Daily Evacuation Brief | November 28, 2022

Nov 28, 2022

POSSIBLE TERRORIST CELL ARRESTED IN KABUL – Police in Kabul have announced they arrested 4 people for attempting to carry out a bomb attack in Kabul. No information was provided about possible affiliations with a terrorist organization. The people were taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation. A source in the Ministry of the Interior claimed the individuals were not on any of the recent alerts and that many of the counter-terrorism agents in the Ministry have been denied access to their files.
SHOTS FIRED AGAIN AT SPIN BOLDAK-CHAMAN CROSSING – Video of an incident that occurred on Saturday shows hundreds of people running from the gate while multiple gunshots are heard in the background. It is not clear what exactly transpired and if the shots were part of a cross-border incident between Taliban and Pakistan forces. We are waiting for further information but advise at-risk Afghans who plan to use the crossing to call ahead and find out if the security situation is resolved.
POLICE IN BALKH CLAIM TO HAVE KILLED WELL-KNOWN ROBBER – A police spokesman in Mazar-i-Sharif announced that the bandit, Ihsan, who has long plagued the Province was killed in a standoff in northern Balkh on Sunday. No details were provided regarding the incident but Ihsan has been a priority for Police for several months and is thought to have controlled an organized criminal gang of nearly 30 individuals.
PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORKERS STRIKE IN PAKTIKA OVER BACK WAGES – Some of the workers in the transport directorate of Sharan have begun a strike to call attention to the fact they have not been paid for the previous four months. It is not clear when the strike began but local eyewitnesses say the offices have been closed for several days. A source in the Ministry of Defense said that Kabul was perplexed by the news of the strike and that a check of disbursements shows that funding was regularly sent to the Province. The source said privately that senior leaders believe an official in the Province may have diverted the money. An investigation is reportedly underway.

NEXT 24 HOURS

SPIN BOLDAK-CHAMAN CROSSING WORTH MONITORING – If the shooting reported at the crossing turns out to be another cross-border incident between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the crossing could very well close again to all traffic. Travelers intending to use the crossing are advised to pay attention to local reporting and attempt to find out the security situation before embarking on any potential travel.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

The niece of the former supreme leader, Ayatollah Khamenei, has been arrested for making a comparison between the current supreme leader and Adolf Hitler.
Iran has asked FIFA officials to dismiss the US men’s team for a post they released on social media which defaced the Iranian flag. Representatives for the US men’s team claimed they didn’t authorize the post.
A regional watchdog has claimed that over 18,000 people have been arrested since the protests began.

PAKISTAN

Recent polling in the country suggests that Imran Khan’s political party (PTI) received a boost of support from the Long March.
The Federal Investigation Agency arrested Azam Swati, a sitting Senator for posting anti-military sentiments on Twitter.

SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS

How Afghanistan’s Money Exchangers Have Worked Around the Taliban

By Nafay Choudhury - Foreign Policy

A year after the Taliban took power, Afghanistan’s money exchangers are being squeezed by economic turmoil and harsh rules implemented by the new regime. But while their market has certainly seen better days, the 400 exchangers hustling in Kabul’s central exchange show no signs of letting up. Each day, they continue to churn a wide range of financial services, offering not just currency exchanges, but also money transfers, savings accounts, and even loans to reliable customers.

AFGHAN NEWS

Gathering Held in Herat to Promote Ethnic Unity

By Naseer Ahmad Salehi - TOLO News

The gathering was attended by dozens of religious clerics from the western province, as well as officials from the…

IEA claims militants involved in Daikundi clash, and no children killed

By Ariana News

According to Karimi, reports of children being killed and other damage incurred are not…

Kabul Residents Complain of High Prices of Intl Airfare

By Banafsha Binesh - TOLO News

“The price of the tickets has increased. We cannot purchase the one-way tickets,” said a resident of…

REGIONAL NEWS

Afghanistan Discussed by Tajik President Rahman, France's Macron

By Mohammad Farshad Daryosh - TOLO News

The Presidents of Tajikistan and France in a phone conversation discussed the political, social and economic situation in Afghanistan, the office of Tajikistan’s President…