Daily Evacuation Brief | November 25, 2023
LAST 24 HOURS
NEW UPDATES FROM BADAKHSHAN TALIBAN ISSUES – Hasht-Sub Daily reports that a former Commander of the GDI in the Province was arrested by a special Taliban security detachment sent from Kabul. The former Commander was arrested in Faizabad on Friday and has been transferred to Kabul. Rumi Nooralhuda faces charges of corruption and mistreatment of civilians and may be implicated in the mysterious killing of 4 Taliban fighters earlier in the Province. Nooralhuda is said to be related to Mawlawi Fasihuddin Fetrat, a leader in the Taliban Ministry of Defense.
UNITED NATIONS TO INVESTIGATE RECENT KILLING OF SHIITE SCHOLARS IN HERAT – A brazen daylight assassination of 2 Shiite Islamic scholars in Herat City has prompted the Special Rapporteur for Afghanistan, Richard Bennett to open an inquiry into the matter. In a tweet, Bennett urged the Taliban to accept an independent investigation into the killings, and sources in Kandahar say that Taliban officials are unlikely to accept the advice as there are concerns that a local Taliban Commander (unnamed) may have been involved.
TALIBAN OFFICIALS IN KABUL THREATEN SHOP OWNERS TO ADOPT PASHTO OR FACE CLOSURE – The threat was communicated during a televised interview with an unidentified Taliban official in central Kabul. The threat supports claims made by members of minority groups within Afghanistan for the past two years that say their cultures are under threat by the Pashtun-dominated Taliban. The Taliban have continually pushed back against such claims but few can ignore the lack of political representation from minorities in the senior Taliban ranks.
MORE DIPLOMATIC DRAMA IN INDIA – Diplomatic staff at the besieged Afghan Embassy in New Delhi released several statements on social media that claimed the Embassy was to be closed and no further services were to be provided to Afghan citizens residing in the country. Shortly after the posts began to circulate on various social media platforms, 2 officials from the staff said that the Embassy would continue to operate. One of those mentioned is said to be a consular officer appointed by the previous regime but who has agreed to work with the Taliban’s Foreign Ministry in Kabul. The Government of India has wisely stayed out of the squabble and it is not yet clear if they will accept the credentials of the new ‘Taliban’ affiliated diplomats.
RESISTANCE ATTACKS GAIN MOMENTUM – Fighters from the Afghanistan Freedom Front have launched several operations over the month of November and appear to be carrying the brunt of the fighting against the Taliban in the months leading up to Winter. Yesterday witnessed three separate military engagements against the Taliban, two of which have been confirmed. The attacks follow several others that were ultimately confirmed throughout the month of November. While the National Resistance Front is generally considered the main military opponent for the Taliban, the AFF has clearly stepped up operations when most campaigning is tapering off for the Winter. Local sources within the Resistance say this is primarily due to a spike in recruitment that began in late 2022 and that the group is primarily located within Kabul and a select few other cities while the NRF is considered the ‘Northern Front’ and is based mainly in Takhar and Panjshir. Many have long thought that the majority of the legitimate Resistance groups began coordinating operations at the end of 2022. This has not been confirmed but the frequency and locations of attacks over the course of 2023 suggest that some communication is taking place. Many in Afghanistan have characterized the AFF fighters as sort of a ‘Robin Hood’ movement that locals can turn to in dealing with particularly heavy-handed or corrupt Taliban in their neighborhoods. The AFF’s operational strategy has been to launch lightning attacks on vulnerable Taliban positions. While the NRF was involved in heavier campaigns against the Taliban in 2022. Throughout 2023, the NRF has played a more defensive role and has largely avoided major engagements like those witnessed in the previous year. Whether this is a coordinated strategy between the two groups is unknown but it has resulted in constant pressure on the Taliban and has served to illustrate to regional and international observers that the Resistance is far from pacified.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE TALIBAN SECURITY OPERATIONS IN KABUL – After two successful attacks by Resistance forces in Kabul and a third unconfirmed attack in Parwan, our analysis indicates it is likely the Taliban will be forced to respond and may launch a search operation to attempt to ferret out the location of Afghanistan Freedom Front operating bases. Sources in Kabul say that local Taliban Commanders have been voicing frustration with the Ministry of the Interior’s inability to gain intelligence on the AFF for the past two months. With this in mind, increased security operations are possible in Kabul and potentially elsewhere across the country. Sources say that very little information is known about the AFF and that some are suspicious it is receiving intelligence from within the Taliban that has allowed it to elude detection. At the very least, the Taliban will likely increase patrols in order to restore confidence among its fighters who are manning checkpoints and outposts that it is at least doing something to contain the AFF.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Iran continues to execute prisoners while it assumes global attention is directed elsewhere and the most recent victim was a juvenile who was hung on Friday for having been convicted of murder.
