Iran, Tajikistan Concerned By Drug Trafficking From Afghanistan

·

Tolo News: The head of Tajikistan’s Drug Control Agency stated that drugs from the large reserves in northern Afghanistan are being trafficked to Central Asian countries and the European Union.  “The threat to Central Asian countries, especially those bordering Afghanistan, is gradually increasing because the methamphetamine discovered in the region is produced in Afghanistan,” said Zafar Samad, the head of Tajikistan’s Anti-Drug Agency. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban’s Oppression in Andarab Region Persists: Forced Displacement, Land Destruction Continues

·

8am: Taliban, facing armed resistance in Panjshir and Andarab after Seizing control of Afghanistan, has been accused of widespread harassment and persecution of residents in these regions over the past nearly three years. According to sources, the group has detained and tortured hundreds of young men and adults from Panjshir province and Andarab regions. Sources in these areas claim that Taliban fighters are establishing bases among people’s farmlands and homes. Residents allege that the Taliban forcibly displaced people and relocated their families instead. Click here to read more (external link).

Mohsen Rezaee, Afghan Taekwondo athlete, defeats Japanese opponent

·

Khaama: Mohsen Rezaee, an Afghan Taekwondo athlete, defeated his Japanese opponent in the qualification rounds at the 2024 Paris Olympics. It’s worth noting that Ali Reza Abbas, another Afghan Taekwondo athlete competing under the banner of the Refugee Team of the World Taekwondo Federation, secured his spot in the Olympics by defeating opponents from Nepal, the Philippines, and Hong Kong. Click here to read more (external link).

Suicide Bombers Raid Pakistan Army Base Near Afghan Border, Kill 7

·

Ayaz Gul
VOA News
March 16, 2024

ISLAMABAD — Pakistani authorities said Saturday a suicide truck bomb and gun attack on a regional army base near the Afghan border killed at least seven soldiers, including two officers, and wounded many more.

The early morning raid occurred in the volatile North Waziristan border district, where militants linked to the banned Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan, or TTP, routinely target security forces.

Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif condemned the raid as a “cowardly action of terrorists,” his office said.

A military statement said that a group of six militants, including suicide bombers, assaulted the base in the town of Mir Ali.

“The terrorists rammed an explosive-laden vehicle into the post, followed by multiple suicide bombing attacks, which led to the collapse of a portion of a building,” the statement added. It said that Pakistani troops had quickly engaged and killed all the assailants in the ensuing “intense exchange of fire.”

According to area security and hospital sources, the violence injured more than 17 soldiers. The army said its forces had launched a “sanitization operation to eliminate any other terrorist present in the area.”

A militant group allied with TTP reportedly claimed responsibility for the attack.

Pakistan’s military and government officials say TTP and its allies use Afghan sanctuaries to stage cross-border attacks on security forces and civilians.

Pakistan has experienced a dramatic increase in TTP-led militant attacks since the Taliban returned to power in neighboring Afghanistan in August 2021. The violence has killed about 2,000 Pakistanis, including police and military personnel.

Taliban authorities deny they allow Afghan soil to be used by militant groups, including TTP, a globally designated terrorist organization. Pakistani officials and recent United Nations reports dispute the Taliban claims.

“In the region and beyond, there are well-founded concerns over the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan,” Roza Otunbayeva, the head of the U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan, told a March 6 U.N. Security Council meeting.

“These concerns have been reflected in the reports of the sanctions monitoring teams. It is not only Daesh that constitutes a threat but also TTP, a major concern for Pakistan, which has seen an increase in terrorist activity,” Otunbayeva said.

Daesh is an acronym for the Islamic State, and this militant group is an Afghanistan-based regional IS affiliate that conducts terrorist attacks on both sides of the long border between the two countries.

Thousands will die in Europe if poppies not grown in Afghanistan: Spanish official

·

Ariana: A Spanish newspaper has reported that the drastic drop in poppy cultivation in Afghanistan has opened a gap for fentanyl in Europe. A report from the European Drug Monitoring Center warns of the risk that a possible lack of global supply will be replaced with “more harmful synthetic opiates, such as fentanyl derivatives or nitazenes,” El Pais reported. Click here to read more (external link).

Out of Sight, Afghans Are Going Hungry – Taliban Abuses Exacerbate Impact on Women and Girls

·

HRW: “The situation is getting worse every day,” Ahmad, a former journalist in Herat, Afghanistan, told me. “I don’t think anyone can afford to buy enough food anymore.” According to the United Nations, in 2024, 23.7 million people – more than half of the country’s population – will need humanitarian assistance. The statistics are startling: 69 percent of people do not have enough food; 67 percent have trouble accessing water, worsened by a prolonged drought linked to climate change; the economy has contracted by 27 percent; and only 40 percent of the population has access to electricity. On top of this, the healthcare system is on the verge of collapse. Click here to read more (external link).