Take Action Against TTP Instead of Making Irresponsible Statements, Islamabad Raps Taliban

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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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Three million children suffer from malnutrition in Afghanistan: WFP

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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).

Several killed after residents of Afghan province protest orders from Taliban

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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.

The Taliban warn journalists, experts against cooperating with Afghanistan International TV

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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).

ISIS Claims Responsibility For Attack On Taliban Fighters in Badakhshan

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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).

Abu Muslim and Adalat Farah draw 0-0 while Maiwand beat Jawanan Wahedi 2-0 in ACL

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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 and the Flames of Ethnic Conflicts

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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).

4 Taliban Fighters Killed In Kabul, Claims AFF

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Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) announced on Tuesday that four Taliban fighters had been killed after its forces attacked a Taliban base in Kabul. The Front posted on the X social media network that the attack took place near one of the group’s bases in the Sarai Shamali area of the city. Click here to read more (external link).

Bomb blast hits Taliban convoy in turbulent Afghan province, kills 3

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Ayaz Gul
VOA News
May 8, 2024

ISLAMABAD  — A bomb explosion in Afghanistan’s volatile northeastern Badakhshan province Wednesday killed at least three Taliban security personnel and wounded six others.

Multiple sources, including residents and area hospital officials, confirmed the casualties. They said that a “sticky improvised explosive device” apparently planted on a motorbike struck a Taliban military convoy in the provincial capital, Faizabad.

The Taliban’s Interior Ministry spokesman confirmed the casualties, saying the bomb targeted a unit of security forces that were heading to illegal poppy fields to destroy them. Abdul Mateen Qani said the attack was under investigation.

No group claimed responsibility for the bombing in Badakhshan, which has been in the grip of unprecedented violent public protests against Taliban authorities’ poppy eradication campaign. The unrest erupted last Friday and left two protesters dead in clashes with Taliban security forces.

Wednesday’s deadly blast came a day after the Taliban’s army chief, Fasihuddin Fitrat, said in a video message that he had addressed complaints of protesting farmers and resolved the unrest. He insisted on receiving public support for poppy eradication.

Fitrat arrived in Faizabad from Kabul two days ago as the head of a high-powered delegation to negotiate with the demonstrators’ leaders.

Ahead of his visit to the province, the Taliban army chief had threatened to militarily “quell the rebellion” if the demonstrations persisted. He reiterated his government’s resolve to eradicate poppy cultivation in Afghanistan and vowed to achieve this goal, come what may.

Since regaining control of the country, the Taliban’s reclusive supreme leader, Hibatullah Akundzada, has imposed a nationwide ban on poppy cultivation, production, usage, transportation, and trade of illicit drugs.

However, deteriorating economic conditions and the absence of alternatives for poppy-growing farmers have been causing unrest in parts of Afghanistan against the ban, which went into effect in April 2022.

The United Nations estimates the ban on poppy cultivation rendered some 450,000 people jobless in poverty-stricken Afghanistan and precipitated a $1.3 billion loss in farmers’ incomes.

Badakhshan and surrounding Afghan provinces are ethnically non-Pashtun regions. The Taliban, who represent the country’s majority Pashtun population, were unable to take control of the northern provinces during their first stint in power in the 1990s.

Critics argue that the rare public uprising in Badakhshan highlights the potential obstacles that the Taliban may face in maintaining their authority in Afghanistan, reeling from decades of war and the effects of natural disasters, such as earthquakes, floods, and droughts.

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