Daily Evacuation Brief | May 17, 2022
Discover more from The Afghan Digest
LAST 24 HOURS:
Money exchanges have reopened after a short strike over newly imposed fees implemented by the Taliban.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) opened its Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) meeting in India. The security situation in Afghanistan is expected to dominate much of the three-day conference.
The new processing center at Torkham Gate was opened. We are waiting on additional information concerning any new procedures that may be in place for travelers heading to Pakistan.
Representatives from the Pakistani military and ISI continued talks with the TTP in Kabul. Sources state former ISI chief Lieutenant General Faziz Hameed arrived at the Serena Hotel to help get the talks back on track. The Taliban have a large security force present at the Serena Hotel, but at-risk Afghans are encouraged to avoid the area until the talks are concluded, especially since the ceasefire between the Pakistani government and TTP has expired with no signs of an extension yet.
NEXT 24 HOURS:
Russian advisors are expected to visit the Tajik border to make a security assessment after the recent skirmish.
The Taliban are thought to be planning counterattacks in the North with the focus again being on newly established NRF checkpoints along roads. Travel will be dangerous in the region.
CASUALTY UPDATE:
Verified reports of Taliban fighters killed in action over the past 10 days in the North were intercepted by contacts close to Ministry of the Interior personnel. The casualty list was derived from transportation orders which were issued to return the bodies of the fallen to their families. This is not a full count of recent Taliban casualties since the numbers do not take into account bodies that could not be recovered after battles with Resistance forces.
Approximately 700 Taliban fighters are estimated to be seriously wounded, and the Resistance claims to currently hold approximately 300 prisoners. We have no estimate for the number who may be missing in action.
Figures for Resistance casualties are currently being assessed.
*NOTE TO OUR READERS: Unless explicitly stated, casualty figures should be assumed to be imprecise. Reporting casualty figures is notoriously difficult. We do our best to find accurate figures but belligerents are prone to underreporting and/or exaggeration. We also try to be respectful of the dead, regardless of their allegiance.
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 87.86 AFN (as of 17 MAY 2022)
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghan resistance attack Taliban, sparking reprisals in Panjshir
By Secunder Kermani – BBC News
One local resident told the BBC his unarmed elderly relative had been shot by the group, who seized power in Afghanistan last…
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan intends to bring its troop strength to 150,000 soldiers
By Asia-Plus
“More than 130,000 people have been registered and this process will continue. With the completion of registration, the Afghans will see an independent, well-formed and…
Bomb Blast in Nangarhar Kills One and Injures Five People
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
The incident occurred yesterday, Sunday, May 15th, during a gathering held every week in…
Attempted Suicide Cases, Mostly of Women, Rise in Badakhshan
By TOLO News
Residents of Badakhshan expressed concern over the increase in the number of women and youth who attempt suicide…
REGIONAL NEWS
CSTO leaders meet in Moscow to tackle threats of terrorism and Central Asian ‘color revolution’
By Zhang Hui and Xu Yelu — Global Times
The Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) leaders met for the first time since 2019 amid the Ukraine crisis that unnerved the post-Soviet Russia-led security bloc…
Uzbekistan to host international conference on Afghanistan
By Ariana News
Tashkent will host a high-level international conference on Afghanistan at the end of July, Uzbekistan’s interim Minister of Foreign Affairs…
Taliban Forces Clash with the Tajik Border Guards Near Sher Khan Bandar
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
According to a resident of Kunduz province’s Imam Sahib district, whose name was omitted due to the sensitivity of the matter, the clash occurred near…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS
UN Rapporteur to Visit Afghanistan
By TOLO News
The UN special rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, is reportedly scheduled to visit Afghanistan from May 15 to May 26, according to a UN statement…
Scoop: U.S. to deny entry to some Afghans in Kosovo
By Hans Nichols & Jonathan Swan – Axios
The Biden administration is preparing Monday to notify several Afghans currently waiting at a U.S. Army base in Kosovo that they'll be denied entry to the United States, two administration officials told…
THE DAILY WTF
Afghanistan's new media landscape: The Taliban are all over TV
By DPA
Afghan media companies seek to remain independent but it can be hard to refuse Taliban members on shows, who then share…