Daily Evacuation Brief | June 25, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- ETHNIC TROUBLE IN BADAKHSHAN – A few unconfirmed reports have stated that Tajik Taliban units had forced approximately 500 Pashtun Taliban out of the Province. It is not clear what may have transpired between the units but a general sense of distrust has persisted between Pashtun elements and the Tajik, Hazara, and Uzbek ethnic units. If the reports turn out to be true, it could be worrisome for Kandahar and would likely mean the Taliban will send units to the area to reestablish control and chastise local Tajik Taliban Commanders. If that happens, violence could ensue.
- PAKISTAN ORDERS MILITARY AND POLICE UNITS TO TREAT AFGHAN REFUGEES BETTER – The Ministry of States and Frontier Regions has released guidance to its personnel in a memorandum that forbids harassment or mistreatment of Afghan refugees in Pakistan and urges restraint in deportation cases of any Afghan refugee who has a valid Proof of Registration Card and/or a NADRA issued Afghan Citizens Card. Only engagement in criminal/anti-state activity will be acceptable grounds for forced deportation. The memorandum was published and distributed across multiple agencies on 20 June 2023.
- RELOCATION OPERATION FOR DURAND LINE REFUGEES AND SUSPECTED TTP APPEARS TO HAVE BEGUN – Persistent reporting from Balkh and Takhar Provinces suggests the Taliban have been steadily moving caravans of people who were living along the Durand Line to these two Provinces. Convoys loaded with people and their baggage have been photographed passing along the roadways. The men in the convoys appear to be armed and it is not clear if they are Taliban security forces members or, the refugees themselves. It is not clear where the majority of these refugees are intended to take up residence as of yet. The operations commenced roughly ten days ago and consist of approximately 10 vehicles in each serial. The operation has not been met with enthusiasm from residents already living in the North and depending on what the Taliban has planned for their long-term lodging and resettlement in these areas, it could elicit a violent response. Especially, if forced evictions begin to take place as has been seen with Hazara communities.
- CANADA FLIES NEARLY 200 AFGHAN REFUGEES FROM THE UAE TO CANADA – As a part of the recent agreement between Canada and the UAE to resettle some of the remaining Afghan refugees who have been living in the country since the fall of Kabul, Ottawa flew 192 refugees on a chartered flight on Friday. Additional flights are expected.
Daily Evacuation Brief | June 24, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- GERMANY ANNOUNCES IT WILL RESUME EVACUATIONS NEXT WEEK – The German Foreign Ministry announced that it would begin accepting Afghan refugees again beginning next week. Flights are expected to start departing on 26 JUN. The German program paused at the end of March after several accusations arose that the program was being abused and some involved in the application portion of the program were profiting from Afghans. The program is expected to reach a maximum of 1,000 people monthly within weeks of relaunching. Those Afghans who have been accepted into the program and who are waiting in Pakistan and Iran will be prioritized for now.
- CHINA OPENS A ‘SUPER OBSERVATION STATION FOR CLIMATE AND THE ENVIRONMENT’ ON TAJIKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN BORDER – China announced it had officially opened the observation station near Shahrtuz, Tajikistan yesterday. The observation post is part of a series of climate research monitoring stations funded by Lanzhou University which is also listed as one of at least 68 academic institutions that habitually work with China’s defense industry. Few believe the observation post is solely devoted to studying climate and its proximity to the border suggests it may have an intelligence or military role.
- UNHCR AND UNODC ANNOUNCE PLANS TO ESTABLISH WOMEN’S SERVICE CENTER IN KABUL – The project is intended to support women-run businesses and will seek to provide training programs and support for female entrepreneurs. The center appears to have at least nominal support from the Taliban but sources say that Kandahar was taken by surprise over the announcement and may have something to say about its future.
- MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR AGAIN DISMISSES PRESENCE OF ISIS-K IN AFGHANISTAN – Sirajuddin Haqqani stated that the terror group was no longer active in Afghanistan, but did admit the group may still have some ideological support in ‘remote areas’.
- PAKISTAN/AFGHANISTAN BORDER CROSSINGS PERMITTED DURING EID – Unconfirmed reports suggest that Afghan travelers will be permitted to cross the border with only Tazkeras today from 0700hrs local until 2100hrs local. This information has not been confirmed so, potential travelers should call ahead to determine if the window of opportunity is legitimate. However, both countries have allowed similar free movement during holiday periods in the past.
