[AfghanDigest] 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.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Kabul: IED detonated as a Talib convoy passed through Kabul following celebrations at Bagram Air Base. Two Talibs toes up and 3 maimed. No claim of responsibioity.
Laghman: Maulvi Abdul Qadir Hafez, provincial intelligence head, was reported kaboomed with 4 bodyguards, all toes up. No claim of responsibility.
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.
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