon.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The regime released a dual French-Iranian professor from jail after a stand-off with Paris over its open support of the protest movement was concluded.
The government said it had arrested several Israeli “Mercenaries” who were involved in the Isfahan drone attack.
Several thousand protestors took to the streets in Sistan and Baluchestan Provinces yesterday. Other cities saw protests resume as well but not in the numbers seen in Iran’s Southeastern Provinces.
PAKISTAN
Prime Minister Shehbaz made a statement about the IMF program that affirmed his government’s commitment to implement the plan. IMF officials were pleased to hear his remarks.
2 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 3 others wounded when an IED exploded next to their vehicle in the Kohlu region of Balochistan. While the TTP is suspected to be behind the blast, officials did not rule out the Balochistan Liberation Movement group.
The government has limited the Pakistan Telecommunication Authority’s (PTA) ability to restrict access to internet websites. The decision has been welcomed by educators and social activists alike who felt the chairman of the PTA often arbitrarily blocked websites based on whim.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Afghanistan in 2023: Taliban internal power struggles and militancy
By Vanda Felbab-Brown - Brookings Institute
Afghanistan in 2023 will be shaped by whether or not the Taliban’s supreme leader, Haibatullah Akhundzada, retains his tight grip on all decision-making. The second crucial dynamic will be terrorism and militancy. The Taliban is unlikely to get a better handle on the Islamic State in Khorasan (ISK). But the feeble National Resistance Front (NRF) and other groups seeking to restore the Afghan Republic will not seriously threaten the Taliban’s rule. Two questions remain: Can the Taliban prevent significant defections? And can it contain terrorism emanating from Afghanistan, so external powers stay reluctant to support anti-Taliban groups?
AFGHAN NEWS
The Azadi Briefing: A Diplomatic Exodus From Afghanistan
By Abubakar Siddique - RFE
Saudi Arabia closed its embassy in Kabul and evacuated its staff on…
Hazaras are Expected to Support Taliban Security Forces: Sirajuddin Haqqani
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - TOLO News
While meeting with some key Shia figures, Haqqani said that the Hazaras are expected to support the current regime’s security…
IEA disaster management minister tells UNICEF to stay out of politics
By Ariana News
Mullah Mohammad Abbas Akhund, the Minister of Disaster Management, said at a meeting with UNICEF’s head in Kabul that the UN agency…
REGIONAL NEWS
Haritan-Mazar Railway Resumes After 10-Day Closure
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
After three-days of negotiations between the delegation of the Islamic Emirate, led by the acting head of the Afghanistan Railway Authority, and officials from…
Bomb hits vehicle, killing two Pakistani Soldiers
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
According to the local police, a powerful roadside bomb exploded on February 10 near a security vehicle, killing two troops and injuring three others as a sign of…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Working in Kabul is Similar to Being in ‘War Frontline’: Russian Envoy
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
The Russian Ambassador elaborated that one needs to be extra careful, and use armored vehicles, safety helmets, and armored…
US Deputy Envoy at UN Tells Kabul to Adhere to Counterterrorism Pledges
By Mohammad Farshad Daryosh - TOLO News
Ambassador Richard Mills, Deputy Representative to the United Nations, at a UN Security Council meeting asked the current government of…
THE DAILY WTF
Mujahid Says All Diplomatic Institutions in Afghanistan are Secure
By Nazir Shinwari - TOLO News
In response to the possibility that some embassies in Kabul may face Daesh threats, the Islamic Emirate said that there is no threat from Daesh and that the security of…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.72 AFN (as of 11 FEB 2023)