Daily Evacuation Brief | June 23, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY LASER FOCUSED ON TERRORISM ISSUE – Big T (terrorism) continues to be the primary focus of regional and international actors when it comes to dealing with the Taliban. In the last ten days, the concerns over terror groups regrouping in Afghanistan have been communicated by at least three regional bodies, the United Nations, and several individual nation-states. It has been a constant worry for the international community since the Taliban came to power and even states who may be willing to look the other way over gender discrimination policies have not relented on their insistence to combat terror threats. The Taliban, for their part, seem to be taking the fight against ISIS seriously but the many other groups who have a confirmed foothold in the country are left alone. Most analysts view the counter-ISIS operations as more of a competition for the Taliban than a serious effort to tackle the problem. The other groups that have been in Afghanistan have their sights set elsewhere, are externally financed, and pose no threat to the IEA. Many long-time observers are counting the days until a major attack occurs in China, India, Russia, etc.
- KABUL SEARCH OPERATIONS – As previously reported, the Taliban are continuing house-to-house search operations in Kabul. At this time, it is still not clear who or what the Taliban are searching for. Searches that had begun in Police District 9 a few days ago have since shifted to Police District 3 (near the University). The search teams reportedly include women and anonymous sources say the searches are significantly more thorough than those conducted over the past few months. Another source stated that Taliban security checkpoints around Kabul appear to have been reinforced as well.
- PROTESTS AND PLEAS SEEM TO BE HAVING AN EFFECT ON PAKISTAN’S TREATMENT OF AFGHANS – An international outcry took place after Pakistan’s recent round of crackdowns on Afghan refugees sheltering in the country. The United Nations, NGOs, the IEA, and several domestic refugee organizations have called on the authorities in Pakistan to halt the targeted operations. In response, Pakistani authorities have stated their intent to release more Afghans being held in custody and dispatched a Minister to visit the Torkham Gate to observe the situation firsthand. There is hope that the tensions will ease.
- ANGRY CROWD APPREHEND 2 TALIBAN SECURITY FORCES MEMBERS IN GHOR – Locals told Hasht-E Subh journalists that local residents in the Ghelmin neighborhood of Firozkoh intervened and halted an attempt to sexually assault two females. The 2 Taliban were handed over to the local GDI office.
- REPORT FINDS SCHOOLS IN IRAN CHARGING EXORBITANT FEES FOR ADMITTING AFGHAN STUDENTS – A source from the Children’s Aid Association said that some schools were charging fees that amounted to bribery to enroll Afghan students. The report alleges the fees constitute a form of bribery and that the administrators should be investigated. The report goes on to detail other obstacles that are often placed in the path of prospective students and concludes that Afghan parents are not aware of the procedures to report the activity.
Helmand: A video has been shared by an ALM [Afghan Liberation Movement] Twitter channel that purports to show Taliban security forces firing on several youth who were protesting in an undisclosed town, The video shows several young men who had been shot being evacuated to an hospital. Several hundred protestors are shown in the footage. It is not clear how many may have been killed or wounded in the incident.
NEXT 24 HOURS
KABUL SEARCHES TO CONTINUE – As the ongoing search operations have yet to yield a result we expect the operations to continue. Based on the information received from several sources who witnessed the searches, the effort appears to be focused on recovering something (a phone, computer, hard drive, etc). In a few cases, the families were moved out of the home while the search took place and very few questions were asked of the occupants. While not definitive, it seems to suggest that the Taliban are attempting to find an item. Particular attention was paid to electronics and some of the searchers threatened residents with violence for not providing passwords to devices.
Daily Evacuation Brief | June 22, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- KABUL SEARCH OPERATIONS, POLICE DISTRICT 9 – Early yesterday morning, Taliban security forces cordoned off an area in the Khoja Rawash neighborhood and began searching houses. The streets to the East of Camp Baron were blocked and all secondary roads into the area were closed. It is not clear what/who the Taliban are looking for but some of the vehicles that arrived to support the effort contained heavy weapons and demolition materials.
- TAJIK TALIBAN COMMANDER QUESTIONS IEA LEADERSHIP IN VIDEO MESSAGE – A long-serving Taliban Commander in Panjshir, Abdul Hamid Khorasani, released a video message on social media in which he bitterly claims that non-Pashtun ethnicities are being marginalized by the Ministry of Defense. In his message, he claims his brother was dishonored when Pashtun Taliban members disarmed him. Khorasani is reputed to be a controversial figure and many in the Resistance have nicknamed him ‘The Taliban’s Slave’.
