Iran’s Special Envoy Says Helmand Water Flowing into Iran

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Tolo News: Iran’s special envoy for Afghanistan, Hassan Kazimi Qomi, posted a video on Twitter and said that water has flowed from Afghanistan into Sistan, Iran. Meanwhile, the residents of Nimroz said that the recent droughts have severely affected their crops and they should be provided with irrigation water from Kamal Khan dam. “Unfortunately, our farmers don’t have access to enough water and they have suffered due to lack of water,” said Riza Sharifi, a resident of Nimroz. Click here to read more (external link).

Related

Accused Men, Women Publically Whipped in Zabul

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Tolo News: Information and Culture department head Rahmatullah Hamad said that in Zabul two women and one man were publically whipped for committing adultery and another two men were whipped for robbery. Earlier, the leader of the Islamic Emirate, Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada, said that all previous laws will be considered null, and Sharia law will be implemented in the country. “First of all, Hudud has its own conditions which require an actual witness and a confession that is not forced. I am sure that these two issues have not been observed,” said Munisa Mubariz, a human rights activist.  Click here to read more (external link).

Taliban Fighters Steal a Money Changer’s 500k Afghanis in Cash in Bamiyan Province

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8am: Local sources said on Sunday (August 7th) ​​that three days ago, a money changer with 14,600 dollars, 550,000 Afghanis and a car disappeared in the center of Bamiyan province. After searching, the family members of this money changer found out that the forces of the Taliban’s 5th Infantry Brigade had arrested him. There have been reports indicating that Taliban forces have looted people’s property in other provinces. Click here to read more (external link).

Cholera infects over 400 in quake-hit Spera district of Khost

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Ariana: More than 400 people have been infected with cholera over the last 10 days in Spera district of Khost province, the site of a deadly earthquake that struck six weeks ago, officials said on Sunday. Mohammad Nabi Zadran, head of a mobile health team in Khost, said that eight people have died of cholera in Spera district, including five children and three adults. Click here to read more (external link).

Other Health News

New Blast Shakes Kabul, At Least 22 Reported Injured

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By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi
August 6, 2022

KABUL — An explosion has ripped through a mostly Shi’ite area of Kabul, with at least 22 people reported injured in the second blast in two days to rock the Afghan capital that has been claimed by Sunni-led Islamic State (IS) militants.

The blast on August 6 hit the Sukhteh Pul area of Kabul, home to many of the city’s Shi’ite Muslim population.

In a statement on its Telegram channel late on August 6, IS said it carried out the attack. A day earlier, at least eight people were killed and 18 wounded in a Shi’ite residential area of Kabul in a blast claimed by IS.

The attacks came ahead of Ashura, a commemoration of the martyrdom of Hussein, a grandson of the Prophet Muhammad, which is marked mainly by Shi’ite Muslims.

A witness told RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi that “a powerful explosion” hit an area filled with shops frequented by the Shi’ite population.

“Currently, ambulances from the area are transporting the wounded and the dead to hospitals in Kabul city,” the witness said.

Jawed, a Kabul resident, told Radio Azadi that “we call on the Taliban forces to protect our security so that we can freely mourn [the martyrdom of Hussein.”

Following the August 5 blast, the Office of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) said in a tweet that Taliban officials should prevent “such indiscriminate” attacks.

“UNAMA condemns yesterday’s attack in a majority-Shi’a area of Kabul causing dozens of casualties. De facto authorities must prevent such indiscriminate attacks, launch thorough & transparent investigation. Our condolences to families of the killed & speedy recovery for the injured,” it said.

Richard Bennett, the UN Special Rapporteur on human rights for Afghanistan, condemned the blast and said the perpetrators should be brought to justice.

Since taking power following the withdrawal of NATO-led forces in August 2021, the Taliban has failed to achieve recognition for its government, with many in the West demanding that the group respect the rights of women and minorities in the country.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said this week that the Taliban had “grossly violated” negotiated agreements by hosting and sheltering Ayman al-Zawahri, the Al-Qaeda leader who was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Kabul in early August.

The Taliban leadership said it was unaware of Zawahri’s presence in the capital, although a source told Radio Azadi that he was living in a guest house owned by Taliban-installed Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani.

Copyright (c) 2022. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave NW, Ste 400, Washington DC 20036.

Related

Taliban Members and Thieves Are Not Differentiable

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8am: A local journalist in Parwan province claims that armed thieves have stolen his property in this province, wearing Taliban uniforms. Habib Shirzad, one of Parwan’s local journalists, said that armed robbers entered his residence in Jabal Saraj district of the province on Thursday night last week using the name of the Taliban. Click here to read more (external link).

We visited a Taliban leader’s compound to examine his vision for Afghanistan

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Yaqoob

NPR: Yaqoob is part of the second generation of Taliban leadership. He is a son of Mullah Muhammad Omar, the cleric who led the Taliban during their first time in power from 1996-2001. Asked if he wanted better relations with the United States, Yaqoob laughed. “This is obvious,” he said, adding that recognition of the current regime was in the United State’s own interest because the U.S. had no other regime to deal with. “There are many countries that are more against America than us, but they recognize them officially,” he said. “There are more countries in the world that pose more danger than Afghanistan to America, but still America recognized them officially. I think that recognition is a positive step toward a bigger change.” Click here to read more (external link).

Six Civilians Killed in Explosions in West Kabul: Sources

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8am: As a result of an explosion in the Sar-e-kariz neighborhood in the west of Kabul, at least six civilians have been killed, eyewitnesses said. The explosion occurred on Friday evening (August 5th) near the Imam Baqir Mosque among people in the Sar-e-kariz area in the 6th security district of Kabul. The Taliban have declared two dead and three wounded. Reports indicate that this explosion was caused by explosives embedded in an ice cream tricycle. Click here to read more (external link).