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Daily Evacuation Brief October 4, 2022
 [AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- WOMEN PROTESTORS CONTINUE TO BE ROUNDED UP – Reports coming out of Herat, Kabul, and Balkh Provinces indicate that the Taliban are continuing to arrest primarily women and girls who are participating in protest marches against the violence at education centers, which the Taliban refer to as ‘acts against the state’. Videos of the arrests, footage from within jails, and clips from university campuses have circulated widely on social media. One protest in Mazar-i-Sharif seemed to catch the Taliban by surprise and attracted several hundred protestors, but the Taliban soon cracked down, dispersing the marches and arresting several women.
- THIRD BLAST ROCKS KABUL MONDAY – Another blast has been reported in Kabul near the Pul-e-Sukhta neighborhood (Shahid Mazari Road) in western Kabul. Casualties have been reported, but it is not clear how many may have been killed/injured or who/what may have been targeted in the attack. No groups have claimed any of the bombings over the past 5 days, but the areas have been a frequent target of ISIS-K in the past and they are suspected in all three attacks.
- DEPUTY PM IN BADAKHSHAN – As tensions in Badakhshan province continue to escalate, the Taliban dispatched Deputy Prime Minister Mawlawi Abdul Kabir to meet with elders and local leaders. Taliban-controlled media portrayed the visit as routine, but previous cases have shown that a senior official's visit is often followed by violence.
- POLICE UNIFORMS ISSUED IN KUNDUZ – Over the last year, a major complaint among Afghan citizens has been the inability to identify Taliban security forces. Some citizens have claimed that criminals will pose as Taliban along pedestrian routes and roads and demand bribes to allow people to pass. Others have reported incidences of sexual harassment. The Taliban have slowly attempted to rectify the situation, and Kunduz is thought to be the fifth Province where police uniforms are being issued.
- LATEST BEGGAR ROUNDUP NUMBERS FOR KABUL – The Deputy Minister for Economic Affairs released a report on Monday claiming that 10,150 beggars had been questioned in the city by the end of September. Of those 10,150:
- 7,029 were women and 2,436 were determined to be in need
- 834 were men and 294 were determined to be in need
- 2,287 were children and 1,245 were determined to be in need
- Biometrics were taken, and the Taliban said those who had been assessed as ‘in need’ were referred to the Ministry of Labor for education and job training. They were also promised a monthly stipend while they are in these programs. Nothing is known about the remaining 6,175 who were accused of ‘professional begging’.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Badakhshan: The NRF has captured Shekay district, taking the district governor prisoner along with an undisclosed number of Taliban security fighters. Casualties have been reported but a firm number was not a available.
NEXT 24 HOURS
POSSIBLE RETALIATION IN BADAKHSHAN – The recent large-scale reinforcement operations and high-level visits clearly illustrate that the Taliban are concerned about the situation in Badakhshan province. With the recent capture of the Shekay District and the visiting Taliban leadership, it is a near certainty that the Taliban will attempt to retake the area. At least 500 fighters were sent to the province, but without a firm grasp of where the fighters are situated, it is impossible to say where conflict could occur. At-risk Afghans in the province should be aware of significant motorized troop traffic and the potential for reprisals against the local populace.
Posted by: trailing wife 2022-10-04 |
