Gandhara, One Year After Seizing Power, Is the Taliban Here to Stay? 15 August 2022
“A handful of small armed groups have opposed Taliban rule in different regions of the country. But they remain weak, divided, and have no sanctuary or outside help, experts said.
“They pose mostly an annoyance, not a threat to the Taliban regime,” said Marvin Weinbaum, the director of Afghanistan and Pakistan studies at the Middle East Institute think tank in Washington.
The most potent anti-Taliban group is the National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Ahmad Masud, son of former mujahedin commander Ahmad Shah Masud, who used his native Panjshir Valley in northern Afghanistan as a base to fight Soviet forces in the 1980s and the Taliban in the 1990s. The NRF has staged deadly, sporadic attacks against the Taliban but has been unable to wrest control of the valley.The militant group has used brute force to quell the resistance, including the alleged killing and torture of resistance fighters and the detention and beating of civilians.” […] The Taliban has also violently suppressed peaceful opposition to its rule.
Human rights campaigners have accused the Taliban of carrying out extrajudicial killings, arbitrary detentions, enforced disappearances, torture, and forced confessions as part of its effort to crush dissent. The militants have targeted human rights defenders, women activists, journalists, and intellectuals.”
CSIS, Reflections on the Fall of Kabul One Year Later, 15 August 2022
“Since the takeover, the Taliban has issued countless policies eliminating women’s rights, millions are now at risk of poverty, and active battles in parts of Afghanistan continue. Before Ashura, a religious celebration, 150 people were either killed or injured in attacks that ISIS claimed. Ayman al-Zawahiri was killed a few days later in Kabul, which is an indication that Taliban did not keep their promise of disassociating with al Qaeda and other military extremists.”
Ariana News, Islamic Emirate committed to fighting ISIS in Afghanistan: Haqqani, 2 August 2022
“Haqqani added that al-Qaeda does not have a military force in Afghanistan and that the network is no longer a threat to the security of the region and the world.”
TOLO News, Reports of Afghan-Pakistani Clash in Kunar, 8 August 2022
“Islamic Emirate and Pakistani soldiers exchanged gunfire in the Ben-Shahi area of Dangam district in Kunar province, according to Najibullah Hanif, local director of information and culture. Hanif said the clashes were resolved and that no one was harmed. He stated that the attempt by Pakistani soldiers to build military facilities along the Durand Line is what sparked the clashes.”
Gandhara, New Blast Shakes Kabul, Killing At Least Two And Injuring 22, August 6 2022
“KABUL -- An explosion has ripped through a mostly Shi’ite area of Kabul, killing at least two people and injuring 22 militants. The blast on August 6 hit the Sukhteh Pul area of Kabul, home to many of the city's Shi’ite Muslim population. A Taliban-appointed police spokesman said one of the wounded was in critical condition. 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.”
AVA, IS-K Deadly Explosion During Shia Mourning, 6, August 2022
“Afghan Voice Agency(AVA)_Monitoring, The Friday explosion occurred in a wheelbarrow among civilians in Kabul city’s Police District 6, according to a tweet from the Islamic Emirate’s senior spokesperson, Zabihullah Mujahid, which “martyred” 8 people and wounded another 18. […] ISIS reportedly declared in a statement that its attack in the west of Kabul resulted in the deaths and injuries of 20, according to Reuters.”
TOLO News, Fighting in Karta-e-Sakhi Between Islamic Emirate Forces and Daesh, 4 August 2022
“At least four members of the Daesh group were killed and one person was detained in operations conducted earlier this week by the Islamic Emirate forces in Karta-e- Sakhi area of Kabul city, Kabul security department said.The clashes between the Islamic Emirate forces and Daesh members lasted for many hours. “Those who were trying to target civilians, four of them were killed and one of them was detained. In this operation, one member of the Islamic Emirate force was killed and another one was wounded. Also, a policewoman was killed,” said Khalid Zadran, a spokesman for the Kabul security department.”
