Daily Evacuation Brief | July 13, 2022
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LAST 24 HOURS
Multiple sources have stated that additional Taliban checkpoints have been springing up along roads in Panjshir. In a deviation from previous tactics, these new checkpoints seem to be placed at midway points between population centers. Local sources say the Taliban have been turning traffic back in both directions in order to try to isolate villages and towns. No arrests have been reported yet, but the new checkpoints have only been in place for approximately 48 hours. Some sources say the Taliban staffing the checkpoints are particularly unaggressive and even overtly apologetic for the searches.
Unknown elements destroyed the main powerline that parallels the Samangan-Balkh highway. With this latest act, a total of five pylons have been destroyed in three separate attacks over the past two months. We do not yet have an assessment of how many cities and towns have been affected by this attack, but online crisis tracking websites and apps are currently reporting power outages in Kabul.
A fake document purportedly issued by the Ministry of Education has been circulated widely on social media, leading to rumors that the Taliban will make an announcement regarding the reopening of girls’ schools later this week. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Education confirmed the document was false and stated that no such announcement is planned.
Another clash was reported in Nimruz province between Taliban and Iranian border security forces. Both the Taliban and Iran have downplayed the incident, and Iran continues to refer to “external actors” that are inciting these skirmishes to inflame the situation. The incident’s cause is not yet known, and no casualties have been reported as of yet.
NEXT 24 HOURS
Most Afghanistan observers are keeping a wary eye on developments coming out of the North for the next week. Multiple reports indicated that offensives would be launched after the Eid holiday. Depending on the scale and depth of the purported offensive(s), travel could be severely disrupted and non-combatants could come under fire by either group. We recommend that people monitor local information sources and attempt to verify the accuracy of reports if at all possible. Both sides have shown a propensity to embellish successes while minimizing defeats. In addition, a massive amount of misinformation continues to be circulated on social media.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Weak States and Loose Arms: Lessons and Warnings, from Afghanistan to Ukraine
By Kerry Chavez & Ori Swed – War on the Rocks
As the United States withdrew from Afghanistan last August, images of Taliban soldiers decked out in American kit frequently recurred on global media. Social and news media fretted that the Taliban had become the only terrorist group with an air force. Much of the ado might be about nothing. The complex and exquisite platforms that provoked the most concern (i.e., Black Hawks and light attack airplanes outfitted with Hellfire missiles), require capacity to train, field, and maintain that is probably beyond the Taliban.
AFGHAN NEWS
1 person killed, 3 wounded in Helmand gun attack
By Rizwanullah Bilal – Pajhwok Afghan News
One person was killed and three others injured in a gun attack inside a mosque in the capital of southern Helmand…
57 People Killed in Recent Flooding Across Afghanistan
By Amina Hakimi – TOLOnews
At least 57 people were killed and 72 were wounded in recent flooding across Afghanistan, the State Ministry of Disaster Management said…
Poverty, Govt Restrictions Affects Kabul Parkgoers
By TOLO News
The residents of Kabul who come to the parks for picnics said new restrictions imposed by the Islamic Emirate are the main reason for the reduction of…
REGIONAL NEWS
Tajikistan Concerned By Provocative Taliban Watchtower On Border
By Mumin Ahmadi & Sirojiddin Tolibov & Nigorai Fazliddin – Radio Free Europe
A watchtower being built on the Afghan-Tajik border that is manned by members of the "Tajik Taliban" has caught the attention of…
Afghanistan has not yet paid off its debt for Tajik electric power, says Tajik energy official
By Asia-Plus
Afghanistan has not yet paid off its debt for electricity received from Tajikistan, Mahmadumar Asozoda, the head of Barqi Tojik…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
SAS unit repeatedly killed Afghan detainees, BBC finds
By Hannah O'Grady and Joel Gunter – BBC News
SAS operatives in Afghanistan repeatedly killed detainees and unarmed men in suspicious circumstances, according to a BBC investigation. Newly obtained military reports suggest…
Pentagon: US kills Islamic State leader in Syria in drone strike
By USA Today
The Pentagon said Tuesday that it killed a leader of the Islamic State group in Syria in a…
THE DAILY WTF
State Department turns against anti-Taliban fighters, as al Qaeda operates freely across Afghanistan
By Aaron Kliegman – Just the News
The State Department is condemning Afghans for fighting back against the Taliban as the Islamist group in control of Afghanistan…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 87.93 AFN (as of 13 JUL 2022)