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).
Tolo News in Dari – March 16, 2024
Elite Afghan soldiers turn barbers, gym trainers in India to escape Taliban
Al Jazeera: Trading guns for hair clippers and dumbbells, they’ve had to desert their dreams, as their government deserted them. 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).
Tolo News in Dari – March 15, 2024
Taliban’s Investment In Iranian Port Signals Shift Away From Pakistan
A ship at Chabahar Port (file photo, Press TV)
RFE/RL: The Taliban’s decision to turn to Iran to access international markets is a strategic move with regional implications. Access to the Chabahar Port reduces Afghanistan’s reliance on Pakistan and gives it access to India, Islamabad’s archenemy and Kabul’s traditional ally. Islamabad has historically been Kabul’s biggest trading partner, but Iran has taken its place in recent years. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Taliban Detain Brother of Ex-National Security Chief of Takhar Province
8am: Reports from local sources indicate that the Taliban have detained the brother of General Najibullah Najib, the former National Security Chief of Takhar Province, within the province’s boundaries. According to accounts received on Thursday, March 14th, the Taliban apprehended the individual in question from Taliqan, the capital city of Takhar Province, and subsequently relocated him to an undisclosed destination. It’s noteworthy that despite the Taliban leadership’s declaration of a broad amnesty, after their resurgence in Afghanistan, there have been instances where the group has detained and subjected former government officials and their affiliates to mistreatment, including fatal outcomes. Click here to read more (external link).