LAST 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN’S PATIENCE IS REPORTEDLY WEARING THIN AFTER LATEST CLASH ALONG THE BORDER WITH TTP – A fight between Pakistani Army troops and suspected members of the TTP took place in the Miran Shah region of North Waziristan on Saturday. In the battle, 3 Pakistani soldiers were killed and 3 militants were said to have lost their lives. 4 additional militants were said to have been wounded. Army troops recovered a modest weapons cache from the site of the fighting. Sources in Pakistan say the weapons recovered from the battle had come from Afghanistan and at least two of the suspected TTP had documents and currency from Afghanistan on their bodies.
AFGHANISTAN’S AMBASSADOR TO TAJIKISTAN’S HOME BURNED IN ROKHA DISTRICT, PANJSHIR – The ancestral home of General Zaher Aghbar, the Afghan Ambassador to Tajikistan and a former military officer under the previous regime, was reportedly burned by unknown arsons on Sunday evening. The home was situated in the town of Piyawesht. Prior to the fire, the house was said to be occupied by Taliban security personnel.
TAJIKISTAN ARRESTS SEVERAL DOZEN AFGHAN CITIZENS IN THE KHATLON REGION – Government officials confirmed the arrests were made on 8 June and involved former Afghan military personnel who were reportedly armed. The Afghans were reportedly transported to a detention facility in Dushanbe sometime between the 8th and 10th of June. Some speculation in local press outlets says the Afghans were part of various Resistance groups or, had recently broken with said groups, and were making plans to return to Afghanistan.
TALIBAN FIRES BACK AT THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL OVER ‘BASELESS’ REPORT – Several of the senior leaders within the Taliban chose to criticize a report compiled by the United Nations Security Council which makes the following claims:
The Taliban, in its current form, is overwhelmingly dominated by the Pashtun ethnic group and other ethnic groups lack representation.
Dissent exists between the leadership but the Supreme Leader is consolidating his power. The existing dissent was not likely to cause a factional division for the next 1-2 years.
The Supreme Leader has weathered international/regional/Islamic pressure to adopt modern policies and those who offer different views for the country are not strong enough to challenge him.
Terrorists have greater freedom of maneuver since the Taliban’s return to power and are likely ignoring threats posed to neighbors by these groups.
The Taliban’s official spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, categorically rejected each of the claims in a statement. Mujahid resorted to the same denials, deflections, and counter-accusations that now typify the regime’s response to any criticism.
NEXT 24 HOURS
CYCLONE BIPARJOY STRENGTHENS, PAKISTAN’S COASTAL REGIONS BRACE FOR IMPACT – The cyclone picked up significant strength as it moved toward land and is now called ‘an extremely severe cyclonic storm’. The storm is expected to lose some strength before intensifying again and moving toward the Northwest. Emergency managers in Sindh Province have urged residents to stay indoors and have ordered billboards to be taken down in urban areas. The main threats for Pakistan are heavy rains that will cause flooding, storm surges that could cause waves to peak at 30 feet or more, and dangerous winds. At-risk Afghans staying in the affected areas are urged to remain indoors and should cover any glass windows in their residences. If no material is available to cover windows, people should avoid standing, laying, or sitting near them as the winds are expected to be strong enough to blow the glass inwards. Meteorologists expect the system to begin losing strength on Tuesday morning however, the risk of flooding is expected to persist throughout the coming week. Power, cellular, and internet outages will likely occur in some areas and it may take several days to reestablish communications.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
A survey of Iran’s religious leaders shows a clear division over rules requiring women to wear the Hijab. Long-time Iran watchers say that the number of those who support the mandate has fallen significantly over the past thirty years.
An Albanian opposition group in Paris has accused Iran of supporting an attack on its headquarters in Northern Paris.
The former security chief, Ali Shamkhani, has been implicated in the narcotics trade after a report alleges he received approximately $3.5 million per year from a noted drug kingpin, Naji Sharifi-Zindashti.
PAKISTAN
The first shipment of heavily discounted Russian oil arrived in Karachi today.
Former Prime Minister Khan was charged on Sunday in a real estate case that regulators say included elements of fraud. The former PM faces well over one hundred legal cases.
The official death toll from the severe rain and wind in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province stands at 29 with scores more unaccounted for and feared lost.
SPOTLIGHT TERROR
Afghanistan’s Badakhshan Bombings and the Wider Impact of Taliban Governance Failure
By Sahibzada M. Usman Ph.D. - Modern Diplomacy
In a chilling display of violence, Nisar Ahmad Ahmadi, the acting governor of the northeastern Afghan province of Badakhshan, was killed in a car bombing on June 6th, 2023. This gruesome incident, claimed by the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, is a stark reminder of the ongoing struggle that Afghanistan’s ruling Taliban government is facing in maintaining law and order and establishing its authority in the country.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban slam 'baseless and biased' UN report suggesting rifts and conflict within their ranks
By Stars and Stripes
The Taliban condemned on Sunday a "baseless and biased" report from the U.N. Security Council highlighting rifts within the…
Citizens Complain About Deactivation of ATM Machines
By TOLO News
They complained that customers need wait for several hours to withdraw money from…
Sirajuddin Haqqani reportedly seeking control of Afghan section of TAPI gas pipeline: UN report
By The Telegraph
Afghanistan's Taliban-appointed Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is reportedly seeking to take under his control the most promising economic…
REGIONAL NEWS
Three Pakistani soldiers killed in gun battle with Taliban
By The National News
Pakistan’s army has been battling an escalating number of attacks from Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan or the Pakistani Taliban (TTP), as well as an insurgency by…
Afghan Refugees Face Lack of Employment Opportunities in Iran
By Mitra Majeedy - TOLO News
“Even if an employment opportunity is provided, because of religious issues or for being a Sunni and Afghan, you cannot engage in…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Over 550 Former Govt Officials Returned to Afghanistan, Says PM Kabir
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Official sources have not confirmed the report and claim that hundreds of former government military personnel have been persecuted and…
THE DAILY WTF
‘Home is like jail’: Afghan soldier who helped the US weathers injuries, uncertainty in asylum bid
By Juan A. Lozano - Statesville Record & Landmark
The April visit to a Houston clinic was just one of a long assembly line of medical appointments Abdul Wasi Safi has had since his January release from…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 85.60 AFN (as of 12 JUN 2023)