Daily Evacuation Brief | November 7, 2022

Nov 7, 2022

KAPISA SEES MORE VIOLENCE – The NRF and Azadi Front have been very active in recent days across Kapisa Province. A night attack yesterday on a Taliban observation post was said to be successful and an indeterminate number of Taliban were killed or wounded. The attack marks the third significant action in the Province in the past 3 weeks. It is possible the NRF is attempting to open another front and divert attention away from Panjshir and Badakhshan.
A YOUNG WOMAN KILLED IN SAMANGAN – A photo of a young woman was received today and is making the rounds on social media. She was said to have been killed by unknown assailants in Samangan after refusing to marry Mullah Yasin Amer Ambar al-Maruf of the Dara Suf District. While the information has yet to be confirmed, outrage is spreading among the Afghan diaspora over the alleged incident.
ADDITIONAL INFO ON POSSIBLE CHEMICAL WEAPON RELEASE – Sources stated the previously reported gas leak in Kabul had killed 4 of the workers who were inadvertently exposed. A source said an emergency worker who had treated the workers said he overheard doctors saying the symptoms were similar to chlorine gas exposure with visible blisters on the skin and difficulty breathing. There has been no information about the location of the incident and/or the circumstances of the release. It should be mentioned that the incident could have been an accident and not terror-related. The Afghan Digest will continue to monitor and report.
TALIBAN MAKES COUNTER-NARCOTICS FIGHT A TOP PRIORITY – After a damming report by the UN and additional information provided by regional law enforcement agencies the Taliban leadership began taking the problem seriously. A roundup of addicts took place in Kabul and the Deputy Prime Minister announced to a Kyrgyz delegation that the IEA planned to halt all heroin exports over the coming year. A source in the Ministry of Health said the reports caught the leadership off-guard.
BODY OF TORTURED/MURDERED MAN FOUND IN SAR-E-POL – The body of a man named Mohammad Naeem was found in the Sayad District on Saturday. The man had clearly been tortured and killed although nobody knew who may have perpetrated the crime or why. The Taliban promised an investigation would be conducted but several mysterious killings have taken place over the last several months without any resolved cases. The public trust continues to erode.

NEXT 24 HOURS

KAPISA CONTINUES TO BE THE FOCUS FOR SECURITY OPERATIONS – After a third clash in Kapisa, the Taliban plan to dispatch even more GDI agents and security personnel to the Province to attempt to stamp out Resistance elements who are successfully operating there. While the house-to-house searches didn’t take place over the last twenty-four hours, they are expected to begin in earnest on Monday and Tuesday.

REGIONAL ROUNDUP

IRAN

9 European countries have called for further sanctions to be imposed on the country and potentially on select leaders of the government.
A fire erupted on an Iranian pipeline and IRGC offices have been attacked. Local eyewitnesses say the fire was set by protestors.
Protests on campuses have continued even with stronger security measures in place by the government.
4 police officers were killed in Sistan and Baluchistan Provinces. It is not clear if they were killed by protestors or by Iranian Army soldiers.

PAKISTAN

The Pakistani President, Dr. Arif Alvi, has offered to mediate between the current regime and ousted PM Imran Khan.
Several sources close to the current PM say the government will do whatever it can to delay elections. They claim a bargain has been struck with most of the non-PTI political parties to first add an amendment to the constitution regarding electoral laws before new elections should be held.
7 police officers were reportedly killed and 20 were kidnapped when a group stormed a police camp in the Ghotki District. The camp has reportedly been established to hold members of criminal gangs.

UZBEKISTAN

The Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia will visit Tashkent to reinforce bilateral ties between the US and Uzbekistan.

SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS

Is There a Way Out of Afghanistan’s Economic Nightmare?

By Masom Jan Masomy - The National Interest

In its recent report, the World Bank has estimated that Afghanistan’s economy ‘faces critical challenges’ in which the country’s total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is projected to contract further, with an accumulated contraction rate of around 30-35 percent between 2021-2022, in addition to having no improvements in per capita income. Moreover, since the re-establishment of the Taliban administration in 2021, Afghanistan has received around $1.8 billion in humanitarian aid from the international community. The United States has provided $1.1 billion in funds to assist the Afghan people during these tumultuous times. However, through relevant agencies of the United Nations, donor countries continue to provide aid to Afghanistan. Yet, despite this assistance, the Afghan communities continue to live in dire conditions accompanied by acute food insecurity, rising food prices, drought, and a lack of jobs.

AFGHAN NEWS

Landslide Wreaks Havoc in Northeastern Afghanistan

By Saqalain Eqbal - Khaama Press

The Head of Information and Culture of the Taliban government in Badakhshan province, Moizuddin Ahmadi, said that the natural catastrophe took place in…

Taliban reveal burial place of founder Mullah Omar, nine years after death

By France 24

The Taliban on Sunday revealed the final resting place of the movement's founder, Mullah Omar, whose death and burial they kept…

Hamid Karzai’s brother, a key Afghan businessman detained by Taliban at Kabul airport

By Khaama Press

A source close to the Taliban’s prime minister’s office who does not want to be named in this report told Khaama Press that Mahmood Karzai was detained by the Taliban’s intelligence…