[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- BAGRAM EQUIPMENT RELOCATED TO TAJIK BORDER — Yesterday’s Daily Evacuation Brief reported that a large number of vehicles and equipment were being secretively moved from Bagram Air Base to an undisclosed location. Based on footage received today, it appears that at least a portion of the vehicles and equipment was sent to Afghanistan-Tajikistan border posts in Kunduz, Takhar, and Badakhshan provinces. The Taliban may be bulking up their posts in response to the Tajik government recently reinforcing their side of the border. Despite the Tajik Foreign Minister’s inflammatory remarks at the United Nations last week and the buildup of security forces on the border, there have been no reports of clashes and traffic has been observed transiting normally.
- It should be noted that Taliban equipment is beginning to break down, and regular maintenance of vehicles has been nonexistent for many units. This move could simply be part of a plan to replace or repair worn-out vehicles.
- 17 DOSTUM AFFILIATES ROUNDED UP — As of Wednesday morning, it is being reported that GDI agents brought 17 of Marshal Dostum’s former colleagues to Kandahar for questioning. The 17 men were rounded up in Balkh, Kabul, Herat, and Kandahar. Messages from those who were arrested do not indicate any torture or abuse has taken place, and some detainees were allowed to keep their phones in their possession, which suggests the questioning may be more benign than initially thought. No further information was available.
- UN DEPUTY SPECIAL REPRESENTATIVE FOR AFGHANISTAN BRIEFS UNSC— Markus Potzel, the Secretary-General’s Deputy Special Representative (Political) for Afghanistan, briefed the UN Security Council on developments in Afghanistan on Tuesday. Mr. Potzel’s remarks were generally negative, focusing on the continued exclusion of girls from schools, the ongoing violence nationwide, and the simultaneous humanitarian, economic, and human rights crises. He highlighted the UN’s competing priorities of ensuring human rights and political representation while simultaneously dealing with the humanitarian crisis. A full transcript of his remarks can be found HERE.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Takhar: Taliban forces attacked the NRF base in the Chal district in a rare night operation. A source on the scene reports that approximately 100 Taliban were involved in the operation. Casualties have been moderate, but due to cellular outages at night an accurate number was not available. The fighting continued through the night.
NEXT 24 HOURS
TAKHAR, A NEW FRONT? — While the fighting in Panjshir has eclipsed the events taking place in Takhar over the past month, it should be noted that multiple battles between the NRF, other affiliated Resistance groups, and the Taliban have steadily been fought in the province over the last 45 days. In recent weeks, the engagements have increased in both frequency and intensity. Some Afghanistan observers believe the Taliban’s lack of success in Panjshir has forced them to open a new front. Others believe the NRF escalated attacks in the province to draw Taliban forces out of Panjshir and alleviate pressure on their strongholds. Regardless, the end result is that Takhar will likely continue to be the second most active province in fighting between the Resistance and the Taliban. Consequently, non-combatants in the area should exercise appropriate caution. |