[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- TALIBAN SAID TO BE PERSECUTING SALAFIS IN BADAKHSHAN – Several reports on Friday stated that prayers had been banned in some Salafist Mosques. Those in the Shuhada District were particularly affected. In addition, a Madrasa was reportedly raided and the officials were either detained or fled into the countryside.
- MOSCOW SECURITY SUMMIT WRAPS UP – The meeting of regional national security heads in Moscow concluded on Friday. A statement was released that outlined the joint strategic goals with regard to security. The Taliban regime is expected to meet the following obligations:
- Commit to countering terrorism and extremism
- Eradicate the trafficking of drugs
- Form an inclusive and ethnically representative government
- Respect the human rights of the people of Afghanistan
- UZBEKISTAN BOOSTS POWER EXPORTS TO AFGHANISTAN – Power shortages in Kabul and other cities have decreased over the last several days. The national power company, Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS) claims that power imported from Uzbekistan has returned to levels agreed to in late 2022. Factories are thought to be receiving approximately 9 hours of electricity per day while households can expect to receive 5 hours during the day and another 5 hours at night. While the power increase for the industrial sector has been welcomed, manufacturers noted that the current cumulative totals are far below what is required to maintain production levels. It is thought the industrial and manufacturing sectors in Kabul alone need approximately 160 megawatts. Current levels have oscillated between 70-100 megawatts.
- TALIBAN SECURITY FORCES “IMPOSTERS” A PROBLEM FOR CITIZENS – The Taliban announced they had arrested a team of 4 men who had been donning Taliban-style clothing and stopping citizens in Kabul to demand bribes. The situation is something that has been reported in nearly every Province since early 2022. The Ministers of the Interior and Defense made it a priority to issue uniforms to its personnel in order to help citizens identify legitimate Taliban from potential grifters. However, the uniform distribution program has been slow and many Taliban security forces personnel have eschewed wearing their uniforms in favor of their traditional garb. Some rumors have circulated among citizens in Kabul that Taliban security force members “rent” their clothing and weapons to men engaged in forcing bribes.
- HEAVY SNOWFALL CLOSES MAIN ROADS IN BADAKHSHAN – A severe storm dropped several centimeters of snow across Afghanistan’s Northern Province, closing roads and disrupting communications. A source in the Ministry of Defense says a Taliban column of supplies and reinforcements has gone missing while traveling from Faizabad to an outpost in an undisclosed location. Attempts were being made to rescue the fifty men but efforts are being hampered by the deep snow and a lack of fuel.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Samangan: Taliban commander Maulvi Ghamee Gol and three of his bodyguards were reportedly killed in an ambush by an NRF team in an undisclosed location in the province.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SEISMOLOGISTS CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE SITUATION – Several minor earthquakes and aftershocks from the devastating Turkish-Syrian earthquake continue to rattle the region. While most of the seismic activity is very deep, there are concerns that a follow-on quake could hit Afghanistan and Pakistan relatively soon. |