Gandhara, Two Taliban Police Officers Killed In Kabul By Alleged Islamic State-Khorasan Gunman, 4 August 2022 “A gunbattle in Afghanistan’s capital on August 3 left at least five people dead, including two Taliban police officers, the Taliban spokesman for the Kabul police chief said. The gunbattle erupted after police launched an operation against a hideout in the Karti Sakhi neighborhood in western Kabul heavily populated by Shi’a, said spokesman Khalid Zadran. The officers killed at least three of the gunmen, who Zadran said were Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants. There was no immediate claim of responsibility.”
AVA, Religious Scholar was killed in Central Afghanistan, 3 August 2022
“Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Monitoring, Abdul Matin Mohammadi, a religious scholar, was allegedly killed on Tuesday, August 2, in the evening by unidentified assailants, according to the Islamic Emirate authorities. […] According to sources, the attackers ride away from the scene on motorcycles after killing Mohammadi as he was returning home after offering the prayers in the mosque. […] The Islamic Emirate governor’s office in the province of Ghor reports that no one has been arrested in relation to the death of this religious scholar, despite an ongoing investigation.”
Khaama Press, Taliban Foreign Minister Says 1,800 ISIS Prisoners Were Released From Prisons When Kabul Fell, 27 July 2022
“American officials even said the Taliban’s release of extremist Islamist ISIS prisoners from the prisons of Pul-e- Charkhi and Bagram had strengthened the group.After taking control of every province last year, the Taliban pardoned all the prisoners with all the detention centers and prisons in Afghanistan were emptied when this group took Kabul. Even though the Taliban have underlined time and time again that ISIS does not physically exist in Afghanistan and does not pose a threat, since the Taliban’s gaining control, ISIS has claimed responsibility for deadly attacks on mosques, schools, and cars.”
"In the ten months since seizing power in Afghanistan, the Taliban has consistently stressed that its political control has eliminated armed unrest in the country. But undercutting the mullahcracy’s confident assertions is others in the second blast in two days in the Afghan capital that has been claimed by Sunni-led Islamic State (IS) ongoing resistance centered in the northern Panjshir and Baghlan provinces. Last month (May), the National Resistance Forces of Afghanistan (NRF), a loose alliance of anti-Taliban factions consisting primarily of former members of the country’s military and police (many of them trained by the United States military), recently announced a new offensive against the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate (IE) to “liberate” the Panjshir and Andarab valleys (Hasht e Subh, May 8).
Further muddying the situation as the Afghan IE attempts to reassert its authority in Takhar and Badakhshan border provinces, Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISIS-KP) militants have not only also contested the Taliban’s control but even fired rockets into neighboring Tajikistan. The fluid security situation on the Tajikistani-Afghan frontier has attracted the attention of Russia, China and the US. Each of these rival powers is providing assistance to Tajikistan to strengthen its southern border with Afghanistan while Dushanbe simultaneously copes with domestic disturbances in its restive eastern Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Oblast (GBAO) (see EDM, May 24, June 1).
In a rare bilateral convergence of efforts, both Moscow and Washington are contributing money and expertise to help strengthen Tajikistan’s southern frontier with Afghanistan. While Russia began offering military security assistance to Tajikistan immediately following the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union, the US has provided Tajikistan with over $300 million since 2002 to help combat security threats. Moreover, the United States is planning to help fund construction of Tajikistan’s new border guard facility at Ayvoj in 2022 (Tj.usembassy.gov, September 1, 2021). Since 2016, China has also assisted Tajikistan, having built a security post near Shaymak, in Tajikistan’s GBAO, to monitor Afghanistan’s eastern Wakkan Corridor (see EDM, December 7, 2021; The Straits Times, October 29, 2021). Efforts to reinforce Tajikistan’s southern border represent the most significant international intervention in South Asia since the Taliban victory in Afghanistan ten months ago.”
