Daily Evacuation Brief | October 16, 2023
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LAST 24 HOURS
NEW QUAKES SEND HERAT RESIDENTS RUNNING, 2 REPORTED DEAD – Another earthquake of 6.3 magnitude struck again in Herat Province and 2 people were reportedly killed while over 150 were injured. The Province is reeling from a series of powerful quakes over the past eight days and emergency services personnel have been stressed to the limits with injured people. Similarly, aid agencies are having difficulty in distributing aid to rural areas as some transporters refuse to move their trucks with the threat of new seismic events. The repeated quakes have destabilized existing structures and Taliban officials set several hundred prisoners free over concerns about the strength of the prisons where they were housed in Herat and Baghdis Provinces.
RUMORS OF TALIBAN RECRUITMENT EFFORTS FOR HAMAS SUPPORT PERSIST – Almost immediately after the Hamas terror attacks in Israel had taken place, calls to join the fight against Israel and support Hamas’s efforts began sounding around the world. Middle East observers began noting that social media was abuzz with pledges to fight against Israel and many people were asking how they could join in the struggle. The latest rumors allege that Iran may be facilitating the recruitment efforts and that a Telegram channel that is reputedly managed by the IRGC is telling potential recruits in Pakistan and Iraq to travel to a specific Iranian city where they will eventually be transported to Gaza. Other channels on WhatsApp and Facebook provide instructions for recruits on how best to get to Palestine. Some of these groups have been attributed to the Taliban but it is not clear who actually manages and runs them.
REPORTS FROM PAKISTAN SUGGEST A SENIOR TTP COMMANDER WAS KILLED IN KUNAR PROVINCE – An anonymous Pakistani official told several news outlets that a bomb blast killed a top TTP Commander at a meeting in Wattapur (Kunar Province). However, follow-up reporting indicated that the blast did not kill anyone but merely damaged a TTP vehicle instead. It is interesting that the initial reports came out of Pakistan and not Afghanistan.
AFGHANISTAN BEATS ENGLAND AT CRICKET WORLD CUP – The National men’s team prevailed over England in a shocking match. The victory was historic and was only the second World Cup win for the country.
NEXT 24 HOURS
BAD WEATHER PREDICTED IN PAKISTAN – A storm system is currently sitting over the country and is expected to bring strong winds, thunderstorms, heavy rains, and hail in the Central and Northern portions of Pakistan. Flooding could take place in low-lying areas but the system is expected to weaken by tomorrow morning.
REGIONAL ROUNDUP
IRAN
Iran again warned Israel of a ‘regional escalation’ if it continues with offensives in Gaza.
US border patrol agents say they have detained 4 ‘special interest’ Iranians who had entered the country illegally in Texas since the beginning of the month. The designation simply denotes that the individuals are from a country that the US deems a potential threat.
Information has leaked from a US press outlet that released an explosive story concerning the involvement of Iran in the Hamas attacks. Leakers say that there were questions about the accuracy of the reporting but that objections were ultimately overruled.
PAKISTAN
The government reduced the price of fuel significantly to alleviate stress for citizens as inflation continues to tick upward. The measures are temporary and are expected to expire after 31 October.
An earthquake measuring 4.1 on the Richter scale was reported in Swat late on Sunday night. No casualties had been reported and only minor damage occurred.
The High Court in Islamabad is expected to rule on the plea against a ‘jail trial’ for former PM Khan today. The former PM is expected to be indicted in the case on 17 October.
SPOTLIGHT REFUGEES
By Ajumand Bano Kazmi - Dawn
“The law is not meant to act a trap,” was a crucial statement, and a long-awaited reprieve, recently given by the Islamabad High Court (IHC) not only to Rahil Azizi — an Afghan refugee woman living in Pakistan — but also to the thousands of Afghan refugees living precarious lives in the country.
AFGHAN NEWS
2 powerful earthquakes hit Afghanistan for the fourth time in over a week
By Daily Breeze
Two powerful earthquakes struck Herat province in northwestern Afghanistan early Sunday, jolting a region already hit by three major quakes over the past…
Explosion near Takhar Governor’s office in Taleqan, Afghanistan
By Fidel Rahmati - Khaama Press
On Sunday evening, an explosion occurred in Taleqan city, Takhar province…
Emirati Field Hospital in Herat receiving Afghanistan's quake victims
By Emirates News Agency
The field hospital opened by the Joint Operations Command of the UAE Ministry of Defence yesterday has received numerous injured people from the residents of the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Afghan migrants in Iran speak out against ‘arrests, deportations’
By AMU TV
Migrants from Afghanistan residing in Iran raised concerns about alleged “forced arrests and deportations,” saying the Iranian government detains and mistreats individuals, including…
Afghan Refugees Say Pakistan Govt Destroying Their Houses
By TOLO News
The Pakistan-based Afghan refugees claim that the Pakistani army destroys their houses to force them to leave the…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
UN special envoy blames US-Taliban deal for ‘dire gender apartheid’ in Afghanistan
By AMU TV
The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights to freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, has described the situation in Afghanistan as…
Japan Appoints New Ambassador to Afghanistan
By Bakhtar News Agency
Takuyoshi Kurumaya has been officially appointed as the new ambassador of Japan to…
THE DAILY WTF
More progress in two years in Afghanistan than in other countries in 50 years: Delawar
By Ariana News
Acting Minister of Mines and Petroleum Shahabuddin Delawar said Saturday at the first “National Conference on Economic Development of Afghanistan” in Paktia province that…
“Puzzling observation.” TAD Staff
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 75.71 AFN (as of 16 OCT 2023)