5 Iranian mountain climbers are dead after getting caught in an avalanche on Mount Oshtoran Kuh in Lorestan Province on Thursday. A total of 9 climbers were in the party, 1 is still missing and 3 others were being treated for injuries.
Iran’s Foreign Ministry condemned the latest European Parliament’s human rights resolution as being ‘anti-Iranian’. The resolution accused the regime of stifling women’s rights and of arbitrary arrest and detention of human rights activists.
PAKISTAN
Israel rejected an offer from Pakistan to provide medical air evacuations for Palestinians who need medical treatment after being injured in the conflict in Gaza.
Former Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif is expected to appear before the Islamabad High Court on 27 November over the Avenfield Property and Al-Azizia Steel Mills cases.
Pakistan’s main stock exchange continued its upward rally and crossed the 59,000 milestone for the first time yesterday. Analysts attribute the recent rally to ‘a generally positive outlook’ after the IMF review recommended further loans.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
The Afghan Challenge: Is the Problem Decreasing?
By Rustam Khaydarov - Valdai Discussion Club
The rise to power of the Taliban* in Afghanistan marked the end of many years of war. Today, peace has virtually returned to Afghanistan. The Taliban are consolidating their power and preparing for long-term rule there. Central Asia is in search of an acceptable model of interaction with the new government of Afghanistan. Today, de facto, there is not a single foreign or domestic political force that could interfere with the rule of the Taliban. The world community, tired of the Afghan problem, is choosing a bad peace over a good war with the Taliban.
AFGHAN NEWS
Report highlights non-Taliban stakeholders’ role in shaping Afghanistan’s future
By AMU TV
In a recent report published by the Washington-based research organization, Observer Research Foundation America (ORF), key non-Taliban Afghan stakeholders are identified and…
IEA rejects report US bombs left in Afghanistan being smuggled into Mexico
By Ariana News
The Islamic Emirate has rejected report that the US bombs left in Afghanistan are ending up in the hands of Mexican…
Kidnapped Afghan Girl Released in Karachi
By Naweed Samadi - TOLO News
The consulate of the Islamic Emirate in the city of Karachi, Pakistan announced the release of an Afghan immigrant girl who was kidnapped by a…
REGIONAL NEWS
Pakistan Firm on Exit Fee for Afghans Waiting for Asylum in West
By Ayaz Gul - VOA
Officials in Pakistan have defended charging fees on Afghan nationals leaving the country or waiting for Western-sponsored resettlements, saying the…
Committee to Transfer Property of Afghans Deported From Pakistan Formed
By Bibi Amina Hakimi - TOLO News
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, said that a committee has been established to facilitate the transfer of property of Afghan refugees…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Mohaqiq’s critique of US Afghanistan presence sparks analyst reactions
By Bais Hayat - AMU TV
Recent comments made by Mohammad Mohaqiq, a member of the Resistance Council for the Salvation of Afghanistan, regarding the United States’ presence in Afghanistan at a…
Wardak and Ibrahimkhil assume leadership at Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
Following the closure of the Afghanistan Embassy in New Delhi, the Consul General of Afghanistan in Mumbai issued a press statement on her social media platform…
Radicalised Birmingham brothers who prepared to join terrorist group in Afghanistan sentenced
By ITV News
Two radicalised Birmingham brothers who applied to join a terrorist group and planned to travel to Afghanistan to join terror activities, have been given…
THE DAILY WTF
As a brutal winter approaches, Sajjad’s aunty has been forced back to the Taliban
By Max Walden - The Sydney Morning Herald
In between completing assignments on Australian family law, he’s faced a challenge few other classmates have had to contend…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 69.38 AFN (as of 25 NOV 2023)