Pajhwok, Afghanistan: 61 suffered casualties last week, 18 June 2022
“KABUL (Pajhwok): At least 26 people were killed and 35 others wounded last week while different sources once again stressed the reopening of schools for girls above sixth grade and the formation of an inclusive government. […] Casualties Last week, 26 people were killed and 35 more wounded. Reports say one person was killed and 10 more wounded as a result of an explosion in the Imam Sahib district of northern Kunduz province. Local sources say unidentified gunmen attacked technical staff of the Mazar-i-Sharif airport, killing two people and wounding six more. Meanwhile, security officials say three robbers were killed and one security officer wounded in Mazar-i- Sharif. According to reports, eight Daesh rebels including their commander were killed during an operation by security forces in northern Takhar province. In Helmand, one individual was killed and three others were wounded in a blast triggered by an unexploded shell. Officials say four people were killed as a result of an explosion in the Butkhak area of Kabul. A Daesh commander was killed during an operation in Kabul. A child was killed in a blast in Badakhshan while three people were injured in in an explosion in Kunduz province last week. Based on media reports, one individual was killed and four others were wounded in a sticky bomb blast in Kunar province, where four members of a family were injured in a grenade attack. Reports show that unidentified gunmen killed one person each in Daikundi, Jawzjan, Ghor, and Paktia provinces. One individual was injured in Paktia. Local sources say the body of a midwife was found in central Uruzgan province.”
BBC, Afghanistan gurdwara attack: Sikhs say 'We don't feel safe', 18 June 2022
“The attack on a Sikh prayer site in the Afghan capital, Kabul, began early in the morning. Militants opened fire outside the fortified doors leading to the compound housing a Sikh gurdwara, as well as the homes of members of the community. The assailants killed the security guard, and armed with grenades they managed to make their way inside, whilst Taliban members stationed at nearby checkpoints rushed after them. "My house is just in front of the gurdwara, as soon as I heard firing I looked out the window, people were saying attackers are inside," Kuljit Singh Khalsa told the BBC. "It was chaos, then all of a sudden there was a blast from outside." A bomb hidden inside a car, parked next to a Taliban checkpost, had been detonated, killing the unit's commander and ripping through the surrounding shops and homes. The attack had begun around half and hour before daily morning prayers were due to start. "If it had been later, there would've been even more people inside," Mr Khalsa said. […] So far, there has been no claim of responsibility but it appears likely that IS was also behind this latest attack.
Afghanistan's Shia and Sufi Muslim minorities have also repeatedly been targeted by the group. IS is much less powerful than the Taliban and does not control any territory, but has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in the country's history. Overall, levels of violence in Afghanistan have fallen dramatically since the Taliban returned to power - ending their insurgency - but IS is undermining the Taliban's promise to have finally brought security to the nation. […] All the attackers were killed around three hours after the assault began, during which time intense gunfire and multiple explosions could be heard. At least one Sikh man and one member of the Taliban's security forces were killed. Wandering through the still smoking wreckage of the Gurdwara, Sikh community members said they were grateful for the Taliban's help in bringing the attack to an end, but that they did not feel safe and wanted to leave the country. "We've appealed a lot to the Indian government, to find a way to give us visas, we don't want to live here anymore," said Sukhbir Singh Khalsa. "Those of us left here are only here because we don't have visas, no-one wants to stay here. This has happened now, tomorrow it will happen again, and then again after that."”
AVA, Militant commander killed in special forces raid in Kabul, 13 June 2022
“Zabiullah Mujahid, the IEA’s spokesman, said the militant commander was killed and another was arrested during the operation. Mujahid did not however say which group the insurgent belonged to. “A prominent enemy commander named Yusof had been killed and another named Mohammad Agha had been arrested during the operation,” Mujahid tweeted. “These people were important members of a group of enemies who were responsible for attacking mosques and other worship places in Kabul and blowing up electricity pylons,” Mujahid added. Mujahid also said further details of the operation would be shared with the media later.”
Ariana News, Seven Daesh members killed in Takhar operation, 12 June 2022
“Seven members of Daesh militant group were killed in an operation by security forces in Afghanistan’s northern Takhar province on Saturday, police said. The militants were hiding in a house in Prozhay Sharqi, District 4 of the provincial capital Taluqan. Habibullah Shakir, the police chief of Takhar, said that security forces carried out the raid on Saturday afternoon based on an intelligence report. He said that the operation lasted for one hour, as a result of which seven militants were killed, three more were arrested and some weapons and ammunition were seized. Two civilians were also killed during the raid, he said. Zabihullah Mujahid, the government’s spokesman, said the raid targeted Daesh’s funding, equipping and training center. He said that eight key militants including their commander Yonus Uzbekistani were killed in the operation. Separately, Sunday saw two bomb blasts happening in northeastern provinces of Badakhshan and Kunduz. One child was injured in the Badakhshan explosion while the one in Kunduz left three people wounded.”
