[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS- MINISTER OF THE INTERIOR FIRES BACK AT UK AMBASSADOR IN PAKISTAN – Anas Haqqani, Minister of the Interior for the Taliban lashed out at the statement made by the British High Commissioner to Pakistan, Jane Marriott, who said that the TTP was attacking Pakistan from Afghanistan. Haqqani rebutted Marriott’s claims on social media and said that she had fallen victim to propaganda that terror organizations are receiving sanctuary from the Taliban.
- IRAN FAR FROM ACCEPTING CURRENT RATES OF FLOW FROM HELMAND RIVER – After seemingly accepting the Taliban’s assertion that water levels are abysmally low and was affecting the ability to deliver on its commitment to Iran in accordance with the 1973 water treaty. Iran’s Foreign Minister, Hossein Amir Abdollahian, went on the attack in a phone call with the Taliban Foreign Minister, Amir Khan Muttaqi, when he demanded the Taliban release more water to fulfill its obligations. Muttaqi reportedly invited his Iranian counterpart to Kabul for discussions but it was unclear whether the offer would be accepted. Clearly, the issue is not resolved and will likely affect Taliban/Iranian relations going forward.
- AFGHAN SPECIAL FORCES SOLDIER WHO FOUGHT WITH BRITISH FORCES AND WAS WAITING FOR EVACUATION DIES AFTER BEING BEATEN BY TALIBAN – An unidentified Afghan Army Special Forces officer succumbed to his injuries after being beaten and tortured by Taliban security forces personnel in a hospital in an undisclosed location in Afghanistan. The name of the man has been purposefully withheld but is expected to be released in the coming days in an effort to urge British authorities to step up their evacuation efforts. The unidentified man had been arrested on at least two other occasions and reputedly suffered beatings and torture at the hands of the Taliban. A group that represents many of the Afghan wartime allies in Great Britain confirmed that the individual in question had applied for asylum under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) but could not verify if he had received approval for acceptance into the program. It is not clear how many former wartime allies have been caught and killed by the Taliban to date but reports indicate they are taking the brunt of the Taliban’s campaign of revenge.
- TALIBAN LEADERS DEPLOY ADDITIONAL SECURITY FORCES TO THE BAND-E-AMIR NATIONAL PARK TO ENFORCE RIDICULOUS FEMALE BAN – The Vice and Virtue Ministry’s recent decree banning all women from visiting the popular National Park has drawn more international criticism from abroad and sources say that additional security personnel have been deployed to ensure compliance with the decree. Some rumors that a planned protest at the Park never materialized but the reinforcements suggest the Taliban are taking the issue seriously.
- VIDEO OF RESIDENTS IN KABUL BEATING A TALIBAN FIGHTER SURFACES ON X – A viral video was released on X (formerly Twitter) showing a large group of men in an undisclosed area of Kabul setting upon a Taliban security forces member and beating him. No reason was provided for the act but the video clearly depicts the mob disarming the Talib and dragging him to the ground where he was kicked many times. While a few similar incidents have been reported in the past, very few have taken place in Kabul.
CONFLICT TRACKER
- Laghman: An attack by a strike team from the Azadi Front (AFF) reportedly targeted the Taliban security checkpoint in the Daulat Shah district at approximately midnight, 2 Taliban were reportedly killed, 3 others were sounded, and a Taliban truck was damaged.
NEXT 24 HOURS: No Threats Reported