[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- RADIO BROADCAST CHIEF ARRESTED AND TORTURED – The Director of Takharistan Radio, Zabihullah Noori, says he was detained and claims he was tortured by Taliban security personnel in Takhar. Noori released a video statement about the incident and posted photos of injuries to his legs as evidence of the torture. The Taliban have rejected the claims and say he was arrested for possessing an unauthorized weapon. The arrest occurred on the 9th of December and it is unclear when he was released. He has called on international human rights and journalism organizations to hold the Taliban to account.
- FUEL TANKER EXPLODES IN THE SALANG TUNNEL –
Insh’allah. A truck carrying fuel supplies caught fire and exploded while traversing the Salang tunnel on Friday. Several casualties have been reported but an accurate count has not yet been released. The tunnel was closed shortly after the incident and work crews are being sent to clear the wreckage.
- TALIBAN CONTINUE TO TARGET FORMER ARMY AND INTELLIGENCE PERSONNEL – Mujahid Barak, a former member of the National Directorate for Security was killed in southern Kandahar province. He disappeared on 8 December in the Fourth Police District of Kandahar City and his body was found yesterday morning in the Ninth Police District. It is not clear how he died but relatives claim the Taliban tortured and shot him.
- CANADA RECEIVES 350 MORE AFGHAN NATIONALS – The Canadian Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Ministry announced that 350 Afghan refugees had arrived yesterday and were preparing for resettlement in the country.
- A 4.3 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE REPORTED FRIDAY EVENING – Residents in Maidan Wardak reported an earthquake that shook their homes on Friday evening. The earthquake was moderate but was felt as far as Kabul. No damage or casualties are thought to have taken place.
- NEARLY 100 CHINESE NATIONALS HAVE DEPARTED KABUL – A source at the Ministry of Defense says that most have left by commercial air flights out of Kabul but that an unspecified number had taken a land route to a neighboring country in order to leave. The source said the convoy chose not to travel through Badakhshan due to security threats in the Province, and their destination was unknown.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SPIN BOLDAK-CHAMAN CROSSING REOPENS – With extremely tight security in place, the Friendship Gate is expected to reopen for commercial and pedestrian traffic today. With large concentrations of Taliban and Pakistan military units in the area, there remains an elevated risk of further conflict. Rumors have circulated that an unannounced ceasefire agreement has been reached between the two countries but those rumors have yet to be confirmed. |