AFP: At least 50 people, mainly women and children, died Friday in flash flooding that ripped through Afghanistan’s Baghlan province, in the north of the country, a local official told AFP. “So far, the number of dead is 50 as per the hospital authorities of Baghlan-e-Markazi district of Baghlan province,” said Hedayatullah Hamdard, the head of the provincial natural disaster management department, adding that the toll could rise. Click here to read more (external link).
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Afghanistan International: The Pakistani Foreign Ministry dismissed Taliban’s claim about ISIS activities in Pakistani territory and termed the statement as irresponsible on Thursday. Mumtaz Zahra Baloch, Pakistan foreign ministry’s spokesperson, stated that the Taliban should take effective action against terrorist groups operating from Afghanistan instead of making such irresponsible claims. Recently, Pakistan and the Taliban have exchanged mutual accusations of supporting militant groups. On Tuesday, the Pakistani army announced that a suicide attack targeting five Chinese engineers in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province was planned by an Afghan. Click here to read more (external link).
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Khaama: The World Food Programme has recently published statistics showing that currently, three million children in Afghanistan are suffering from malnutrition. On Friday, May 10, the organization announced on its social platform X that the World Food Programme can only support one of every three children. The World Food Programme has emphasized that the reduction in aid in Afghanistan directly affects the children there. The organization adds that addressing their situation requires sustainable financing. Previously, the health section of the United Nations had reported that the number of women suffering from malnutrition in Afghanistan last year reached 1.2 million. Click here to read more (external link).
Ayaz Gul
VOA News
May 9, 2024
ISLAMABAD — At least four people were reported killed on Thursday during clashes between protesters and Taliban security forces in eastern Afghanistan.
Residents in Nangarhar province, which borders Pakistan, held a demonstration after being told by Taliban authorities to vacate their homes for the construction of a customs clearing facility, according to witnesses and officials.
Protesters blocked a busy highway linking Afghanistan to Pakistan and refused to allow the destruction of their properties. Taliban security forces fired gunshots to disperse the crowd and clear the highway to allow trade convoys to resume their journey in both directions, eyewitnesses reported.
An area information and culture department spokesperson confirmed the clashes, saying residents “created chaos in response” to the official order. Arafat Mohajer said that the violence resulted in the death of a Taliban officer and “a number of people who were occupying the [state[ land [illegally].” He did not share further details.
Protesters refuted the official claims, saying they had the deeds and owned the land.
A resident in Jalalabad, the provincial capital, confirmed to VOA by phone that firing by Taliban security forces killed three protesters.
The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan three years ago and faced no public opposition to their hard-line policies until this month.
Last week, farmers and residents took to the streets in northeastern Badakhshan province to protest the eradication of poppy fields by the Taliban counternarcotics units.
Security forces opened fire to disperse the demonstrators, killing two people.
Hibatullah Akhundzada, the reclusive Taliban supreme leader, has imposed a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation and production, usage, transportation and trade of all illicit drugs in Afghanistan.
Some information for this report came from AFP.
AP: The Taliban Thursday warned journalists and experts against working with Afghanistan International TV. It’s the first time they have told people not to cooperate with a specific outlet. Afghanistan International TV, which is headquartered in London, is accessible through satellite, cable and social media. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: ISIS has claimed responsibility for the attack on Taliban police personnel in Faizabad city, the capital of Badakhshan province. In their statement, ISIS said that “12 Taliban militants” were killed and wounded in the assault. The Taliban confirmed the deaths of three of their security personnel. Click here to read more (external link).
Ariana: The 37th match of Afghanistan Champions League (ACL) between Abu Muslim Farah and Adalat Farah FC on Wednesday ended in a draw. In the second match of the day, the 38th game, Maiwand FC defeated Jawanan Wahedi FC 2-0. Thursday’s ACL matches will see Mawj Sahil take on Khadim at 1 PM and Attack Energy face Istiqlal Kabul at 3:30 PM. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban militants (file photo)
8am: The Taliban, predominantly Pashtun in composition, represent a nexus of ethnic and religious identity. Besides suppressing followers of other religions, they have also deeply divided people along ethnic lines, often ridiculing non-Pashtun ethnicities. Attacks on women by Taliban fighters and commanders predominantly target non-Pashtun women, as reported by media outlets. Hence, the Taliban exploit assaults on women as a tool for intimidating and demeaning non-Pashtuns, essentially punishing them through these heinous acts. Therefore, it seems that sending delegations to resolve these conflicts might not yield lasting results. The Taliban do not refrain from their ethnic and religious policies, and the continuation of these policies will likely fuel further conflicts in the future. Click here to read more (external link).