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2023-02-25 Afghanistan

Daily Evacuation Brief February 24-25, 2023

Daily Evacuation Brief | February 25, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS

MINISTER OF DEFENSE RAISES CONCERNS OF UNKNOWN DRONES IN AFGHAN AIRSPACE – For several weeks, eyewitnesses have been reporting multiple drone sightings across Afghanistan. Some rumors claimed the drones were Chinese and training was being provided at Bagram Air Base for future Talian operators. In a speech at the Taliban’s National Defense University, he dispelled the rumors and said the airspace is ‘occupied’ and that there was currently nothing that could be done about the problem.

CONFUSION CONTINUES AT TORKHAM – Pakistani authorities said the crossing was in a conditional reopening program at the moment and that only certain classes of people were being allowed to cross. A source in the security forces said that a threat had emerged after the talks between the Taliban and Pakistani leaders in Kabul, but the threat is unspecified and has not been communicated to the border security forces yet. At present, it has been reported that only Pakistani nationals and some medical visa holders are allowed to cross.

US RESTRICTS VISAS FOR SOME TALIBAN MEMBERS – The United States announced further visa restrictions for current/former members of the Taliban and several non-state militia figures. In some cases, the visa restrictions will be extended to immediate family members. The US State Department said the restrictions will target all responsible for the planning and implementation of the gender bans. While largely symbolic, several international partners are considering imposing similar restrictions.

TALIBAN DELEGATION HEADS TO IRAN TO DISCUSS REFUGEE ISSUES – The delegation left yesterday and plans to visit with Afghans who have been imprisoned as well as hearing from Afghan groups who say they are facing persecution in Iran. The delegation’s arrival has been highly anticipated by the Afghan diaspora in Iran.

Alert 033, 24 Feb 2023 — [SECURITY THREATS] There are two potential threats that could affect At-Risk Afghans:

1) The Tqlibqn intend to crackdown on those who fail to wear the Hijab in Mazar-i-Sharif. The Ministry of Vice and Virtue has ordered its local officials to walk the streets of the city for a three-day period to find women who are not dressed appropriately. Their names will be collected and forwarded to the Deputy Director of Police. The Taliban did not give an exact date for when the patrols would begin, but said it would be ‘within the week’. A crackdown on musicians was also planned and wedding halls will be targeted for inspections. At-Risk Afghans in Balkh Province are encouraged to spread the word about the operations and dress appropriately to avoid any unnecessary interaction with the Ministry's agents.

2) A demonstration is expected to take place in Islamabad by those who have applied for a P1/P2 visas. The demonstration is said to be planned for Sunday the 26th of February, but the location is not currently clear. Several announcements are being shared on social media about the vent. While the reason behind the protests is valid, we are concerned that At-Risk Afghans who may have invalid Pakistan visas (or no visas) could be singled out for arrests or questioning by Pakistani police. Therefore, we advise those At-Risk Afghans who do not have legal status in the country to avoid the protest and voice their support on other platforms.

NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE SECURITY OPERATION IN TAKHAR – Taliban forces in the capital Taloqan reputedly received information about a possible safe house that may be sheltering those who planned last week’s bomb attack. The local GDI office may initiate a raid on the building. There is no information on where the building is located and the timing of any operation. At-Risk Afghans in Taloqan should be wary of any potential build-up of Taliban trucks or personnel in neighborhoods around the city and they should leave the area immediately if they encounter such a situation.

Daily Evacuation Brief | February 24, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS

TORKHAM OPENS BRIEFLY THEN PAKISTAN CLOSED DOWN ITS SIDE – The Taliban opened its side of Torkham on Thursday morning to much fanfare and celebrations by many a concerned truck driver. However, Pakistani officials soon chose to close its side of the border after a mad rush of trucks that had been lined up for days during the closure. The official reason given by the director of the Pakistan-Afghanistan joint Chamber of Commerce was attributed to “...administrative issues.” It is not clear how long the closure will last and several eyewitnesses claimed the closure was simply being used as an excuse by border security officials to extract higher bribes from commercial transporters.

.SENIOR KASHMIRI ISIS-K COMMANDER REPORTEDLY KILLED IN KUNAR PROVINCE – Ejaz Amin Ahangar (aka Abu Osman Al-Kashmiri) was thought to be a senior ISIS-K Commander who was responsible for several suicide attacks in Kabul and Jalalabad. Sources say he was killed by the Taliban in a potential set-up operation and his body was discovered in Kunar on Tuesday.

2 BOMBINGS IN AFGHANISTAN – Sources stated the attacks were likely planned to coincide with the visit of a Pakistan delegation and were meant to embarrass the Taliban in front of their guests. Details about the bombings can be found in the Conflict Tracker.

PAKISTAN-AFGHANISTAN TERRORISM SUMMIT IN KABUL YIELDS RESULTS – A senior delegation visit by Pakistani leaders with their Taliban counterparts has produced at least a tentative agreement to cooperate on counter-terrorism operations. It is not clear if the Taliban committed to putting pressure on the TTP to halt attacks in Pakistan. A source close to the discussion claimed the TTP question was the primary point of the talks and the Taliban did not provide a concrete assurance that it would confront the TTP. The source went on to say the Pakistani delegates were concerned about a large TTP offensive planned for 1 March. Interestingly, Pakistan’s Ambassador to Kabul traveled with the delegation. Ubaid Ur Rehman Nizamani survived an attempted assassination in Kabul on 2 December. The ambassador did not remain in Kabul and returned to Pakistan with the delegation.

RESISTANCE GROUPS CALL FOR MORE DIRECT ACTION AGAINST THE TALIBAN – The Afghanistan Liberation Movement began a coordinated social media campaign on Thursday, calling on Resistance forces to concentrate attacks in Kabul. Analysts believe the Spring Campaign season will likely commence in the first week of March and there have been scattered reports that the Resistance groups are coordinating much more closely than in 2022. There are also rumors that new weapons and ammunition stocks were received by some of the groups over the winter months.

CONFLICT TRACKER
Kabul: NRF operatives used an explosive device to target a checkpoint in the Kart-e Naw neighborhood (PD 8). Samiullah Maiwand, a Taliban commander, was killed in the blast and an unknown number were wounded.
Logar: Unidentified gunmen killed a Taliban Intelligence officer (Mawlavi Abdul Mobin) in the Mohammad Agha district. No group has claimed responsibility for the assassination.
Takhar: An explosive device was detonated near a Taliban vehicle in the capital city of Taloqan on Thursday evening. The blast wounded 4 people and unconfirmed reports say that some non-combatants were killed and wounded in the attack.

NEXT 24 HOURS
EARTHQUAKES MAY HAVE DAMAGED LARGE MOUNTAIN DAM IN PAMIR – After a 6.8 magnitude earthquake struck along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border, engineers and emergency officials are concerned the quake could cause the dam to fail. The floodplain below the dam is estimated to hold approximately 400,000 people (Afghans and Tajiks). Engineers and emergency management personnel were sent to assess the damage but the earthquake also caused several landslides and avalanches which hindered their arrival. No alert has been issued to evacuate the valleys in the floodplain and the extent of the damage to the dam is currently unknown.

Posted by trailing wife 2023-02-25 00:00|| || Front Page|| [11 views ] Top
File under: Taliban/IEA

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