- SAD NEWS, 78 AFGHANS/PAKISTANIS CONFIRMED AMONG THE DEAD IN GREEK SHIPWRECK – Identification of those who were lost in the doomed human-trafficking scheme is continuing but Greek authorities announced that 78 of those lost at sea hailed from Afghanistan and Pakistan. Authorities are interviewing the survivors to try and establish where the migrants had come from as well as investigating the transport network used by the traffickers to get the people on the ship. A source in Athens says that the migrants from Pakistan traveled through at least four different countries before embarking on the vessel and went on to say that a large investigation had been launched with international partners to find those responsible for this (and other) trafficking-related tragedies.
- PHILIPPINES AFGHAN REFUGEE PLAN WILL BE DECIDED BY 15 JULY – The Philippines’ Ambassador to the US, Jose Manuel Romualdez, said his government would probably decide whether to accept a proposal to take in Afghan Refugees by 15 July. The Ambassador was quick to stress that those under consideration were not ‘refugees’ but were former employees of the US Government. It is not clear how many Afghans the Philippines will agree to accept should the request be approved.
- RECENT INSPECTOR GENERAL REPORT FINDS DEFICIENCIES IN SIV EVALUATION PROCESS FOR AFGHANS – A report issued by the Department of Defense Inspector General’s Office in the US found that mistakes may have been made in the evaluation of SIV cases for other US Government agencies. The inconsistencies discovered in the investigation could have resulted in some SIV applicants being removed from consideration. It is not clear if the faults found will provide grounds for some SIV applicants to reapply. The report can be accessed HERE.
- CSTO MEETING IN BELORUSSIA ISSUES STATEMENTS ON AFGHANISTAN – In a joint statement, envoys who attended the CSTO meeting in Minsk referenced the situation in Afghanistan. In the statement, the assembled diplomats urged the Taliban to; 1) Increase counter-terrorism measures in the country. 2) Halt the displacement/relocation of ethnic groups in Afghanistan.
Samangan: Reports confirm that 2 Taliban were killed in an operation by the UFA in the Darah Sof Payan district of the province. Information about the nature of the operation was not provided.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SEARCHES MAY CONTINUE IN KABUL – Based on past experience, it is likely the recent searches conducted in Police District 9 could expand to other neighborhoods in Kabul. As of publication, there has been no word if the Taliban found what they were looking for. At-risk Afghans may experience searches of their homes over the next few days.
Daily Evacuation Brief | June 21, 2023
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- SUPREME LEADER ADMONISHES SECURITY FORCES, ISSUES NEW CONDUCT ORDERS – After several cases of ill-disciplined troops reportedly abusing citizens were discussed and elevated by elders, the Supreme Leader of the Taliban saw fit to issue a new order that limits what Taliban personnel can do to non-combatants. The order specifically forbids any Taliban member from beating people with sticks, whips, cables, or any other form of abuse without a court order. He specifies that only a court has the right to issue punishments to people in Afghanistan.
- TALIBAN OFFER TO MEDIATE TALKS BETWEEN PAKISTAN AND THE TTP – The chief spokesman for the Taliban, Zabiullah Mujahid, told reporters that the regime would facilitate negotiations between Pakistan and the militant TTP as long as the result would be beneficial to regional stability. Mujahid was careful to distance the regime from the TTP in his remarks and once again claimed that the group had no foothold in Afghanistan. Most observers see the development as potentially positive for regional peace and stability.
- ANOTHER CLASH REPORTED BETWEEN HAZARAS AND KOCHIS IN TAKHAR – The clash took place in the Bahuddin District and involved an unknown number of people on each side. Central to the dispute was a reputed demand by leaders of the newly arrived Kochis for Hazara families to leave their homes. Apparently, a deal between the Kochis and the Taliban was brokered that will affect approximately 300 Hazara families. Several injuries were reported as a result of the fighting but information has been difficult to gather.
- CSTO MEETING BEGINS IN BELORUSSIA – Foreign Ministers from the Collective Security Treaty Organization convened in Minsk, Belorussia yesterday to discuss a full agenda that included Ukraine and Afghanistan. Of primary importance to the member states are concerns about the potential threat of terrorism in Afghanistan.
- A MAN CONVICTED OF MASS MURDER WAS EXECUTED BY THE TALIBAN IN LAGHMAN PROVINCE – The capital sentence was carried out by the son of one of the condemned’s victims near a Mosque. The execution marks only the second officially sponsored execution to be carried out in public since the Taliban took power.
Kabul: Unconfirmed reports of gunfire were reported in Police District 2 yesterday. The incident took olace near an unidentified Police building. Local sources say the incident was brief and over quickly.
NEXT 24 HOURS No Threats Reported