Daily Evacuation Brief | February 14, 2023
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LAST 24 HOURS
FIGHTING REPORTED IN KARTE NAW NEIGHBORHOOD OF KABUL – Several explosions and repeated gunfire were reported in Kabul’s Karte Naw area. The area was closed to traffic and Taliban security vehicles rushed to the area and blocked vehicles and pedestrians from entering/exiting. Sources said the Taliban had targeted an ISIS-K cell and the explosions have been described as much larger than those used in roadside bombings. 10 ISIS-K members were reportedly killed and 1 was captured. Several foreign nationals were said to be among those killed. No further information was available.
8 EXPECTING MOTHERS LOSE THEIR BABIES AFTER RECEIVING VACCINES IN ZABUL PROVINCE – The unidentified vaccine was administered by a local NGO in conjunction with the Taliban’s provincial public health department. The 8 women were said to be admitted to intensive care units. The Taliban denied the incident occurred and journalists were barred from visiting the patients. Several local eyewitnesses say that some of the health workers have been arrested.
EARTHQUAKE RECORDED NEAR FAIZABAD, MAGNITUDE 4.3 – An earthquake struck near Faizabad yesterday morning. There were no reports of damage or casualties yet. The event is the second recorded during the month of February. The region is on alert for a large quake after the Dutch seismologist who predicted the Syria/Turkey quake said a major event would happen in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
NEXT 24 HOURS
ADDITIONAL SECURITY OPERATIONS EXPECTED IN KABUL – Taliban forces remain in Police District 8 after the gun battle that erupted there yesterday. GDI agents were seen removing computers and weapons from the site of the battle. The scene is expected to remain active for another twenty-four hours. A source in the Police said that intelligence recovered from the scene has led the Taliban to believe a second ISIS-K cell is situated in a location nearby. At-risk Afghans can expect more patrolling in and around Kabul.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
The Israeli military confirmed the news of the death of one of its drone officers in a car accident near a settlement complex in Shefala. There is speculation that Iran may somehow be involved in her death.
The currency hit a new low of 460,000 rials to the dollar on Sunday. Record borrowing among several government-owned companies is thought to have caused the most recent plunge. The borrowing is seen as a method of offsetting the regime’s 50% budget deficit.
PAKISTAN
A video of Pakistani Rangers beating a motorcyclist in Karachi went viral and drew swift condemnation from citizens. It was not clear if the man was a criminal or had been engaged in a criminal act when the incident occurred. Local leaders have asked for an explanation.
8 people were wounded when a bomb exploded near a vehicle that was transporting a wounded police officer in Ghulam Khan (North Waziristan).
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
By Saba Gul Khattak - The News
Pakistan has hosted between 1.3 and 3.6 million refugees for over 40 years; many of them have returned several times due to regime changes in Kabul. Pakistan has not signed any international convention nor enacted any law or policy for refugees. However, Pakistan followed the principle of non-refoulment as the basis for providing refugee status in the past. The cabinet decision of 2017 for state and frontier regions (SAFRON) to propose appropriate laws and make a clear-cut policy remains unimplemented.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban officials sacked for fleecing Ghor residents
By AMU TV
Twelve Taliban officials in Ghor province have been fired from their jobs after being found guilty of various crimes including extortion, abuse of power and drug…
Can the Taliban Be Convinced to Reverse Course?
By John Sifton & Fereshta Abbasi - HRW
Several weeks ago, Taliban authorities issued new decrees stating that women were barred from higher education and from working at…
Female Protester and Her Brother Freed from Taliban Detention on Bail
By 8AM Media
A female protester and member of the Takhar Women’s Movement, Parisa Mubarez, and her brother have been released from Taliban prison on Sunday afternoon…
REGIONAL NEWS
Pakistan Orders a Complete Ban of Visa Issuance to Afghan Nationals
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
The Foreign Ministry of Pakistan in a letter sent to all its embassies in European Union countries has ordered a complete visa ban for…
Eight injured in blast near car carrying wounded ASI in North Waziristan
By Dawn
Eight people, including women, suffered injuries in a bomb attack on a vehicle carrying a wounded police official in the Ghulam Khan area along the border with Afghanistan on…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Qatar and US foreign ministers discuss Afghanistan situation
By Ariana News
Qatar’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met…
Japan to Complete Dr. Nakamura’s Incomplete Projects in Afghanistan
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
State Minister for Natural Disaster Management, Mohammad Abbas Akhund praised the Japanese government’s contribution towards the development of Afghanistan over…
THE DAILY WTF
144 Bodies Found in Kabul, Many Unidentified, in Past 3 Months
By Imran Danish - TOLO News
The Kabul municipality said that it has buried 144 bodies, most of whom were unidentified, who were found in Kabul with little or no…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.72 AFN (as of 14 FEB 2023)