[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- POSSIBLE TERRORIST CELL ARRESTED IN KABUL – Police in Kabul have announced they arrested 4 people for attempting to carry out a bomb attack in Kabul. No information was provided about possible affiliations with a terrorist organization. The people were taken to an undisclosed location for interrogation. A source in the Ministry of the Interior claimed the individuals were not on any of the recent alerts and that many of the counter-terrorism agents in the Ministry have been denied access to their files.
- SHOTS FIRED AGAIN AT SPIN BOLDAK-CHAMAN CROSSING – Video of an incident that occurred on Saturday shows hundreds of people running from the gate while multiple gunshots are heard in the background. It is not clear what exactly transpired and if the shots were part of a cross-border incident between Taliban and Pakistan forces. We are waiting for further information but advise at-risk Afghans who plan to use the crossing to call ahead and find out if the security situation is resolved.
- POLICE IN BALKH CLAIM TO HAVE KILLED WELL-KNOWN ROBBER – A police spokesman in Mazar-i-Sharif announced that the bandit, Ihsan, who has long plagued the Province was killed in a standoff in northern Balkh on Sunday. No details were provided regarding the incident but Ihsan has been a priority for Police for several months and is thought to have controlled an organized criminal gang of nearly 30 individuals.
- PUBLIC TRANSPORT WORKERS STRIKE IN PAKTIKA OVER BACK WAGES – Some of the workers in the transport directorate of Sharan have begun a strike to call attention to the fact they have not been paid for the previous four months. It is not clear when the strike began but local eyewitnesses say the offices have been closed for several days. A source in the Ministry of Defense said that Kabul was perplexed by the news of the strike and that a check of disbursements shows that funding was regularly sent to the Province. The source said privately that senior leaders believe an official in the Province may have diverted the money. An investigation is reportedly underway.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Panjshir:A brief clash between two rival Taliban commanders was reported in Abshar district. 2 Talib fighters were reportedly wounded in the fighting,
NEXT 24 HOURS
SPIN BOLDAK-CHAMAN CROSSING WORTH MONITORING – If the shooting reported at the crossing turns out to be another cross-border incident between Afghanistan and Pakistan, the crossing could very well close again to all traffic. Travelers intending to use the crossing are advised to pay attention to local reporting and attempt to find out the security situation before embarking on any potential travel. |