[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- ISIS CONFIRMS LEADER KILLED IN BATTLE, ANNOUNCES NEW LEADER APPOINTED – An ISIS spokesman announced yesterday that the ISIS chief, Abu al-Hasan al-Hashimi al-Qurashi, had been killed in an unspecified battle. US Central Command confirmed the news on 30 November 2022 and attributed his death to the Free Syrian Forces. It is believed he committed suicide with some of his followers after being surrounded. He had led the group since early March of 2022 and is said to have been killed near the village of Jasim in Daraa Province, Syria…possibly in October. His successor is thought to have assumed the same name and little is currently known about him.
- TALIBAN HALTS SEVERAL INTERNATIONAL RADIO BROADCASTS – The Taliban suspended broadcasts from both Voice of America and Radio Free Europe yesterday. They have cited concerns that the programming was misinforming people and inciting potential treason. The move is being seen as simply another measure to limit press freedoms. The move has brought swift condemnation from the journalism sphere.
- PLANNED POWER OUTAGES IN 11 PROVINCES AND KABUL – The national electric company, Da Afghanistan Bareshna Shirkat (DABS) announced yesterday that power would be out in 11 Provinces and Kabul starting at 7 AM Friday and may be completed by the ‘end of the day’. Power is being cut in order to fix some technical issues with the 220 kV distribution lines coming in from Uzbekistan. The outages are expected to last twenty-four hours but could take longer. DABS scheduled the work to try and resolve issues before winter arrives in full force.
- PAKISTAN DEMANDS TALIBAN HALT TERROR ATTACKS FROM AFGHAN SOIL – In the wake of the deadly suicide bombing in Quetta, the Interior Minister of Pakistan seemed to suggest the TTP attack may have originated inside Afghanistan. The Taliban responded with a statement of their own that assured their neighbors that Afghan soil would not be used to launch attacks against them. The Interior Minister claimed at 5,000 TTP militants were known to be sheltering in Afghanistan.
NEXT 24 HOURS
- THREAT OF A MOSQUE BOMBING IN WESTERN KABUL – A source in the Police has said a threat to bomb a Mosque in an unspecified Hazara neighborhood on Friday was received late Wednesday night. The source said the Police are taking it seriously because a mobile number associated with the threat is known to them. It is not clear if communities have been warned or if additional security will be dispatched. At-risk Afghans planning on attending Friday worship services in these neighborhoods should be cognizant of the risk.
- POWER CUTS COULD TAKE LONGER THAN EXPECTED – At-risk Afghans should be prepared for up to 48 hours of power outages. A source familiar with the national grid says the work required to reinforce the distribution network is highly technical and will likely see power restored across the 11 Provinces in a piecemeal fashion.
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