Daily Evacuation Brief | May 24, 2022
Discover more from The Afghan Digest
LAST 24 HOURS:
Last night three electricity pylons were blown up in Northern Samangan province in yet another attack on power infrastructure. The power disruptions have not been calculated yet, and an official estimate to repair the damage is being developed. Repair crews have still not yet completed work on one of the towers that was damaged in an attack earlier this month. A source stated that the Taliban’s plea to Uzbekistan to provide assistance with the repairs was ignored.
ISIS-K has now claimed responsibility for the suicide bomb attack in Police District 10 that was intended to disrupt a memorial ceremony for Mullah Akhtar Mansour. The National Liberation Front, a Tajik Resistance group that claimed the attack yesterday, has not responded to ISIS-K’s claims. It is currently unclear which group planned and executed the attack.
Sources stated the announcement of a proposed loya jirga (an Afghan tradition of gathering elders from various tribal, ethnic, geographic, and religious backgrounds to discuss issues of critical national importance) has not been made in good faith. Reportedly, Taliban leadership are using it to curry favor with the international community, and Pashtun elements of the Taliban are not willing to invite any ethnic minority leaders to the assembly. Currently, no date has been set for the jirga.
Sources stated the recent meeting between the Chinese and Pakistani foreign ministers primarily focused on opportunities for bilateral security cooperation in case the Taliban prove incapable of meeting expectations for cross-border operations. Both figures expressed consternation over the Taliban’s lack of progress in establishing an inclusive government.
We are attempting to verify the authenticity of a new claim that the Taliban have forbidden photos of living Taliban members in the media. Sources indicate the edict was announced to limit exposure of Taliban members who may be implicated in war crimes. If true, this policy was developed in direct response to the UN Human Rights envoy’s recent calls to hold Taliban security forces personnel accountable for killings and atrocities directed towards civilians.
NEXT 24 HOURS:
The Taliban are reportedly in the final planning stages for more searches for Afghan Army leaders. The house-to-house searches are expected to be carried out in Kabul, Herat, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Kandahar. There are lists of suspects drawn up for towns in Panjshir, but local Taliban commanders have pushed back on executing the searches because it is too dangerous at the moment.
An international panel of law enforcement experts is planning to convene to analyze reports the Taliban are torturing and summarily executing dissidents and/or purported members of Resistance forces under the guise that they were criminals. The resulting analysis is expected to be turned over to the United Nations Human Rights office and may be published openly. Sources indicate several hundred killings have occurred under these pretexts.
ANALYSIS SPOTLIGHT:
Strategic challenges for the Taliban around Afghanistan
By Kabir Taneja – Observer Research Foundation
While the West has conveniently forwarded the onus of Afghan security, and by association regional security, to regional powers, there remain almost no major overlapping interests between these regional states where they could work together from a long-term perspective in building an “inclusive” political infrastructure around the Taliban.
AFGHAN NEWS
By Tolqun News
The General Directorate of Passports of the Taliban Provisional Government has announced that some profiteers have recently printed fake passport booklets abroad…
Officials: 3 Million Passport Booklets to Arrive in 2 Weeks
By Banafsha Binesh – TOLO News
The Passport Authority confirmed there is a lack of five-year passports and said the problem will be resolved in…
ISIL claims responsibility for Kabul explosion
By Mehr News Agency
In a statement on Monday, ISIL terrorist group announced that Shahram Movahed was the perpetrator of the terrorist act, who blew himself up,,,
Taliban’s Clash in Parwan Province Kills Three Armed Men
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
According to the Taliban, three gunmen were killed and one detained in the clashes, according to Kamran Habibi, a spokesman for…
REGIONAL NEWS
India shouldn’t retain ties with Afghanistan’s previous rulers, says IEA
By Ariana News
India should sever all ties with the former Ashraf Ghani government and establish ties with Afghanistan based on national and…
Chinese FM meets Pakistan’s FM, calls for inclusive political system in Afghanistan
By Ariana News
According to a statement issued by China’s Foreign Ministry, the two sides stressed the need to establish a comprehensive political structure and…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
UAE to Issue Visas for Afghan Traders, Workers
“The problems of the visas have been discussed with the Islamic Emirate officials. The problem of visas will be solved in the near future and the flights will be…”
Richard Bennett: Those Responsible for Killing Civilians Must Be Brought to Justice
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
The UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett, said he had visited the Shi’ite Mosque in…
THE DAILY WTF
Former corrupt leaders have no people support
By The Kabul Times
Apparently absurd, the meeting was attended by a handful former government elusive corrupt members who did nothing for the destitute Afghans over the last more than twenty years…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 90.84 AFN (as of 24 MAY 2022)