ACLED, REGIONAL OVERVIEW: SOUTH ASIA AND AFGHANISTAN 28 MAY-3 JUNE 2022, 9 June 2022
“Last week in South Asia and Afghanistan, Taliban forces came under attack from anti-Taliban groups, the Islamic State (IS), and the National Resistance Front (NRF) in Afghanistan. Civilians in Panjshir province were detained and reportedly tortured following NRF-Taliban clashes. In Pakistan, IS and unknown groups clashed with security forces in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, while Baloch separatists increased attacks against security forces and civilians in Balochistan. In India, security forces conducted operations against militant groups amid increasing militant attacks on civilians in Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), while communal clashes broke out between Muslim and Hindu groups in Uttar Pradesh state. In Sri Lanka, anti-government demonstrations continued amid the country’s worst economic crisis in decades. In Bangladesh, clashes involving Bangladesh Awami League (AL) and Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) supporters continued across several divisions. In Afghanistan, the Taliban continued to arrest and reportedly torture civilians across Panjshir province last week, accusing them of cooperating with NRF forces. In Hissa-e-Awal (Khinj) district, 100 people were arrested on 1 June, including minors and the elderly, despite local residents contending that the detained did not have any links to the NRF (Subhe Kabul, 2 June 2022). In Badakhshan province, civilians were also forcibly recruited to fight against the NRF, with the Taliban reportedly torturing those who refused (Hasht e Subh, 1 June 2022). The arrest and reported torture of civilians comes amid ongoing clashes between the Taliban and the NRF, mostly centered in Baghlan and Panjshir provinces. These trends contribute to the 225% increase in violence in Panjshir in the past month relative to the past year flagged by ACLED’s
Subnational Threat Tracker. The Subnational Tracker first warned of increased violence to come in Panjshir in the past month. Other armed groups, including the Afghanistan Liberation Movement, the National Liberation Front of Afghanistan (NLFA), and IS, also continued to target Taliban forces last week. The Afghanistan Liberation Movement claims the killing of eight Taliban members in Qalat district of Zabul, and the NLFA claims attacks in Kandahar and Takhar province. In Kandahar, the NLFA killed a senior Taliban commander during an attack in Zhire district. In Takhar, the group attacked a prison in Taloqan city, freeing two former military officers and killing nine Taliban members. Meanwhile, IS increased its attacks on Taliban forces compared to the week prior, killing at least seven Taliban members in Kabul, Kunar, Kunduz, and Nangarhar.”
JURIST, Afghanistan dispatch: ‘An oppressive regime will eventually be met with defiance.’, 9 June 2022
“Law students and lawyers in Afghanistan are filing reports with JURIST on the situation there after the Taliban takeover. Here, a law student in Kabul reports on conflict between Taliban fighter and resistance forces in the Panjshir valley area of the country. For privacy and security reasons, we are withholding our correspondent’s name. The text has only been lightly edited to respect the author’s voice. The Afghan resistance war on the Taliban is very likely to escalate, according to a recent report by UN experts. The report notes that the main military threats against Taliban are the National Resistance Force-NRF (an anti-Taliban movement made of The Northern Alliance that fought against the Soviets, plus former government military personnel), and ISIS-K. The Taliban have proved to be fragmented, and internal conflicts are evident all the way to the bottom of their ranks. In recent months, the Taliban have preferred members of their own ethnic group in provinces which are made up of predominantly Persian speakers, have confiscated lands from Hazara people and awarded them to Pashtuns, have conducted targeted killings of former military personnel, and – the jewel on top – have sexually harassed women whose husbands or other family members have fought against them in the past. An oppressive regime will eventually be met with defiance.
Given the history of Afghanistan, the day of a full uprising is not far off; and the provocative and oppressing behaviour of the Taliban against other ethnic groups – such as backing their own tribal members and kin to monopolize trade, government jobs and any service a government is expected to provide – is making the idea of an uprising and a full escalated war against them more plausible and expected. The UN report speculates that after weather change in the country the fighting against Taliban could intensify.
