Daily Evacuation Brief | March 6, 2023
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LAST 24 HOURS
TALIBAN AND IRANIAN BORDER GUARDS CLASH – A firefight was reported between Iranian and Taliban border security forces near Milak (Nimruz Province). Reports initially said the clash was brief and only involved a small arms exchange. However, later reports suggested that heavy weapons were employed and that rockets fired by Iranian forces landed near a police building in Zaranj. At this time, it is unclear what transpired. No casualties have yet been reported.
GREAT BRITAIN PLANS TO DEPORT REFUGEES ARRIVING BY SMALL BOATS – The British Prime Minister announced his intentions to ship refugees who arrive by sea to Rwanda or other countries under new laws enacted to deal with the refugee crisis in Europe.
IRAN NABS 2 AFGHAN DRUG SMUGGLERS – The two were arrested at the Dogharon customs station on Saturday when they were caught attempting to smuggle 10 kilograms of opium and nearly 5 kilograms of marijuana. Iran has historically dealt harshly with drug offenses. It is not known what has transpired with the two men.
PASSPORTS BEING ISSUED – Several sources have reported that Afghan citizens are receiving their passports now that the Directorate has reopened. The online application system also appears to be working. At-risk Afghans who had previously applied for passports before the Directorate closed are encouraged to check the status of their online applications.
TURKISH NAVY RESCUES 60 AFGHANS IN THE MEDITERRANEAN – An overloaded vessel carrying 60 Afghan refugees was saved by ships of the Turkish Navy and Coast Guard on Saturday. Maritime forces within the Mediterranean are reputedly taking a more active role in stopping vessels carrying refugees after the deadly wreck in Italy claimed nearly 100 lives.
NEXT 24 HOURS
BORDER SITUATION WITH IRAN COULD REIGNITE – While Taliban forces have reportedly not changed markedly after today’s firefight there are reports that Iranian forces have been reinforced substantially in Balochistan. At-risk Afghans residing in the area should be prepared to take cover should additional exchanges of artillery, rockets, and/or heavy weapons occur.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Israeli news outlets have reported that Iran and Russia have reached an agreement on a secret uranium transfer deal.
Iran’s currency rebounded somewhat after positive talks with the IAEA.
A former supporter of Khamenei says he is behind the poison attacks against female students in the country.
PAKISTAN
A blast in Balochistan has claimed the lives of 11 Pakistani soldiers. The Balochistan Liberation Front (BLF) claimed responsibility for the attack.
Former Prime Minister Khan has reputedly been banned from broadcasting speeches on Pakistani TV stations. The ban includes both live and taped speeches.
SPOTLIGHT HISTORY
The Man Who Fought Al-Qaeda, Taliban
By TCA Raghavan - Rediff
Ahmed Shah Massoud's assassination, 9/11 and the defeat and ejection of the Taliban suggested a break in Afghanistan's history, but the events of August 2021 and the Taliban's return shows how deeper continuities remained in place, points out T C A Raghavan, former Indian high commissioner to Pakistan.
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghan Intrime Regim Committed to Form Inclusive Govt, Says IEA Senior Leader
By Nizamuddin Rezahi - Khaama Press
Taliban in a statement said that Mawlawi Abdul Kabir met with Thomas Nicolson, EU’s special envoy for Afghanistan, and reiterated the…
EU Not Supporting Armed Resistance: Niklasson
By TOLO News
The European Union’s Special Envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said that the EU is "not supporting armed resistance, neither politically, nor in…
Niklasson: No Talk of Girls Returning to Classes in New School Year
By Asma Saayin - TOLO News
The European Union special envoy for Afghanistan, Tomas Niklasson, said that the issue of girls’ schools was discussed with authorities, but he…
REGIONAL NEWS
Iranian forces, Taliban clash again on Iran-Afghanistan border
By Iran Front Page
Taliban forces and Iranian border guards have reportedly engaged in a firefight along the Milak border north of Iran’s Sistan and…
137 Afghan detainees released from Pakistan’s Karachi prison
By Ariana News
Afghanistan’s Consulate General in Karachi on Saturday said that 137 Afghan nationals were released and will be extradited to…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
GOP puts spotlight on Biden's Afghanistan exit
By Sophia Cai - Axios
Two Republican-led House panels are about to sink their teeth into investigations of the chaotic U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan…
Number of Imprisoned Veterans Concerns Former US Defense Chiefs
By TOLO News
Two former Iraq and Afghanistan War-era defense secretaries are recommending that the government consider new ways to ensure that…
THE DAILY WTF
Taliban rips out trees in ‘political move’ at Kabul University
IslamBy AMU TV
Many of the trees were planted over the past 20 years, by key figures including one planted by former president Burhanuddin Rabbani, who was assassinated in a suicide bombing…
The Value of Trees in Islam - TAD STAFF
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.99 AFN (as of 6 MAR 2023)