Afghanistan International: Ismail Khan, an Afghan leader, has said in a message marking the fourth anniversary of the fall of Herat to the Taliban that the group’s actions over the past four years demonstrate the “legitimacy of the resistance” by its opponents. Ismail Khan described the fall of Herat as the result of “complex conspiracies
Amu: Former Foreign Minister Mohammad Haneef Atmar said the United States and the Taliban deliberately ignored binding obligations in the 2020 Doha Agreement, arguing that the collapse of Afghanistan’s republic was a preventable disaster. Speaking at an online Global Refugees Organization event ahead of the Taliban’s fourth anniversary in power, Atmar said only one of
Amu: Haqqani told Radio Hurriyat that one day before the fall of Nimroz province in August 2021, Akhundzada met with Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani and Taliban Defense Minister Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid to discuss the rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s provinces. According to Haqqani, Taliban leaders wanted to take Kabul through negotiations to preserve the government’s
Khaama: The FBI in Washington has released a missing-person poster for Mahmood Shah Habibi, an Afghan–American citizen and former head of Afghanistan’s Civil Aviation Authority. In a statement issued Sunday, August 10, the FBI announced a reward of up to $5 million for information leading to the location and safe return of Habibi. The agency
Afghanistan International: Following the Taliban’s official ban on opium cultivation and trafficking, some Taliban officials and drug smugglers have turned to producing methamphetamine, locally known as shisha, derived from the ephedra plant, known in Afghanistan simply as ephedra. An investigation by Afghanistan International indicates that certain Taliban figures are directly involved in the ephedra trade.
Amu: Taliban security forces killed at least 10 people and wounded more than 40 others during crackdowns on protests against poppy eradication in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province in May and June, the U.N. mission in Afghanistan said in its latest quarterly report. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: The UN report confirmed that in June, the Taliban arrested at least 165 Uzbek residents of Faryab province following clashes between local Pashtun and Uzbek communities. The violence began when “a group of Pashtun youths threw firecrackers at a gathering of Uzbek girls”, prompting a confrontation between Pashtun youths and a group of
Khaama: Pakistani Foreign Ministry spokesperson Shafqat Ali Khan said at a press conference that the process of upgrading relations has been completed, and the Taliban representative in Islamabad now enjoys ambassador-level protocol. He added that presenting credentials from the Taliban’s ambassador to Pakistan’s president is not necessary. Click here to read more (external link). More
Reuters: Taliban denies detaining Habibi despite evidence, complicating U.S. efforts for his release. CIA operation targeting Zawahiri linked to Habibi’s detention, sources reveal. U.S. offers $5 million reward for Habibi’s release, Trump administration intensifies efforts. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: According to the sources, Taliban morality enforcers have established multiple checkpoints throughout Panjshir to monitor women’s clothing. At these posts, women are required to wear a full-body burqa to pass. The sources added that even girls under the age of 15 have been questioned and warned that they are not allowed to travel unless