LAST 24 HOURS
ISIS-K LEADER SAID TO HAVE BEEN KILLED BY TALIBAN FORCES IN KUNAR LAST TUESDAY – While no official confirmation from the Taliban has been provided yet, Pakistan’s media has been rejoicing at the news that Sanaullah Ghafari (aka Shahab al-Muhajir) was killed in a clash with Taliban security forces in the mountains of Kunar. The leader is suspected of ordering several deadly attacks in Pakistan, Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Iran. Rumors had spread late in the week that a US drone had participated in the attack but the US denied involvement and local sources say that no drone took part in the operation. Taliban forces killed an additional 6 ISIS-K followers in Kunar during follow-up operations. The death of Ghafari is being hailed as a serious blow to ISIS-K’s hopes for dominance in the region.
ARRESTS OF AFGHANS IN PAKISTAN NOW TOTAL OVER 1,100 – Several NGOs that have compiled and compared lists of Afghans reporting the arrest of family members and friends say the latest operation has resulted in over 1,100 people being detained. Many of the NGOs also reported that some were beginning to be freed by police. While some deportations were reported on Wednesday, it was not clear how many were included and if those individuals sent back to Afghanistan had been arrested in the recent roundup.
TALIBAN MANEUVER TRAINING ALONG THE IRANIAN BORDER VIEWED AS PROVOCATIVE BY TEHRAN – The Taliban held military drills in Nimruz Province on Thursday that caused alarm in Tehran. Iranian military personnel observed the maneuver training from high ground in Sistan and Baluchestan Province and two drone flights were eventually reported to have overflown the area shortly after the Taliban had halted their training. Sources in Tehran said the timing of the drills and the fact that they were carried out so close to the border concerned senior IRGC personnel.
HERAT RELIGIOUS LEADERS CALL ON TALIBAN TO IMPROVE THE BEHAVIOR OF THE SECURITY FORCES TOWARDS CITIZENS – Reports have indicated throughout 2023 that the interactions between civilians and the Taliban security forces have been deteriorating. Bribery and maltreatment based on ethnicity have been two of the primary complaints registered by average citizens. For its part, the Taliban leadership has continued to call on those in the security sector to act morally and with restraint towards the civilian population.
NRF POINTS TO INTERNAL DIVISIONS AMONG TALIBAN FOR RECENT ATTACKS IN BADAKHSHAN – Seemingly absolving ISIS-K from their admitted participation in planning and executing the recent attacks in Badakhshan, the NRF hinted that an internal schism is widening within the Taliban and is at the root of the targeting of Taliban leaders.
NEXT 24 HOURS
KARACHI AND COASTAL REGION OF PAKISTAN ON ALERT FOR CYCLONE BIPARJOY – While the threat of landfall is a few days away, we feel it is important to warn at-risk Afghans who may be in the southern Provinces to prepare for the storm if it begins to move to the Northwest on Monday. Pakistan’s National Disaster Management Authority issued alerts on Friday warning fishermen to not put to sea after Monday and for citizens to stock up on medical supplies, food, and water. A coastal tidal surge is expected and power in Sindh and Balochistan Provinces may be interrupted. Communications will also likely be affected.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Unofficial unemployment numbers for the country paint a dismal picture for those in the 18-35-year-old category. The numbers say it stands at 16.3%.
Significant confusion remains over a possible nuclear deal and rumors keep being batted back and forth. Officials from the US and Iran deny any such deal is on the table.
The US has accused Iran of helping Russia to build a drone factory for use in the Ukraine campaign.
PAKISTAN
The IMF told Pakistan’s government that revisions to its current budget must be made in order for the bailout loan to go forward. Many have raised concerns about increased defense spending.
Authorities have arrested Ali Muhammad Khan, a PTI leader, for the fifth time in 2023. The latest arrest comes at the behest of the Anti-Corruption Establishment. It is not clear what the specific charges are related to.
Pakistan signed the long-anticipated accord on the TAPI pipeline that will route natural gas from Turkmenistan through Afghanistan and Pakistan to India.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Imee Marcos: Bare PH-US ‘deal’ on Afghan refugees
By Marlon Ramos - Inquirer.net
Sen. Imee Marcos on Friday said her brother’s administration had agreed to a supposed discreet plan to grant a request by the United States to provide a safe haven in the Philippines for Afghans suspected to be “American spies” who fled their Taliban-led country.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban Holds War Games Near Border With Iran
By Iran International
According to the state-run Bakhtar News Agency, the Taliban military held a war game in Nimruz, located in the southwestern part of the country and to the…
IS-K Leader in Afghanistan Reported Dead
By Ayaz Gul
Sanaullah Ghafari, the so-called slain emir of Islamic State Khorasan, or IS-K, has led the terrorist group since June…
IS-K Claims Afghan Attack On Taliban Official's Funeral
By RFE
The Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an explosion inside a mosque during a funeral service for a Taliban official in the northern Afghanistan province of…
REGIONAL NEWS
Collective Security Treaty Organization Should Focust on Afghanistan: Kyrgyzstan
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Marat Imankulov, Kyrgyzstan’s secretary of the security council at the meeting of the Secretaries of the Security Council of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Minsk, reiterated the…
Pakistan, Turkmenistan Sign TAPI Joint Implementation Plan
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Pakistan and Turkmenistan signed a joint implementation plan (JIP) on Thursday, aimed at speeding up the work on Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) gas…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Blinken says US continues to focus on preventing resurgence of terrorism in Afghanistan
By AMU TV
“With regard to Afghanistan, we’ve made clear and we’ve demonstrated since ending America’s longest war that we would continue to be focused on our core national security interest in preventing the…
US Announces a Two-Year Renewal of Parole for Afghan Nationals
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
The Department of Homeland Security in a statement said that the new process is free of cost, and will provide qualified Afghan individuals with a…
THE DAILY WTF
UN calls Taliban plan to ban NGOs from schools a “horrendous step backward”
By Asia News
If carried out, the departure of foreign NGOs would be a hard blow both to the country’s education system, which already excludes girls and…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 85.60 AFN (as of 10 JUN 2023)