[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- TALIBAN GUARDS WHIP AND DISPERSE FEMALE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS IN BADAKHSHAN – A video depicting a Taliban security guard whipping female university students for ostensibly not wearing more conservative clothing is making the rounds on social media and has caused a furor among human rights activists worldwide. Condemnation is beginning to pour in and the event will likely complicate the Taliban’s relations with the international community.FORMER AFGHAN MILITARY OFFICIAL POURS COLD WATER ON RUSSIAN RECRUITMENT CLAIMS – Ajmal Omar Shinwari, a former spokesman for the Ghani regime (Defense and Security) has stated the claims made about Russia recruiting former Afghan Commandos is a rumor and that no recruitment effort is underway in Iran or anywhere else. His comments conflict with other senior Defense officials of the previous regime who say it is happening and the private military contractor (Wagner Group) is actively seeking recruits in Iran and in Afghanistan itself.
- LARGE FIRE IN MACRORYAN – The market in the Macroryan 3 neighborhood caught fire Saturday and destroyed over ten shops. No casualties were reported but the shops burned completely and the damages are expected to be total losses. Eyewitnesses did report that firefighters arrived on the scene quickly and they managed to keep the fire from causing further damage.
- RESISTANCE LEADER POSSIBLY EXECUTED IN BADAKHSHAN – A noted Resistance leader, Commander Jalal, was lured to Faizabad City to discuss a potential prisoner exchange with the Taliban. He is said to have met with the Provincial Governor and then beheaded by a Taliban security detail shortly afterward. This information has yet to be verified.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Panjshir: NRF forces repulsed two Taliban attacks against their strongholds in Faraj and Abdara (Anaba district). The Taliban launched attacks just after noon on Saturday — fighting was fierce. 3 Talib fighters were reported killed in the action while the NRF claims it suffered no losses.
Takhar: Conflicting reports were received about an NRF attack on a salt mine in the Kolfgan district. The initial report claimed the Resistance element killed several mine workers. The follow-up report claimed Taliban security and the mine director had been targeted. Regardless of which report is true, 3 people were killed in the attacks and the manager of the mine is thought to be among the dead.
Daily Evacuation Brief | October 30, 2022
[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- NEW US / TALIBAN NEGOTIATIONS CONFIRMED – Gulbuddin Hekmatyar confirmed on Friday that new talks were underway to resolve several outstanding issues between the Taliban and the US. He suggested the talks may lead to a deal that would replace the Doha agreement (although some tenets of the original agreement would remain). For Hekmatyar’s part, he expressed concerns that the talks would anger both China and Russia and that more transparency was required.
- FRIDAY’S MOSQUE BOMBING IN WESTERN KABUL – Late reporting yesterday indicated that an explosion had occurred at a Mosque in the 5th Police District. This information has now been confirmed and traces of an improvised explosive device were discovered at the Sheikh Mohammad Rouhani Mosque that indicated it had been pre-placed and was likely triggered by a timer set to coincide with evening prayers. The blast injured at least 7 non-combatants but local eyewitnesses say the number was slightly higher. No group has claimed responsibility for the attack but the location and target choice suggest it was an ISIS-K operation.
- COAL PRICES SET FOR WINTER – Concerns over inflation and commodity price fluctuations spurred the Taliban to form a committee under the Deputy Prime Minister to fix the price of coal for the coming winter. The committee announced that nearly a half million tons of coal had been stockpiled for Kabul alone and the price would be fixed at 9,000 afghanis per ton.
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