Daily Evacuation Brief | June 27, 2022
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LAST 24 HOURS
House-to-house searches have been reported in Kabul, primarily in predominantly Tajik and Panjshiri neighborhoods. The searches began immediately following a gathering of senior police leadership in Kabul and are thought to be preemptive operations intended to reduce threats to the approaching Loya Jirga.
Several former government officials have returned to attend the much-anticipated Loya Jirga (a traditional council of elders/ulema). Sources claim that Taliban officials are concerned the assembly could get out of hand and are drafting a very focused agenda to avoid discussions that will challenge their authority. There are also major concerns about security for the event. The Ministry of the Interior and the Ministry of Defense are charged with coordinating security, and initial reports indicate there has been friction between the two institutions over who will manage what. Most security concerns are focused on potential ISIS-K attempts to disrupt the proceedings, given what a tempting target the assembly will be. The jirga will take place at the Kabul Polytechnic University.
Sources embedded with Mullah Mehdi Mujahid’s forces in Sar-e-Pol province stated they were forced into the mountains by Taliban attacks in the Balkhab district and no longer hold the city. Multiple reports have come in regarding extrajudicial killings and the execution of several non-combatants, including the beheading of a 65-year-old man and the death of a pregnant woman after her house was set on fire. Dozens to hundreds of families from Balkhab have also fled into the mountains for safety and will be displaced for an indefinite amount of time. So far, the Taliban have been content to occupy the district and have not yet attempted to pursue Mehdi’s forces into the foothills. Locals are concerned that internet and cellular networks have been cut off in order to contain potential war crimes in the aftermath of the fighting.
Land reform efforts continued in Parwan province where the Ministry of Urban Development announced cases were being brought against 43 “land usurpers” in the province. Early reports suggest the accused land usurpers are overwhelmingly comprised of ethnic minorities, especially Hazaras. Claims of this nature have historically been a method of dispossessing ethnic minorities of land and redistributing it to Taliban supporters.
NEXT 24 HOURS
Considering the emphasis on security for the upcoming Loya Jirga, residents can expect a heavy presence throughout Kabul and along major transportation routes until the assembly concludes. Areas where ISIS has habitually cultivated followers will also experience higher than normal security related activities.
SPOTLIGHT RESOURCE
Afghanistan Earthquake (Interactive Map)
By ALCIS
Following the devastating earthquake that hit Afghanistan on the night of June 21st, we are creating maps and insights into impact of the earthquake. The location of the domestic compounds is from our 2019 dataset of every domestic compound in the country. This interactive map currently shows the locations of settlements within the affected area and roads, by type. More data will be added to build it out more.
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghan health official warns of disease outbreak among quake survivors
By Reuters
“The people are extremely needy for food and clean water,” Afghanistan’s health ministry spokesperson Sharafat Zaman told Reuters, adding officials had managed…
Ahead of Loya Jirga, Polytechnic University closed
By Suhrab Sarwari – Pajhwok Afghan News
With the Loya Jirga set to convene, the Kabul Polytechnic University announced on Sunday its…
A 500kg bomb left from Soviet-era discovered in Afghanistan
By AhluBayt News Agency
Taliban officials on Saturday say they have discovered a 500kg bomb left over from the Soviet's military operation of Farah province in…
REGIONAL NEWS
Illegal Afghan migrants deported to Afghanistan by Turkey
By Chaheti Singh Sisodia – Wion News
Afghan refugees who crossed borders to escape Taliban atrocities were deported back to Afghanistan on Friday. A total of 136 undocumented…
By Lt General K J Singh – The Times of India
Dastardly attack on Gurdwara Karte Parwan in Kabul on May 25 virtually sounded death knell for multi-cultural character of…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Can West counter terrorist threats emanating from Afghanistan?
By ANI
In the aftermath of the US withdrawal from Afghanistan and the return of Taliban rule, the West is now contending
By Joshua Zitser and Alia Shoaib – Insider
Standing in Queer Britain, the UK's first national LGBTQ museum, 22-year-old Ghulam* looked pensive as he observed the…
THE DAILY WTF
Iran: US bent on igniting ‘ethnic war, organized unrest’ in Afghanistan
By Iran Front Page
A senior Iranian diplomat warns that the US is making attempts to give a regional dimension to the crisis in Afghanistan by provoking “organized unrest” and…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 89.23 AFN (as of 27 JUN 2022)