LAST 24 HOURS
TAJIKISTAN AND AFGHANISTAN BUILD UP FORCES ALONG SHARED BORDER – Sources on both sides of the border say that military and police units have been reinforced steadily over the past week. They attribute the moves to two reasons:
A precautionary measure in advance of the anticipated Spring Campaign season by the Resistance.
An effort to halt drug smuggling across the border.
SEARCHES IN PD11 HAVE LIMITED OBJECTIVE – In yesterday’s reporting, a source said searches would be carried out in PD 11 in Kabul. An update clarified that only a Mosque and a nearby house were searched. Apparently, the Imam was asked to provide a list of former police and military personnel who worship at the facility. It is not clear if any names were supplied to the Taliban representatives.
IRANIAN DIPLOMAT ARRESTED IN MAZAR-I-SHARIF – Seyed Anwar Amiri, an employee of the Iranian consulate in Balkh Province was arrested by the Taliban yesterday on unspecified charges. He was taken into custody by intelligence officers from the General Directorate of Intelligence and is currently being held at an unidentified location.
AFGHANISTAN WOMEN’S MOVEMENT MEMBERS PURPORTEDLY ARRESTED – Zarifa Yaqoubi and an unspecified number of her colleagues were reportedly detained by the Taliban after announcing the launch of their movement at a press conference in Dasht Barchi. This information has yet to be confirmed.
NEXT 24 HOURS
NO REPORTED THREATS AS OF PUBLICATION
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Several news outlets say they have inside information about a supposed poisoning campaign directed against female students. They say the females were targeted due to their perceived participation in the protest movement. No further information was available.
The Commander of the IRGC threatened European states with missile strikes and warned the continent depended on oil. Analysts believe he was threatening attacks on oil shipping lanes in the Persian Gulf.
The Director of the CIA sounded the alarm that Iran could have weapons-grade Uranium in weeks, rather than months. Many now see potential Israeli air strikes on select facilities as a likelihood.
PAKISTAN
2 Pakistani Army soldiers were killed during an operation in North Waziristan. The operation took place in the Spinwam area of the Province.
4 miners were killed and others were injured when gunmen raided a coal mine, dragged the workers outside, and then shot them. The incident took place in the Harnai District overnight. No group has yet claimed responsibility for the attack.
Another attack on a police station in Dera Ismail Khan District left 2 policemen dead when their outpost was struck by a heavily armed contingent of gunmen. No group has claimed credit for the attack.
SPOTLIGHT OPINION
The Contours Of Taliban Foreign Policy – OpEd
By Mujeeb Ullah - EurAsia Review
The Afghan Taliban have been in a constant struggle to have international legitimacy—despite the fact that—the Islamic fundamentalist has fought for two decades against the US-backed government. The most thrilling and intricate phenomenon for the Taliban is effective foreign policy. The regime has been fustigated for not taking the international norms into due consideration to have the international status of a legitimate government.
AFGHAN NEWS
Two Daesh Fighters Killed in PD17 of Kabul
By Nazir Shinwari - TOLO News
The Islamic Emirate reported that two members of Daesh were killed and another was arrested Sunday night as a result of an operation at their hideout in the…
Security beefed up along Afghanistan-Tajikistan border
By Ariana News
Kunduz officials say security measures have beefed up along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border and that additional forces have been deployed to the…
Karzai Discusses Reopening Girls’ Schools With UN's Otunbayeva
By Asma Saayin - TOLO News
Former President Hamid Karzai in a meeting with the UN special envoy for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, stressed the need to reopen the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Iranian border guard crosses into Afghanistan while punching truck driver
By AMU TV
An Iranian border force member unwittingly crossed into Afghanistan while throwing punches at a truck driver on Monday afternoon, only to be arrested and beaten up by his Afghan counterparts at the…
WFP Establishes New Warehouse in Uzbekistan
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
A spokesman for the WFP Afghanistan, Wahidullah Amani, said that at least 1000 metric tons of foods are crossing from Uzbekistan to…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
By Qantara
On a sunny winter morning, two young women fill their hands with twigs of strawberry tree, a Mediterranean species with a tortuous trunk that bears red…
Afghan migrants among the dead in Italian shipwreck
By AMU TV
The United Nations has confirmed a number of people onboard the migrant boat that sank off the southern coast of Italy on Sunday were…
THE DAILY WTF
Taliban using fingerprints, gun records to track down Afghans who assisted U.S., audit finds
By Stephen Dinan - The Washington Times
Operatives of the Taliban government in Kabul are trying to identify and retaliate against Afghans who cooperated with the 20-year American military and…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.89 AFN (as of 28 FEB 2023)