Daily Evacuation Brief | September 18, 2022
LAST 24 HOURS
TALIBAN TRY TO SECURE IRAN BORDER — Minister for Refugees and Repatriations Khalil-ur-Haqqani has called for increased recruitment of Taliban security forces personnel to help secure the border with Iran. His intention is to reinforce the border with more troops in order to keep Afghans from illegally entering Iranian territory. A source in the palace says this is a top priority for Iran and is being used to threaten the regime in Kabul/Kandahar to get Afghanistan to honor the water treaty agreement.
EXILED LEADERS RELEASE STATEMENT — The meeting of senior expatriate Afghan leaders has concluded in Vienna, and a document was released outlining the consensus reached during the conference. The two primary calls to action were to:
Press the Taliban to form an inclusive government
Urge the international community to continue holding the regime accountable and monitoring developments
ZAKIR RUMORS BECOME CLEARER — Previous reporting about the wounding and/or death of the Taliban’s special military commander in Panjshir appears to be grounded in truth. A few of the journalism outlets covering Afghanistan are beginning to cover the story. We have confirmed the Taliban have set up heavy security around a hospital (location undisclosed) for the last two days, and a source in the Ministry of Defense has said that a Taliban VIP is undergoing treatment at the facility. Zakir’s death would strike a heavy blow, especially since the remaining Taliban troops in Panjshir are reportedly disorganized and some infighting between local commanders has been filmed.
NRF FREE TALIBAN PRISONERS, DRAW IRE —The NRF released 8 Taliban prisoners that they captured in Panjshir, drawing condemnation from some NRF supporters. Some members claim that Taliban prisoners should be summarily executed since the Taliban are extrajudicially executing Resistance prisoners. This reaction appears to be directly related to the recent massacres of NRF prisoners, given that the NRF released 40 prisoners last month without drawing the same critique.
KYRGYZ-TAJIK FIGHTING INTENSIFIES — Fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan in the disputed border regions has increased over the last 24 hours with some observers claiming Tajikistan soldiers have occupied several towns on the Kyrgyz side of the border. The conflict has the potential to widen, and Russia is said to be sending a mediating group to both capitals to de-escalate the crisis. Russia has a military presence in both countries with established military bases and mechanized forces.
NEXT 24 HOURS
PANJSHIR WITHOUT ZAKIR — We are monitoring the situation in Panjshir closely. If Taliban forces in the region are leaderless and disorganized, it could provide an opportunity for the NRF to launch offensive strikes. While some rumors indicate that several Taliban convoys have been seen leaving the province, we do not assess that these movements are tied to the current situation but rather are previously reported moves to reinforce the border with Pakistan along the Durand line. We assess the potential for fighting as high during this particular phase.
WATCH THE TAJIK-KYRGYZ CONFLICT — Regional observers are watching for escalations in the Tajik-Kyrgyz conflict. Should the fighting intensify, borders will almost certainly be closed and the bellicose relations between Tajikistan and the Taliban could see incidents along the joint border. There is also potential for domestic strife in the Gorno-Badakhshan region of Tajikistan. With Dushanbe focused on the situation with its neighbor to the North, Pamiri separatist and several other groups with grievances against the Tajik government may seek to exploit the situation.
SPOTLIGHT ANALYSIS
Women This Week: Call to Declare Taliban a “Gender Apartheid” Regime
By Caroline Kapp – Council on Foreign Relations
Naheed Farid, a former member of the Afghan parliament, implored the world to label the Taliban a “gender apartheid” regime in response to the Taliban’s ongoing and extreme rollback of women’s rights. Farid pointed to stories of Afghan women who are choosing to take their own lives rather than live under the Taliban. She also stated that while she isn’t the first person to use the “gender apartheid” term, she believes that “the inaction of the international community and decision-makers at large makes it important for all of us to repeat this.” Since the Taliban recaptured power over a year ago, girls have been banned from secondary education, forcing hundreds of thousands out of school, women have been forced to completely cover up outside the home, and severe restrictions have been imposed on work and travel.
AFGHAN NEWS
Afghanistan sees sharp rise in deaths as Taliban struggle to take on ISIS, NRF
By Shishir Gupta – Hindustan Times
Afghanistan recorded 366 terrorism-linked fatalities in August, registering a sharp increase of 50 per cent from 244 in July. There were 367 deaths in June and 391 in May.
Hundreds, Including Women, Attend College Entrance Exam in Kandahar
By TOLO News
At least 800 high school graduates, including 300 female students, participated in an entrance exam organized by a private institute of medical studies in…
Former Guantanamo prisoner and popular Taliban fighter is injured in Panjshir war
By Khaama Press
The Taliban has not yet showed any reaction to the news and due to restrictions for access to information within the Taliban administration…
REGIONAL NEWS
Clash along Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan Border; 87 injured on Kyrgyz Side
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
Despite the two countries’ agreement on a truce, border clashes along the escalating Tajikistan-Kyrgyzstan border, which have been disputed since the collapse of the…
SCO Samarkand Declaration: Inclusive Government ‘Critical’ for Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
During their three-day meeting, the heads of state of China, Russia, Turkey, and other SCO members issued a joint declaration stressing the…
INTERNATIONAL NEWS RELATING TO AFGHANISTAN
By ANI
The rapid growth of ISIS and the Al-Qaeda network in Afghanistan has put not only Afghanistan but also the region and the rest of the world…
Hundreds protest in Kabul against US decision on Afghan assets
By Ariana News
Hundreds of people demonstrated in Kabul on Saturday against the United States’ decision to transfer $3.5 billion of the country’s frozen foreign reserves to…
THE DAILY WTF
Taliban Military Vehicle Crushes Civilian’s Car in Northwestern Afghanistan
By Saqalain Eqbal – Khaama Press
Five people, mostly civilians, were killed and 10 others were injured when a Taliban military vehicle and a civilian car collided in…
Afghani to the Dollar: $1 – 88.42 AFN (as of 18 SEP 2022)