Hazaras in Afghanistan being targeted deliberately: UNAMA
Khaama: The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) in its latest report on the human rights situation in Afghanistan, covering the months of October and December 2023, has documented several targeted attacks against Hazaras and stated that the perpetrators of some of these attacks remain unidentified. According to this report, targeted attacks against Hazaras continue to persist in various parts of Afghanistan. In just the months of October and November 2023, at least 5 separate attacks against Hazaras were planned and carried out. While ISIS claimed responsibility for all three of these deadly attacks, the UNAMA report mentions the mysterious targeting of Hazaras in Herat as the main factor in these attacks remaining unidentified and unknown. Click here to read more (external link).
Deputy Taliban PM says Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan
Abdul Kabir
Ariana: Mawlavi Abdul Kabir, the prime minister’s deputy for political affairs, said on Sunday that Daesh has been suppressed in Afghanistan and that border security has been ensured more now than ever before. According to a statement by the prime minister’s office, Kabir said in a meeting with the EU’s Chargé d’affaires in Kabul, Raffaella Iodice, that corruption, drug production and coercion have ended in Afghanistan. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Administration and the Black Market Passport Trade
Taliban militant (file photo)
8am: The Taliban’s treatment of applicants has consistently been inhumane and devoid of dignity. Taliban fighters, who have lived for years in mountainous areas away from human societies, lack the understanding of establishing communication with people and managing them. What these fighters have learned is warmongering in the harsh mountain fields. Now that some of these fighters have assumed non-military roles and others are armed, none of them know how to interact with the people. Humiliating and torturing the population is a common practice observed among all members of the Taliban. When dealing with people who want to exercise their basic rights in exchange for payment, they resort to whipping and gun butts. They have failed to learn how to communicate with people and, if unable to manage an office, understand that it is not the fault of the people. Before the Taliban came to power, the passport distribution process was quite normal, and any applicant could easily obtain their passport within two to three working days. Click here to read more (external link).
Iran’s Yazd Air now flying to Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Afghanistan
Ariana: Iran’s Yazd Air has launched a new route between Tehran and Mazar-e-Sharif in northern Balkh province. According to the Iranian consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif, flights started on Saturday. The consulate also said that other Iranian airlines are expected to start flying to Afghanistan. Earlier this month, Afghanistan’s ministry of transport and civil aviation announced that Air Arabia has started flying to Kabul. Click here to read more (external link).
Taliban Gun Down Elderly and Mentally Ill Man in Mazar-i-Sharif
8am: In a disturbing incident reported by local sources in Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province, an elderly and mentally ill man was shot and killed by Taliban fighters on Sunday morning, January 21. The incident occurred in the Chawk-e Alkozai area, situated in the second district of Mazar-i-Sharif. According to eyewitnesses, the Taliban accused the victim of insulting their group, leading to his execution by gunfire. The tragic incident highlights the ongoing concerns surrounding human rights violations in areas under Taliban control. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News in Dari – January 21, 2024
Pakistan beat Afghanistan by 181 runs in U19 World Cup opener
Ariana: Pakistan defeated Afghanistan by 181 runs in their first match of the Under-19 World Cup in South Africa on Saturday. Pakistan skipper Saad Baig won the toss and opted to bat first in East London. The Pakistan openers were patient against the new-ball pairing of Bashir Ahmad and Allah Mohammad Ghanzafar. Click here to read more (external link).
Four Survivors Found After Rescuers Reach Remote Site Of Plane Crash In Northern Afghanistan
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
January 21, 2024
Four people survived the crash of a Moscow-bound chartered ambulance flight in a mountainous area of northeastern Afghanistan, according to the Russian aviation authority on January 21.
Six people were aboard the flight, and four of them were found alive with various injuries when rescuers reached the remote site of the crash, said Rosaviatsia, Russia’s Federal Air Transport Agency in a statement quoted by TASS. It said the fate of the two other people was “being clarified.”
The Russian-registered charter plane disappeared from radar screens on January 20, Rosaviatsia said. The ambulance flight originated in Thailand and made stops in India and Uzbekistan before crashing, Rosaviatsia said.
The four survivors were found by rescuers who reached the remote site of the crash on January 21, according to the Taliban-led government in Afghanistan. Two people died, according to provincial officials.
Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Taliban-led government, said the pilot of the plane, which Rosaviatsia said was a French-made Falcon 10 jet manufactured in 1978, was among the survivors.
The Afghan Islamic Press news agency quoted Zabihullah Amiri, head of the provincial information department, as saying the plane went down between the Karan wan Munjan and Zebak districts of Badakhshan Province.
Initial reports about the crash indicated that it was an Indian passenger plane, but the Indian Ministry of Aviation said the aircraft was neither scheduled nor chartered in India.
The flight was a private medical evacuation from Thailand’s Pattaya, a popular tourist destination for Russians, TASS reported, citing the Russian Embassy in Bangkok.
“On board was a bedridden patient in serious condition, a Russian citizen, who was transported from one of the hospitals in Pattaya to Russia,” the RIA news agency reported, citing a source at Thailand’s Utapao International Airport.
With reporting by Reuters
Copyright (c) 2023. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.
Why Does Mullah Hibatullah Not Reveal His Face?
Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada
8am: Given Mullah Hibatullah’s significance in the Taliban’s leadership hierarchy, ensuring his security is a top priority for the group. Those responsible for protecting him have not yet concluded that his life is not seriously endangered, allowing him to appear in public, and his images and videos to be disseminated… The seclusion of Mullah Hibatullah might be a skillful manipulation of mass psychology. When a figure remains hidden among the masses, alongside the potential threat to their life, their charisma may diminish. People, in the absence of a visible presence, rely on imagination and speculation. This approach allows for easy manipulation and the instillation of fear or hope. Click here to read more (external link).