Former Soldier Brutally Killed by Taliban in Takhar Province: Latest Incident Highlights Ongoing Targeting of Military Veterans

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8am: The former soldier, named Shamsullah, was killed today (Thursday, May 17th) around 7:00 AM in Hazarbagh village, Khaja Ghar district. The Taliban killed him in front of his family members. According to sources, Shamsullah was a former officer of the previous government’s national army and had engaged in personal activities after the Taliban took control of the country. Click here to read more (external link).

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Mawlawi Abdul Kabir appointed as acting prime minister of Afghanistan

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Abdul Kabir

Ariana: The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) [Taliban] has confirmed that Mawlawi Abdul Kabir has been appointed as acting prime minister in the absence of Mullah Mohammad Hasan Akhund who has taken ill. Mohammad Hasan Haqyar, chief of protocol and media of the political deputy prime minister, told Ariana News late Tuesday night that Akhund has not been in the public eye for the past few months due to ill health. Kabir, his political deputy, has been mostly standing in for Akhund and meeting with foreign dignitaries. The IEA has not revealed details on Akhund’s illness but sources have said in the past that he was suffering from heart disease. Click here to read more (external link).

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How Did the Illiterate Mullah from Kandahar Suddenly Become “Amir Al-Momineen”?

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Alleged photo of “Mullah Omar”.

8am: The sudden appearance of Mullah Omar is due to many factors. Certainly, foreign and intelligence factors played an effective role in Mullah Omar’s growth, whereas other factors cannot be overlooked. During the two decades that he was the leader of the Taliban, legends were attributed to him to help him manage his organization without a headache. Although it is said that during Mullah Omar’s secret life after 2001, he was cut off from external events and did not have much control over the situation, he was certainly known as the spiritual leader of the Taliban until the last moments of his life and no one has the right to deviate from his orders. The strategists who brought the Taliban to the stage nearly thirty years ago had a clear understanding of Afghan society. They had realized that the country’s residents, due to ignorance and illiteracy, cultural poverty, lack of critical thinking, and restrictions on superstitions that spread in the name of religion, may easily fall prey to metaphysical legends and believe fake scenes. They knew that the people of Afghanistan can be manipulated by religious slogans and occult fairy tales. Click here to read more (external link).

UN Gives up on Women’s Rights in Afghanistan

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Khaama: International media has reported the United Nations agencies including UNICEF, World Health Organization and WFP have failed to protect the rights of their female Afghan employees under the Taliban administration in Afghanistan. The London-based news agency Tortoise Media has recently highlighted in one of its reports titled “UN betrays women in Afghanistan” that the organization does not protect its Afghan female employees against gender apartheid and has completely given up on the rights of Afghan women. “I feel the UN did not only betray its female employees, but the whole Afghan women with this decision,” said a local UN employee, reported by Tortoise. Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban’s Latest Arrest: Civilian Activist Majid Zia Detained in Kabul

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8am: Reliable sources told Hast-e Subh that on Monday, May 15, Zia was detained by the Taliban at Kabul International Airport while traveling to Iran. Majid Zia was a civilian activist in the previous government and a media advisor for the Rahmani Foundation. According to sources, Zia went to Iran after the Taliban took control of the country and recently returned to Afghanistan due to the death of his father. The Taliban have previously detained and tortured activists, writers, and artists from various parts of the country, especially in Kabul. Click here to read more (external link).

Badakhshan farmers lose dozens of livestock in devastating hailstorm

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Ariana: Residents of Khash district say a devastating hailstorm hit their area on Sunday night, killing at least 80 sheep. They said 30 other farm animals including cattle disappeared in the storm in Shahran village in the Mazar valley. Click here to read more (external link).

Other News from Badakhshan

 

Afghanistan Remains World’s Worst Humanitarian Crisis: HRW

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Khaama: Human Rights Watch said on Monday that Afghanistan remains one of the world’s worst humanitarian disasters.  The organization said in a statement that two-thirds of the country’s population is food insecure, including 875,000 children facing acute malnutrition and women and girls remain most at risk. Since the Taliban took control of the country in August 2021, the amount of international aid has abruptly lost on one side, and the introduction of repressive policies, including banning women from working with the UN agencies by the de facto authorities, has worsened the situation. Click here to read more (external link).

Deadly Clashes Erupt in Faryab Province as Indigenous Residents and Nomadic Herders Battle Over Grazing Lands

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8am: The clashes began on Friday, May 12, in the Bandar region of Kohistan district and have since continued intermittently. According to sources, three indigenous residents and one nomadic herder have been killed as a result of the clashes. Sources claim that the herders are using both light and heavy weapons to attack local residents. Since the Taliban takeover, nomads in Faryab and some other provinces have been involved in legal disputes with indigenous residents over land grazing. According to sources, in some cases, the Taliban have ruled in favor of the nomads, displacing indigenous residents. Click here to read more (external link).