LAST 24 HOURS
BADAKHSHAN FIGHTING REPORTEDLY CONCLUDES – The Taliban took a victory lap of their operation in Badakhshan by claiming the fighting had concluded and that 38 NRF fighters had been killed and 78 had been arrested. The Taliban claimed that only 3 of their fighters had been killed and 5 wounded. Few analysts believe the numbers are accurate and both sides in the conflict continue to inflate the body counts while minimizing losses. The NRF has yet to respond to the Taliban assertions but there have been no reports of fighting in the Province over the last twenty-four hours.
MORE RUMORS OF IRAN RECRUITING FORMER ANA FOR SERVICE IN UKRAINE – Unconfirmed reports continue to come out of Iran claiming the Iranian Republic is registering former Afghan military personnel and offering them a chance to serve in Ukraine. Putin has repeatedly claimed that former Afghan Special Forces soldiers are fighting against his troops so, the rumors could potentially be credible. However, until confirmation is received it is far more likely the rumors are being used to inspire anti-regime sentiment in Iran. Iran, for its part, has rekindled claims that the US is conducting a proxy war campaign in Afghanistan aimed at minimizing Chinese, Russian, and Iranian influence.
SUPREME LEADER REORDERS TALIBAN TO TURN IN CONFISCATED/PERSONAL WEAPONS – In a bid to reduce arms sales across the country, the Supreme Leader reissued an order signed 30 days prior for Taliban members and gun dealers to turn weapons over to the Treasury (Baitu Mal) immediately. It is believed that neighboring states have called on the Taliban repeatedly to enforce smuggling bans.
MORE CLASHES BETWEEN KUCHIS AND HAZARAS IN NANGARHAR – Forced evictions of Hazara families were enforced by local Taliban security forces in the Bihsud District were reported. Approximately 20 families were forced from their homes and the property was given to Kuchi families. Many analysts agree the practice will result in decades of violence, as it has in other parts of the world.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PAKISTAN HAS ELEVATED THE SECURITY LEVEL IN ISLAMABAD – Several hundred Pakistani Special Forces troops have reportedly been recalled to the capitol over the last twenty-four hours. Accounts differ as to the purpose of their mission. Initial sources claim they will be establishing checkpoints along thoroughfares frequented by Afghan nationals in the city to check documents. A secondary source claims that intelligence gleaned from captured cell phones during fighting along the border earlier in the week indicates several pro-TTP cells may be operating within the capitol. The source specifically cited several WhatsApp groups that were discovered, two of which mentioned a potential bomb attack. Both sources indicated the current government was attempting to implicate ousted PM Khan in the situation out of political expediency. The tactic could draw his supporters in and escalate a volatile situation. We have yet to receive reports of similar security postures being adopted in other Pakistan cities hosting large numbers of Afghan refugees. RECOMMENDATION: At-risk Afghans are encouraged to avoid going out until the situation becomes clearer and the threat has passed.
SPOTLIGHT OPINION
By Ed Corcoran - CounterPunch
The Taliban waged an impressive military campaign and removed the prior government in August 2021. They know how to fight, but they clearly do not know how to run a government. The new Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has not been able to get international recognition. Western nations have suspended most humanitarian aid while the World Bank and International Monetary Fund also halted payments. In February 2022, the United States seized the frozen reserves of the Afghan central bank, severely crippling the overall banking system. Just last month, the United States used part of these frozen funds to set up the Afghan Fund at the Bank for International Settlements in an effort to kickstart the economy without financially supporting the Taliban government, which has been systematically diverting international support to its own favored recipients.
AFGHAN NEWS
Taliban Announces Killing Nearly 40 Resistance Front Members in Northeastern Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal - Khaama Press
Following the reports of heavy clashes in Badakhshan and allegations of mass human rights violations, Moizuddin Ahmadi, the Taliban Director of…
Afghans targeted by surge in online smuggling and visa scams
By Ali M. Latifi - The New Humanitarian
Promises were wide-ranging: “Legal Migration from Afghanistan to Russia and Russia to Europe without any advance payment”; “Turkish family visa…
Afghanistan: Sustaining Health Care Delivery
By Najibullah Safi & Palwasha Anwari - London School of Economics
After the fall of the Taliban in 2001, the government of Afghanistan introduced and built a new health care delivery model with financial support from USAID, the…
REGIONAL NEWS
Officials Of DAB Meets Head of Indian Technical Mission in Afghanistan
By Bakhtar News Agency
Both sides discussed about the country’s economic situation, coordination and mutual cooperation in banking affairs, according to…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Afghan Taliban Faction Interested in Growing Ties With Israel: Report
By NewsMax
A faction of around 200 people in the Taliban might be interested in developing ties with Israel, according to a report in…
By Peter Kasperowicz - FOX News
Tens of thousands of Afghans who are trying to get to America under a special visa program for U.S. allies – and hundreds of thousands of their family members…
THE DAILY WTF
Suicide, extra-judicial killings, kidnapping and torture in prisons dropped to zero, Stanekzai
By The Kabul Times
Referring to problems of the previous administration, the statement quoted Stankezay as saying “Compared to the past, the rate of suicide, extrajudicial killings of women, kidnapping and torture in prisons has dropped to…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 87.22 AFN (as of 25 OCT 2022)