| Whew! All caught up now. |
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- NATIONWIDE CRACKDOWN ON PAKISTANI CURRENCY – Multiple currency exchanges have been closed around Afghanistan for violating rules forbidding the exchange of Pakistani rupees. While the law has been selectively enforced from time to time under the Taliban, it now seems like it will be enforced universally.
- NEW TALIBAN EMBASSY IN TEHRAN HALTS PASSPORT RENEWALS – The consulate in Tehran has suspended issuing passport renewals and has not provided any information on when it might resume these functions in the future. Hundreds of thousands of Afghans are in Iran and it is estimated that a large percentage require passport renewals.
- PAKISTAN DEPLOYS 1,500 POLICE TO PROTECT CHINESE NATIONALS IN KHYBER PAKHTUNKHWA – In what is thought to be linked to a massive loan by a large Chinese bank, the Pakistani government has deployed approximately 1,500 district, elite, and frontier police to the Province to protect and safeguard Chinese nationals who were working on several projects. Pakistan has seen a wave of anti-Chinese protests and sentiments over the past year and both ISIS-K and the TTP have stated intentions to target Chinese-led initiatives in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.
- THE AFGHAN EMBASSY IN ROME IDENTIFIED 32 AFGHANS WHO WERE AMONG THE DEAD IN THE TRAGIC SHIPWRECK LAST WEEK – Discussions with the Italian Ministry of the Interior were focused on what to do with the bodies. 5 Afghans who survived but were suffering from exposure had been transferred to local hospitals. Other survivors are thought to be Afghan citizens as well and are currently being lodged in an immigration center in the center of Croton. It is not clear what will happen next.
POSSIBLE DEMONSTRATIONS AT TORKHAM – Travelers crossing through Torkham Gate on Saturday said crowds had formed on the Pakistan side of the border and were protesting electricity cuts. They attempted to block the road to Peshawar with makeshift barricades. Police dispersed the crowds but they vowed to return Sunday for further protests. At-risk Afghans attempting the crossing should be wary of the crowds and avoid intermingling with them if at all possible. Police are expected to deal harshly with any protestors.
Daily Evacuation Brief | March 4, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- TALIBAN SECURITY OPERATION IN HERAT – Sources say the Taliban raided a suspected ISIS-K safe house in Herat. Several videos of both the raid and the aftermath are circulating on social media sites. Unverified reports suggest that 2-6 suspected ISIS-K operatives were killed in the operation. One of the photos of the victims was of a woman. It is not clear if those targeted were involved with ISIS-K and a source claimed that they may have gotten the wrong address for the house.
- TALIBAN POLICE FORM A SPECIAL COUNTER-TERROR UNIT – A new unit has been formed by the Taliban police and is currently stationed in Police District 15. It is being billed as an anti-terrorism force and is comprised of approximately 110 men. Their reported mission is to react to emergency situations, conduct regular patrolling, and to conduct extensive search operations in Kabul. A propaganda video of the recruits has been shared on social media, showcasing their physical fitness abilities. While the stated purpose of the mission is for counter-terrorism operations, the proximity of their garrison headquarters in PD15 suggests the force was constituted with the Resistance in mind.
- TALIBAN ARREST FAMILY OF FORMER GOVERNOR OF BAMYAN PROVINCE – In all, 8 people were arrested and 4 were brothers and cousins of the former Governor, Tahir Zuhair. The former Governor joined the renegade Hazara Commander, Mawlawi Mahdi, and faced off against the Taliban in Sar-e-Puhl Province. After Mahdi’s alleged murder, Zuhair was said to have hidden in Sar-e-Puhl and Bamiyan Provinces. A source with the Ministry of the Interior said the arrests were made as a warning message to Zuhair, to keep him from taking part in any Spring campaign operations against the Taliban. There are also rumors that a ransom has been levied for the release of his family members. Some rumors were spread over the Winter months that Zuhair may have successfully reconstituted half of Mahdi’s Hazara force and had commitments from almost 2,000 Hazara to join him in 2023. This information has not been verified.
