[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- RECLAIMING RESETTLED HOMES — Residents in Takhar province have banded together to resist Taliban efforts to remove locals from their homes and resettle Pashtun nomads in their place. Residents of the Rastaq and Yengi Qala districts forcibly took back some of the houses from the nomads and forced them to leave the area.
- MORE NRF PRISONER EXECUTIONS — Video evidence of an additional 3 NRF prisoners being executed in Panjshir has surfaced on social media. The content has not yet been verified, but the video seems to show prisoners being urged to divulge information. A Taliban fighter was overheard saying, “We aren’t going to kill them”, but later footage shows them being shot. The location of the incident is unknown.
- Sources within the Ministry of the Interior are saying Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani is incensed over the execution of Resistance fighters and others. He has vented in several meetings about the practice of summary executions and how it negatively affects the international view of the Taliban. He claims to have issued multiple orders to halt the practice and is frustrated that he is being ignored.
- SPECIAL COMMANDER’S STATUS UNCLEAR — The status of the Taliban’s Special Commander for Panjshir, Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, remains unclear. Rumors continue to circulate about his death, although others claim he was injured and is still recovering in the hospital.
- KYRG-TAJ FIGHTING RECOMMENCES — After the temporary ceasefire was violated, fighting between Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan recommenced along their joint border. Both countries are blaming the other for breaching the ceasefire, and it is not clear who initiated hostilities. The situation is tense, and violence could escalate. If the situation deteriorates, Tajikistan could close its borders.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Kapisa: The AFF claims to have launched a successful night attack against the Taliban checkpoint (codename JENDER) in Hessa-e-Awal Kohistan. The AFF says one Talib turban was killed and 2 more were maimed.
Badghis: An AFF spokesman announced one Talib big turban and 1 Talib turban were killed in Rabat, or possibly they were highway police.
Balkh: There are reports that Talib Sholgora District Commander Maulvi Fateh and some of his henchmen were poisoned by an unidentified Resistance faction.
NEXT 24 HOURS
- VIOLENCE EXPECTED OVER RESETTLEMENT — People in Takhar province should expect a Taliban response to the expulsion of Pashtun nomads from two districts. Apparently, other districts have adopted the same tactics and are forcing the resettled nomads out, but we do not have verification of where this is taking place. Taliban security forces are likely to respond, and the situation could turn violent.
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Daily Evacuation Brief | September 16, 2022
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- EXILED LEADERS CONVENE IN AUSTRIA — A meeting of exiled Afghan political, military, and civil leaders began in Vienna, Austria today. The three-day meeting has attracted several high-profile Afghan leaders who held posts in the previous regime or who are actively involved in opposition measures against the Taliban. The primary focus of the meeting is to (1) form an amalgamated consensus on the current security situation in the country and (2) plan both political and military steps to resist the Taliban regime going forward. A report will be issued upon the conclusion of the meeting.
- SIDE MEETINGS AT SCO — While no senior Taliban officials are participating in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting in Uzbekistan, several Taliban representatives are said to be in attendance, and multiple bilateral meetings have taken place on the periphery of the conference between select SCO members and Taliban representatives. The conference will conclude on September 16, but several follow-up meetings are scheduled into next week.
- MORE TALIBAN BODIES SHIPPED FROM PANJSHIR — An additional shipment of Taliban fighters killed in the fighting in Panjshir was reported late on Wednesday evening. 25 bodies were seen being loaded on transports headed to Uruzgan, and 11 bodies were reputedly sent to Maidan Wardak. In total, we estimate the total number of Taliban deaths during the past 6 days of fighting stands at approximately 300 (taking into consideration the bodies that could not be recovered in the mountains). In contrast, the casualty totals for the Resistance are approximately 50, but those figures are disputed by an NRF spokesman.
- RUMORS OF MULLAH ZAKIR’S DEATH — Several rumors are circulating that the Taliban’s recently appointed special commander in Panjshir was killed during clashes with the NRF in Abdullah Khel Valley in Panjshir. Sources state that he was hospitalized in Kabul, but died after two days of treatment. One source claims he was “fragged” by his own men. There has been no confirmation of any of these rumors, and false death rumors commonly circulate in Afghanistan.
- CRITICISM OF NEW US FUND — There have been many negative reactions to the US’ recent announcement to use the Central Bank’s frozen assets to create a trust fund at a Swiss bank. Humanitarian agencies decry the move as a throwback to strings-attached aid and say the move will hamper humanitarian operations. The Taliban, Russia, and China have all condemned the move. Our analysis of the political aspects of the strategy indicates that the move will allow the international community to maintain leverage in any future discussions with the regime.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Kabul: Masked gunmen assassinated staffer (possibly an investigator) of the Serious Crimes & Administrative Corruption Dept. early Thursday morning.
Ghor: Tribal leader named Payanda was assassinated in Firozkoh city by unidentified gunmen Wednesday night. Payanda is thought to have had a relationship with the local police under the previous government.
Kapisa: The Taliban are accused of killing 4 civilians in Najrab district. The four were arrested for possessing weapons, then executed. The village where this is said to have occurred was subjected to an aborted house-to-house search operation, which the villagers resisted. A local source was quoted as saying everyone in rural areas carries personal weapons for protection.
NEXT 24 HOURS
- UPCOMING CLASHES IN PANJSHIR — Although the fighting in Panjshir has subsided somewhat, we expect fresh offensive actions against select NRF bases in the province to commence within the coming days.
- AFG-PAK BORDER DISCUSSIONS — There are rumors that a Pakistani delegation will meet with Taliban leaders at a secret location on the border to attempt to ratchet down the tensions. It is not clear if the Taliban have accepted the offer to meet.
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[AlJazeera] The Taliban government in Afghanistan has blamed the Pakistan army’s attempt to build a security post at their border as the reason behind Tuesday’s cross-border skirmish, causing multiple deaths on both sides, including at least three Pakistani soldiers.
The exchange of fire between the two sides happened in Paktia province on the Afghan side and Pakistan’s Kurram region. Karimi said some Afghan authorities went to talk to the Pakistani officials allegedly building the border post, but they were fired upon.
The Taliban’s response came a day after the Pakistani military claimed the “terrorists from inside Afghanistan” opened fire on Pakistani troops stationed in Kurram, resulting in “heavy casualties” for the rebel fighters.
“Pakistan strongly condemns the use of Afghan soil by terrorists for activities against Pakistan and expects that Afghan government will not allow conduct of such activities in future,” the statement said.
On Wednesday, the Taliban rejected reports claiming Pakistan’s Jaish-e-Muhammad (JeM) chief Masood Azhar had sought refuge in Afghanistan. |