LAST 24 HOURS
PANJSHIRI CIVILIAN EVICTIONS — Sources in Panjshir are reporting that Taliban commanders are warning villagers to hand over Resistance fighters or be prepared to be evicted from their homes. Many evictions have been previously reported in the province, as well as in Takhar and Baghlan. The latest threats appear to be a part of the Taliban’s new special commander for Panjshir’s strategy of denying the NRF local support.
PAKISTANI VISA RESUMPTION — Taliban leadership is demanding that Pakistan’s embassy in Kabul promptly begin issuing visas again and instruct consulates to do the same. Several consulates had previously frozen new applications while the new Pakistani ambassador was installed in Kabul. Reportedly, many Kandahari residents have been pressuring the Taliban to restart the process.
HOUSE-TO-HOUSE SEARCH FAILURE — A source within the Ministry of the Interior has claimed that senior Taliban leadership is unhappy with the lack of results from the recent house-to-house search operations that have been carried out in multiple provinces across the country. Apparently, they were expecting a significant haul of weapons from the searches. Another round of searches is reputedly in the planning stages.
DEMANDS FOR JUSTICE — International outrage was sparked when a young woman named Elaha claimed to have been forcibly married to Saeed Khosty, a Haqqani network member and former Ministry of Interior spokesman. She released several videos on social media in which she claimed to have been sexually assaulted by Khosty before being forced to marry him and tortured during their marriage; she included purported video and photographic evidence. Khosty denied her allegations and stated that he divorced her because of her lack of faith and blasphemy against the Quran. This is an important opportunity for the Taliban to demonstrate their ability to execute justice, but unfortunately Khosty will likely face no consequences.
NEXT 24 HOURS
UNKNOWN THREAT IN MAZAR — A Ministry of Interior unit of intelligence agents (DGI) is being sent to Mazar-i-Sharif in response to an unknown threat that was received yesterday. Sources in the Ministry claim information from an ISIS-K prisoner may be the cause.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Afghanistan: IS-KP – Taliban: Puritanical Killings – Analysis
By Giriraj Bhattacherjee - SATP
On August 17, 2022, a suicide attack killed at least 21 civilians, including a prominent Sufi cleric Mullah Amir Mohammad Kabuli, and injured at least 27, in the Siddiquiya Mosque located in the Kher Khanna neighborhood in Police District (PD) 17 of Kabul city. No group has claimed responsibility, but the role of the Islamic State-Khorasan Province (IS-KP) is strongly suspected.
AFGHAN NEWS
Kabul Officials Celebrate Anniversary of US Troops Leaving Country
By TOLOnews
The Islamic Emirate held a military parade at the military base of Bagram to celebrate the first anniversary of the departure of American soldiers…
UN says six million Afghans are at risk of famine as crises grow
By al Jazeera
The UN humanitarian chief has urged donors to restore funding for development in Afghanistan that was frozen when the Taliban took over a year ago, warning that six million people were…
By Elise Blanchard – Elle
While on assignment for ELLE, I sat down with three women in Afghanistan whose lives have been turned upside down…
REGIONAL NEWS
Afghans on the Turkish-Iranian escape route endure torture, killings and forced repatriation
By Asia News
A report released today by Amnesty International notes that scores of refugees have been shot to death or… (Full Amnesty International report is HERE)
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
Mujahid Says US is Preventing Intl Community From Recognizing Govt
By Farshad Daryosh – TOLO News
Islamic Emirate’s spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid said that Washington has been preventing the international community from recognizing the…
A year into Taliban rule, ICC prosecutors seek resumed Afghan war crimes probe
By Reuters
A year into the Taliban's rule, war crimes prosecutors in The Hague have urged judges to rule promptly on their…
All Troops Who Took Part in Afghanistan Evacuation to Receive Meritorious Unit Commendation Award
By Travis Tritten — Military.com
The service members who carried out the military missions to evacuate and resettle Afghans during the chaotic U.S. withdrawal last year will receive the Meritorious…
THE DAILY WTF
Former Taliban Official Divorces Wife for Her Alleged Waning Faith
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
Saeed Khosty, the former Taliban Ministry of Interior spokesperson, has divorced his wife, the daughter of one of the former National Security…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.48 AFN (as of 1 SEP 2022)