- CONFLICTING REPORTS ABOUT CONTROVERSIAL UNIVERSITY PROFESSOR’S STATUS – Ismail Mashal, the controversial University professor who was arrested after distributing books from a library cart in Kabul remains under arrest after several news outlets reported that he had been released on Thursday. A family member who is in contact with the Professor discounted the reports and said he remains in Taliban custody. Mashal gained notoriety when he tore up his diploma on a live television broadcast over the ban on women attending school.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Samangan: Unidentified gunmen ambushed the security detail for the Taliban agricultural chief in the Suf-Samangan valley. The bodyguard of the agricultural director, Abu Tarab, was killed and others were wounded, The bodyguard in question was reputedly corrupt and extracted bribes from citizens while threatening to take their land. No group has yet claimed responsibility.
Herat: Taliban security forces raided a suspected ISIS-K hideout. The subsequent clash resulted in 2-6 deaths of suspected ISIS-K terrorists, One of those killed in the clash was said to be a woman. Details are sketchy at this point.
NEXT 24 HOURS
THREAT TO CENTRAL BANK AUCTION – A source has said there is concern that a potential terrorist attack on the Da Afghanistan Bank auction on Saturday could result in many deaths. The threat was vague and it was not clear which group may be behind the plot but we advise at-risk Afghans who may be planning on attending the auction or who may find themselves in the vicinity to avoid the area. Security is typically tight for these events and no cash actually changes hands, but those who attend the auctions are considered to be high-value economic targets for dissident groups.
Daily Evacuation Brief | March 3, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- TTP TARGETED IN AFGHANISTAN – A blast, reportedly from an IED, occurred in Khost Province on Thursday. Multiple sources said that at least 6 TTP personnel were killed and another 15 were wounded. No details have emerged about the location of the incident but several senior Commanders were among the dead and wounded. While no group has claimed credit for the attack, suspicion has fallen upon Pakistan’s intelligence service. The timing of the attack suggests Pakistan may have decided to act on threats to carry the terrorism fight into Afghanistan. Based on the identities of those confirmed to have been targeted, it seems clear the TTP has an internal security problem. To achieve such dramatic results, it is feasible to assume that planners have access to TTP schedules and locational information. The development puts the Afghan Taliban in a difficult position with regard to the TTP. If Pakistan is confirmed to have been behind the attack, Kabul will be prodded to take some form of reciprocal action to demonstrate their sovereign rule and head off a potential mutiny of between 5,000 and 7,500 fighters.
- DUTCH SEISMOLOGIST WHO PREDICTED TURKEY QUAKE REPEATS WARNING OF MAJOR ‘EVENT’ IN EARLY MARCH – Frank Hoogerbeets, a seismologist in the Netherlands who accurately predicted the devastating quake in Turkey and Syria has issued a new warning of a potential 8+ magnitude earthquake could strike Asia and the Pacific. He says that planetary geometry between the 2nd and 5th of March could result in a mega-thrust earthquake anytime between 3-7 March. Mr. Hoogerbeets has issued several warnings in the past, including a warning for Afghanistan/Pakistan after the Turkey quake. Many of his warnings were false alarms. Elevating concerns, a 4.1 magnitude earthquake was reported in Badakhshan on Thursday. No damage or casualties have been reported from this event.
- SALANG PASS CLOSED TO HEAVY TRUCKS FOR SNOW – Heavy snowfall on Thursday forced the closure of the road for commercial traffic. Work crews were attempting to clear the accumulation but have been hampered by maintenance issues and a reported lack of fuel. Private vehicles were still allowed to travel but many have run off the road and are mired in deep drifts.
- FORMER AFGHAN SECURITY OFFICIAL EXECUTED IN PAKTIKA – Badr al-Din Haidari, a former soldier and police commander in the Province was placed on trial and was summarily executed after having been arrested three days earlier. He had initially fled to Pakistan but returned under the general amnesty program the Taliban claim to have put in place.
- TALIBAN AGRICULTURE CHIEF IN PANJSHIR ARRESTED – Qari Mujib, the head of the provincial agriculture department was reportedly arrested over ties with ISIS-K. His arrest follows the detention of Mawlawi Rashid in Badakhshan who was the head of the provincial culture department. Both men are accused of collaborating with ISIS-K.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Khost: An IED blast killed 6 TTTP fighters and wounded an additional 15 members. Several known commanders were among those killed, Few derails are known about the attack, but confirmation has been received from multiple sources.
