[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS
- HAND GRENADE BLAST IN KABUL’S KHAIR KHANA REPORTED – No casualties have been reported so far but Police confirmed that a hand grenade was detonated at an unidentified location in the neighborhood on Monday. Some home searches have been reported in the area and the Taliban have stationed additional vehicles at many of the checkpoints after the clashes that were reported on Sunday. We are still waiting for information regarding the clashes but nothing has been released as of yet. A source in Kabul has said that Taliban leaders have been warning staff in the Ministries of Defense and the Interior to minimize discussions about operations against ISIS-K with the press over concerns it is having a negative impact on the regime’s efforts to gain regional and/or international recognition.
- RUSSIA AND TAJIKISTAN CONDUCT MILITARY EXERCISES NEAR AFGHANISTAN BORDER – In what may be a ‘demonstration of force’ Russia and Tajikistan began military training exercises at the Kharbmaydon training facility. The facility is located about 20 kilometers from the Afghanistan border. The stated purpose of the training is to practice combined operations focused on eliminating ‘outlaw gangs’ intruding into the territory of an allied state and also exercising command and control to block/destroy illegal armed formations. Taking part in the training are electronic mobile warfare groups, armored units, artillery units, radiation/chemical/biological units, and motor rifle units. Troop participation from both countries is estimated at approximately 700-1000 troops. The exercise comes on the heels of a joint statement from Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), last Friday, which specifically highlighted security threats that could come from Afghanistan. In conjunction with the military exercises, the Deputy Chief of the CSTO, Takhir Khairulloyev, visited the border with both Tajik and Russian military commanders to assess security requirements along the border. The exercises are scheduled to conclude on 7 April.
- RECENT ISIS-K ARREST POINTS TO A TAJIK NATIONAL AS THE SUICIDE BOMBER RESPONSIBLE FOR BALKH GOVERNOR’S DEATH – The Taliban GDI continues to release more information concerning the arrest of Aynuddin Mohammad. Results of interrogations appear to have resulted in more information about the operation to kill the former Governor of Balkh. Aynuddin admitted that ISIS-K had used a Tajik citizen in the attack. This information raises many questions about security at Taliban facilities and the ability of non-Afghans to enter sensitive areas. There are rumors that ISIS-K had inside assistance from the Taliban to pull off the bombing but nothing has been confirmed. It is possible that an insider could have facilitated the bomber’s entrance to the Governor’s personal offices.
- JOURNALISTS MUST REGISTER WITH THE MINISTRY OF INFORMATION AND CULTURE – A spokesman for the Ministry announced that all journalists will be forced to register if they want to continue their journalism careers. After registration and a ‘reliability assessment’, they will receive a press credential card. Only registered journalists will be authorized to report on news within the country. The spokesman did not specify what punishments might be imposed on those who fail to comply.
CONFLICT TRACKER
Balkh: A Taliban night raid was reported in the Shahi district of the province. The target was a suspected ISIS-K hideout.
Nimruz: Late reporting says a Taliban security operation was in progress in Police District 3 of Zaranj. Details are conflicting, with one report stating that an ISIS-K hideout has been raided and another report suggesting an inter-Taliban disagreement had occurred,
NEXT 24 HOURS
SEARCHES IN KABUL LIKELY TO CONTINUE – A source in Kabul has said that the GDI has received a virtual treasure trove of information from the arrest of the ISIS-K mastermind behind several attacks in the North. ISIS-K locations, some vehicular information, and nearly 20 identities of ISIS operatives in Afghanistan have been gleaned from the interrogation process. With this information, at-risk Afghans are likely to see stepped-up security activities across Kabul and potentially in other cities. This information may have had something to do with the security activity in the Khair Khana neighborhood on Sunday and the deployment of GDI agents to Jalalabad that took place on Monday. More house searches are likely and the possibility of violence remains high.
|