[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS- 3 BRITISH CITIZENS REPORTEDLY DETAINED BY THE TALIBAN – Multiple international news outlets are reporting that 3 men from Great Britain are currently being held by the Taliban. Initially, the reports were brushed off as an ‘April Fools’ Day shenanigan, but the British Home Office confirmed the reports to several British news organizations. The Afghan Digest had initially reported on the possible arrest of influencer, Miles Routledge on March 18th, but received several notes from readers that the information was fake. According to a non-profit (Presidium Network), the three are being held by the General Directorate of Intelligence in an undisclosed location. It is not clear when the men were arrested but rumors circulating in the press say it may have been 11 January 2023. A British Foreign Office spokesman said they are working on securing the men’s release.
- TALIBAN SCUFFLE IN PANJSHIR – A clash between members of the Taliban Judiciary and Security Forces was reported to have involved gunfire. A senior judge of the Provincial court system took umbrage when Security Forces personnel began screening the phones of court employees. A scuffle broke out and several shots were reported. The senior judge (unidentified as of publication) was reportedly wounded and taken to a hospital. There are scattered reports that others were wounded in the melee that lasted for approximately an hour. A source in Kabul said the security personnel was reacting to an order from Kabul to ‘find Resistance sympathizers in government offices’. It is not clear if this clash took place in Bazarak or another location.
- FORMER REGIME MINISTER SCOLDS TALIBAN FOR LACK OF ETHNIC DIVERSITY – Abdul Bari Jahani, the former Minister of Information and Culture, penned a letter to the Taliban where he lambasted the regime for monopolizing the power in the hands of Pashtuns and excluding the other ethnicities in the country. He also criticized the appointments of Mullahs to Ministries and Departments with which they are unqualified. He ended with a warning that the US could cut financial support at any time.
- TALIBAN SIEZE 40,000 KG OF AMMONIUM CHLORIDE IN NIMRUZ – The Afghan Digest reported in February that the Taliban were searching for a large shipment of Ammonium Nitrate which had reportedly been smuggled into the country by ISIS-K for use in a large fuel-bomb. Taliban officials in Nimruz announced they had seized 40,000 kg of Ammonium Chloride that was being transported on two trucks. 2 men have been arrested in connection with the shipment and it is not clear where the chemicals originated or what the intended use would be.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Panjshir: Several news outlets reported a clash between Taliban forces in Panjshir province yesterday evening. The clash is said to have involved the Taliban security forces and employees of the judicial system. The chief justice of the court is said to have been wounded and there are reports of additional casualties, but an accurate account has not been received yet. The clash reportedly lasted an hour.
NEXT 24 HOURS
TALIBAN PREPARING FOR AN OFFENSIVE IN PANJSHIR – A source in Kabul said that plans were laid to conduct reconnaissance of two NRF bases in the Province in the next twenty-four hours. Approximately 100 Taliban members were expected to take part in the operation. The locations of the probes were not available. At-risk Afghans residing in the Province should be aware that military operations could commence at any given time.