[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- US-PAKISTAN DRONE COOPERATION? — Defense Minister Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob’s recently accused Pakistan of cooperating with the US by allowing them to use Pakistani airspace to send drones into Afghanistan, further ratcheting up tensions between the two countries. According to a source within the Ministry of Defense who is familiar with the situation, the intelligence regarding Pakistan’s compliance came from either Russia or China. The source stated that prior to these allegations, the Taliban leadership believed that US drones were operating out of Tajikistan or Uzbekistan. Pakistan has yet to respond to the minister’s remarks.
- NEW PANJSHIR OFFENSIVE— It appears that Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir, the Taliban’s new special commander in Panjshir, has launched his first offensive. Two NRF bases were targeted in multi-directional attacks. Early reporting suggests the Taliban suffered the same fate as in previous efforts and were unable to assail the bases.
- BURNING NON-COMBATANTS’ HOMES — A disturbing new tactic was said to have been employed in both attacks when Taliban fighters began burning homes of non-combatants in nearby villages. Although this rumor is unconfirmed, the tactic supports previous source reporting that Mullah Zakir intends to take the fight to non-combatants who were suspected of supporting Resistance forces in the province.
CONFLICT TRACKER:
Kunar: A roadside bomb targetted a convoy of Taliban fighters passing through the Asad Abad area early Sunday morning. 1 Talib was killed and 3 were wounded, along with 3 civilians. No one has claimed responsibility.
Parwan: 2 Talibs were killed and two wounded by a single gunman. The Taliban claim he is mentally unstable, but witnesses say he was a known member of ISIS-K. Now word if he escaped or was arrested.
Panjshir: The Taliban launched attacks against two NRF positions in Paryan district Sunday morning, with fighting continuing throughout the day.This is the first planned offensive by the new special Talib commander. Local sources claim that the Taliban have set several civilian homes afire during the fighting. No casualties yet reported.
NEXT 24 HOURS
- UNSC SESSION — The UN Security Council will host a closed-door session on Monday in order to hear a new report from Martin Griffiths, the United Nation’s Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator, regarding the humanitarian and economic situation in Afghanistan.
- WARNING TO PANJSHIR CIVILIANS — As Taliban offensives in Panjshir continue, non-combatants that may be suspected of sympathizing with Resistance forces due to true sympathies, a Tajik ethnic background, past associations with the government, etc. should seek safety outside of their homes if fighting is ongoing nearby.
|