LAST 24 HOURS:
Taliban counter-offensives have been launched from multiple directions in Andarab (Khawak, Parandi, and Shawa). New Taliban reinforcements are being used to attack from three strongholds in an attempt to box Resistance forces in and capture two Andarab Resistance “Battalions” operating in the region. Initial reports indicate the Taliban’s efforts have not gone well. While some casualty reports have been provided, nothing has been verified yet. Taliban sources have stated that Deputy Defense Minister Mullah Fazel has arrived and assumed control of Taliban military options.
The bomb attack near the Qombar intersection in Kabul Police District 5 had targeted a nearby mosque (possibly Ayub Saber). Three people were reportedly wounded in the blast. Sources with the Ministry of the Interior stated the attack was believed to be a pre-planned ISIS-K attack that was originally targeting a Shiite mosque in a Hazara neighborhood of Herat but was redirected to Kabul when local planners determined the security forces in Herat were too formidable to overcome. We have no further information concerning this attack.
NEXT 24 HOURS:
Resistance forces are planning a joint operation in Panjshir that is reportedly going to target the newly established checkpoints along main roads in Panjshir. Details of specific locations have not been provided, but at-risk Afghans in Panjshir are cautioned about loitering near new checkpoints over the next 48 hours.
ANALYSIS SPOTLIGHT:
Northern Afghanistan and the New Threat to Central Asia
by Bruce Pannier – Foreign Policy Research Institute
The contest for control of northern Afghanistan between the Taliban, the Islamic State, and other terrorist groups is a major security concern for the states of Central Asia. Since the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan in August 2021, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan have relied on the Taliban to prevent non-state actors from operating in northern Afghanistan and launching cross-border attacks. In recent months, however, the Islamic State has bombed mosques near the border with Central Asia and claimed to have launched a rocket attack into Uzbekistan. The deteriorating situation in the region demonstrates the limits of Central Asian states’ security strategies, and highlights that they have few options in dealing with a new threat on their border.
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 87.80 AFN (as of 14 MAY 2022)
AFGHAN NEWS
Blast Targets Ayuob Saber Mosque in PD5 of Kabul; No Casualties Reported
By Mursaleen Muwahed – TOLO News
According to Mr. Zadran, the blast took place during Friday prayers at the…
Resistance Rocket Attack on Waiez District Building in Ghazni Province; Some Taliban Casualties
By Mohammad Shaker Rasa – Hasht-e-Subh
In a newsletter, the National and Islamic Movement of Afghanistan has claimed of targeting the district building of Waiez district in Ghazni…
Abdullah says credible reports of civilian killings, torture, kangaroo courts are being received
Abdullah Abdullah via Twitter
“Documentary news reports of tragic and tragic events in recent days in Afghanistan indicate that in the provinces of Panjshir, Takhar, Andarabaha and Khost…”
REGIONAL NEWS
The Last Way Out of Afghanistan
By Christopher Reuter – Der Spiegel
Every day, thousands of people are fleeing the Taliban through the last open route out of Afghanistan. It's their last hope to escape poverty and desperation – but not everyone…
China in Afghanistan: “Not a luxury but a necessity”
By Eshel Rosen – EurasiaNet
China is treading cautiously in Afghanistan, a panel of experts told the United States-China Economic and Security Review Commission, an independent U.S...
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
US intelligence community launches review following Ukraine and Afghanistan intel failings
By Katie Lillis & Natasha Bertrand – CNN
The US intelligence community is carrying out a sweeping internal review of how it assesses the fighting power of foreign militaries amid…
Milley: US Capable of ‘Strike Operations’ in Afghanistan
By Toba Walizada — TOLO News
The head of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, Gen. Mark Milley, said the US maintains surveillance in Afghanistan and has the capability to conduct strike operations…
Women lawmakers from Afghanistan continue work in exile
By Deutsche Welle
More than 20 of Afghanistan’s women parliamentarians ended up in Athens after fleeing from the…
THE DAILY WTF
By Asia-Plus
Afghanistan must be reconstructed; the situation in Afghanistan should not be allowed to collapse again, Russian Foreign Minister said on May 13 answering