Daily Evacuation Brief | July 25, 2022
Discover more from The Afghan Digest
LAST 24 HOURS
The Taliban’s General Directorate of Intelligence claims to have arrested four men who were responsible for destroying the power grid in Parwan province. Three separate attacks on power pylons have been reported in Afghanistan this year. The damage takes an inordinate amount of time to repair, and the outages have hampered business operations, further exacerbating the economic crisis. It is not yet known if the men had affiliations with any Resistance or terrorist groups.
The recent brutal assault on Salgai Ihsas, a female journalist in Nangarhar, by unidentified gunmen has brought swift condemnation from national and regional press centric organizations. An international outcry is sure to follow the widely publicized and brutal event. The attack was witnessed by many, and a reputed video of the incident is circulating on social media. The Taliban has yet to comment on the incident, and it is unclear who may have perpetrated the attack or why. Ehsaas is recovering from the attack after a short stay in a hospital.
Flooding has destroyed a bridge on the main road between Kabul and Jalalabad. The road is currently closed, and there is no news on when the road may be reopened. More rain is in the forecast across at least 20 provinces, mainly in the south and east of the country. Widespread flooding is expected for the coming week, and travel will be further disrupted.
NEXT 24 HOURS
An Afghanistan focused security meeting will be held in Tashkent, Uzbekistan. Uzbekistan extended invitations to several Taliban leaders. Acting Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi is leading the Afghan contingent. The meeting will focus on the security situation in Afghanistan and the humanitarian crisis. Over 20 countries and multiple international NGOs will attend the meeting as well. A source in Uzbekistan said there were some security concerns voiced about keeping the Tajikistan delegation separate from the Afghanistan delegation. The source was unable to elaborate further about the concerns but simply stated there are “tensions and concerns”. Another source claimed that Minister Muttaqi was cautioned about calling for recognition of the IAE by the hosts of the meeting during the event. A rumor has been circulating that delegates representing the NRF would also be in Tashkent but would not officially attend the meetings. We have yet to confirm or deny the validity of this rumor.
Following a delegation from the Ministry of the Interior’s visit to Badakhshan, police forces in the province are being restructured. Local sources who were present for the meetings claim it is essentially a plan to remove ethnic minorities from the force and replace them with Pashtun loyalists. The Ministry intends to eject those who did not participate in the Jihad against coalition forces during the previous regime. Sources stated the purge would swell the ranks of the Resistance significantly and public sympathy for the Taliban would sink further in the province.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Afghanistan minorities fear for future despite Taliban assurances
By Kanika Gupta – Nikkei Asia
When an Islamic State group affiliate attacked a Sikh temple in the heart of Afghanistan's capital last month, it reignited fears of persecution among the country's religious minorities and cast doubt on the Taliban's ability to honor a pledge to provide security.
AFGHAN NEWS
13 die in flash floods across Afghanistan
By Ariana News
The Ministry of Disaster Management said that the floods have also caused huge financial losses in these…
Weapon cache seized in Afghanistan's Takhar province
By ANI
Talibani leaders have discovered a weapon cache in Warsaj district of Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province, provincial spokesperson…
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
While Ehsaas was returning from work on 20th July, unidentified gunmen stopped her and pistol-whipped her in Moi Mubarak village of…
REGIONAL NEWS
Turkey to Forcibly Deport Over 200 Afghan Migrants
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
According to the Turkish state-run Anatolian Agency, 215 undocumented Afghan migrants, who have been transferred from Edirne to Istanbul…
Pakistan rules out solo decision on recognizing IEA govt
By Ariana News
“We thought that it would be the best to do it through a regional, consensual approach,” Foreign Office Spokesperson Asim Iftikhar told his…
Taliban Acting Foreign Minister Departs for Uzbekistan
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
The main objective of the event, according to the Uzbek Ministry of Foreign Affairs, is to develop a set of measures and proposals for the approaches taken by the…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Afghan women learn to swim and drive as they adjust to Australian life
By Housnia Shams – ABC
Ten months after arriving in Australia from Afghanistan, Rabia Johini has taken on a new challenge…
THE DAILY WTF
From dawn to dusk, octogenarian widow begs on Neili roads
By Pajhwok Afghan News
An 80-year-old widow Semeen walks on the roads and in streets of northern Daikunid province and knocks at every door to beg for food but…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.97 AFN (as of 25 JUL 2022)