LAST 24 HOURS
A Sikh temple in Kabul was attacked when ISIS-K gunmen opened fire and a car bomb was detonated near the building. 2 victims were killed in the initial assault (1 Sikh security guard and 1 Taliban security guard), and there are conflicting reports about the numbers of ISIS-K fighters killed during the action. More details are in the Conflict Tracker below. India is said to be readying plans to evacuate the remaining Sikh community in Afghanistan.
Sources now claim that the death toll from the recent suicide bombing at a mosque in Kunduz has risen to 12. ISIS-K has claimed responsibility for the attack.
For the second time in the last month, a fleet of Iranian fuel tankers has been sent back to Iran for reputedly attempting to deliver “poor quality” fuel. Taliban diplomats have lodged an official complaint with their Iranian counterparts and may seek damages for equipment that is believed to be damaged by running dirty fuel through the systems.
Fighting between the NRF and Taliban has been ongoing in Panjshir. As previously reported, the districts of Chamalordeh, Rhoka, Shatl, and Anaba have seen the biggest clashes. Local eyewitnesses claim that several houses in select villages have been commandeered by the Taliban for use as temporary morgues. Reporting has been confused, and The Afghan Digest will wait for details to be clarified before assembling an accurate account.
Fighting has begun again in Balkhab between the Taliban forces and Rumi Mehdi’s forces. Several sources with intimate knowledge of the situation say that Mehdi’s forces have been reinforced by NRF troops. We have no official confirmation of this but different sources claim to have witnessed the NRF fighters enter the fray. There has been no word on casualties yet.
After receiving notification last month that an “illegally built” shantytown in a Hazara neighborhood of Kabul would be demolished, the destruction of the informal town of about 500 homes has begun. Reportedly, many residents did not heed the warning and had to be forcibly removed from their homes prior to demolition. There are claims of discrimination given that illegal shantytowns are widespread in Kabul and only Hazara shanties are being targeted currently. Furthermore, there are accusations that municipal priorities are misoriented.
There have been reports that access to Kabul’s Khair Khana neighborhood has been strictly controlled for the past 24 hours and Taliban security personnel were not allowing inhabitants to enter/exit. No explanation has been provided yet. Others claim that no lockdown has occurred, but that several house-to-house searches were executed.
NEXT 24 HOURS
A source within the Ministry of the Interior claims significant intelligence was recovered from 2 of the ISIS-K terrorists who were killed during the attack on the Sikh Temple. Apparently, they had not deleted information on their cell phones. The General Directorate is said to be gearing up for a large operation that will encompass Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, and towns in Kunduz.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Fight for Afghanistan Rages On
By Adnan Nasser – The Diplomatic Courier
The Taliban have returned to power in Kabul. Following U.S. President Joe Biden’s decision to end America’s longest war, the U.S.-backed Ashraf Ghani’s government collapsed rapidly. The world was shocked to see the western trained and supplied Afghan army capitulate without a serious fight. Without U.S. support, provinces and cities fell to a blitzkrieg-like advance from Taliban forces—in some cases without a shot being fired. This quickly destroyed the hopes of the Biden administration that there would be a long war in which both sides would be forced to negotiate a political solution. Now a united democratic form of government in Afghanistan seems unlikely. For some however, resistance to the Taliban—both through armed and unarmed actions—continues.
AFGHAN NEWS
Kabul: Afghan Sikh among 2 killed in terror strike on gurdwara; 3 attackers dead
By The Telegraph
According to the statement from the Interior Ministry, an explosive-laden vehicle aiming to target the place was thwarted before reaching
Afghan Taliban confirm Pakistan-TTP 'indefinite' cease-fire
By Anadolu Agency
The Afghan Taliban on Saturday confirmed that the Pakistani government and the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) have reached an agreement on an "indefinite"…
Unwanted elements being expelled from security ranks: Hashimi
By Barat – Pajhwok Afghan News
Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Muhsen Hashimi, heading a delegation participated in a meeting titled “Clearing the…”
REGIONAL NEWS
250,000 Afghans have fled to Pakistan in the last ten months
By Ariana News
In Islamabad, Clements spoke with the foreign minister and a number of Pakistani officials about the situation of Afghan refugees in the…
Thousands of Afghan refugees return home each day: Taliban
By MEHR News Agency
More than 7,000 refugees have returned to Afghanistan last week, Taliban officials in Nimroz province…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Markus Potzel Becomes the Deputy UN Secretary-General’s Special Representative for Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
The UN Secretary-General has appointed Markus Potzel on Friday, 17th June, as the deputy special (political) representative of…
Several International Organizations Convene to Review the Human Rights Situation in Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
Following reports of human rights violations in Afghanistan, several international organizations, including the…
THE DAILY WTF
After 10 Months We Succeed to Form Mol Formation: Hashemi
By Bakhtar News Agency
The Deputy Minister of Interior, while stressing that no corrupt individuals will be involved in the new formation of the Ministry of Interior, said: “If the corrupt individuals are included in…”
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.31 AFN (as of 19 JUN 2022)