NEXT 24 HOURS
THE BOMBING ATTACK IN KHOST COULD STIR UP TROUBLE – It is not clear what actions Kabul may take in response to the operational strike on senior TTP leaders in Khost Province on Thursday. Taliban leaders may have a grace period as information continues to arrive over the attack, but if consensus over Pakistan’s potential involvement is reached, they may respond in any number of ways. While a direct military confrontation seems unlikely, it is possible that other punitive measures could be taken (e.g. expelling Pakistan’s diplomatic and consular staff, closing borders, etc). A key indicator that action may be imminent will be if the IEA’s Foreign Ministry calls Pakistan’s senior diplomat on the carpet or, if Afghanistan’s envoy in Islamabad may deliver a demarche to the Pakistani Foreign Minister. Alternatively, the incident could simply be ignored which may provoke a reaction by the TTP in Afghanistan. At the very least, the brazen attack will likely make all of Pakistan’s diplomatic and consular facilities in Afghanistan priority targets for the TTP. At-risk Afghans are encouraged to avoid these facilities for the next few days.
Daily Evacuation Brief | March 2, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- DOHA DEAL ANNIVERSARY PASSES WITH MUCH FINGERPOINTING – The anniversary of the much-maligned ‘Doha Deal’ arrived with a sharp exchange of barbs between the Taliban and the US. The Taliban claim they have met all the requirements included in the deal and used the date to call for recognition and an unfreezing of assets they claim to belong to them. The US used the date to remind the Taliban they had fallen short in several areas and an ill-timed announcement from the Taliban concerning the reopening of Universities to MALE STUDENTS ONLY undercut the Taliban’s pleas and there are very few who believe that Afghanistan is secure and does not pose a terror threat to other states.
- PASSPORT DIRECTORATE REOPENS NATIONWIDE – The head of the Passport Directorate announced the resumption of the process across the country. He said that online passport registration had been opened for all Afghans and the goal was to reach an eventual daily distribution rate of 10,000 per day. He did say that some technical difficulties were still being worked out and many who have been waiting for months are skeptical the announcement will bear fruit.
- MORE ARRESTS OF FORMER ARMY SOLDIERS IN PANJSHIR – Possibly in an attempt to damage Resistance forces in the Province, the Taliban have arrested an additional 20 former soldiers of the previous regime. No charges were announced, but the men were taken to a central holding facility and presumably will face interrogation. Local eyewitnesses say the men had not taken up arms against the Taliban and many thought the arrests were meant as a message to others in the Province who may be considering joining the NRF or other Resistance groups.
- PAKISTAN’S SENIOR ENVOY TO AFGHANISTAN RESIGNS – Mohammad Sadiq, announced his resignation on Twitter and said that after three years, it was time for him to focus on family and other matters. The search for a new envoy has begun and the list of candidates who are considered to possess the bona fides to take on the difficult mission is reputedly a short one.
- TALIBAN ASK ICRC TO ASSIST WITH RECOVERING BODIES FROM ITALIAN SHIPWRECK – The Foreign Minister called on ICRC to assist with returning the approximately 80 bodies to Afghanistan. It was not clear if the ICRC or other NGO’s would answer the Minister’s calls as many of their female employees in Afghanistan are barred from continuing the organization’s mission.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Kabul: An ALF team reportedly struck a Taliban checkpoint at the Alauddin intersection. They claim to have killed 1 fighter and wounded 2 more.
Kost: Local sources said a drone was used to attack the Zandran Hotel in the Spin Mosque district. The hotel was said to be harboring TTP fighters. Casualties were reported by both sources, but a firm count was not supplied. Taliban security personnel have swarmed the area. This information has yet to be verified.
Kunduz: NRF forces a bushed a Taliban vehicle in the Aliabad district, claiming to have killed 1 Talib fighter and wounded 2 others. The vehicle was reportedly destroyed.
NEXT 24 HOURS
TALIBAN KEY LEADERS RECALLED TO KANDAHAR – It is possible a significant announcement will be made regarding current policies in place by the Taliban after sources revealed that most of the most important Ministers and Department Chiefs were called to Kandahar. While no information concerning the reason for the high-level conference has been received, it is the first mass gathering of its kind since the Fall of 2022. We are waiting to confirm if the Ministers of Defense and the Interior have made the trip.