The Washington Post meanwhile reports that Taliban are engaged in fighting in Panjshir province, noting that the “Taliban have been denying any conflict, yet thousands of their fighters are stationed in the valley”. The fighting in Panjshir has been intense and more than a hundred Taliban have been killed and many more injured in recent weeks. The NRF has been fairly successful in their guerrilla attacks and have taken out Taliban fighters and important figures in the valley.
The major part of the casualties inflicted on the Taliban come from their own counter offenses to finish of the resistance once and for all, but having the higher ground gives the NRF an incredible advantage in keeping them at a distance and carrying out strikes which have delivered fatal blows to Taliban fighters. In response, the Taliban have been detaining hundereds of civilians in Panjshir, have carried out tens of field excutions and have been torturing freinds and families of the NRF members for information, some of whom have been reported dead after intense torture. In one incident a shepherd was killed by torture and his family were threatend to keep his death quiet or meet the same fate as him. Crimes against humanity, genocide and death by torture are happening in Panjsher, Andarab and Takhar provinces as I write this report. An open letter to the UN has been signed by 60 experts, professors and PhD holders around the world to call for an immediate stop to human rights violation against Tajiks in the aforementioned provinces.”
Gandhara, Taliban Accused of Forced Evictions As Fighting Intensifies In Northern Afghanistan, 7 June 2022
“The Taliban captured Baghlan and Panjshir in early September, weeks after toppling the Western-backed Afghan government and seizing power in Kabul. Since April, deadly clashes have erupted between resistance forces and the Taliban in both provinces. Last month, heavy clashes broke out in parts of Panjshir, a traditional hotbed of ethnic Tajik resistance to the Pashtun-dominated Taliban. Residents alleged that some civilians accused of having links with the NRF were executed. Others were beaten and tortured in Taliban custody, they said."
"Meanwhile, locals told Radio Azadi that the Taliban detained more than 100 civilians in the Paryan district of Panjshir in the past week. Their whereabouts are unknown. Earlier, the Taliban said it had detained an unspecified number of people accused of having links with the NRF. Locals have also alleged that Taliban fighters have recently beheaded several NRF fighters who were captured, a claim the Taliban has rejected. The ongoing fighting has forced thousands of people to flee their homes in Panjshir."
DW, Taliban faces threats from 'Islamic State', UN Says, 3 June 2022
"The Taliban regime faces multiple threats from al-Qaida, the "Islamic State" (IS) group, and an insurgency in the northern region of Panjshir, according to a new report prepared for the UN Security Council. The report suggested that neither IS nor al-Qaida is expected to be able to launch international attacks "before 2023 at the earliest, regardless of their intent or of whether the Taliban acts to restrain them."
ACLED, REGIONAL OVERVIEW: SOUTH ASIA AND AFGHANISTAN 21-27 MAY 2022, 1 June 2022
“Last week in South Asia and Afghanistan, Islamic State (IS), unknown groups, and the Taliban attacked civilians in Afghanistan, while anti-Taliban groups and IS continued to attack the Taliban. […] In Afghanistan, IS, unidentified groups, and the Taliban targeted civilians last week. On 25 May, at least nine civilians were killed and dozens injured in Mazar-e-Sharif city in Balkh province when remote bombs detonated in three minibuses carrying people from the Hazara community. IS claimed responsibility for the attack (Al Jazeera, 25 May 2022). This attack was the third IS attack in Mazar-e-Sharif city in the past month, with the previous attacks targeting Shiite Muslims. On the same day, another explosion occurred inside a mosque in Kabul city, killing at least five people. Similar to other deadly mosque attacks in Kabul on 29 April and 13 May, the perpetrators of the attack remain unknown.
Taliban forces also carried out attacks targeting civilians across the country. Among these attacks, the Taliban opened fire at a wedding ceremony in Surkh Rud district of Nangarhar province for unclear reasons, injuring the bride and many others. The Taliban also targeted civilians for playing music in Kabul city.
Meanwhile, anti-Taliban groups carried out attacks against the Taliban across the country last week. The National Resistance Front (NRF) continued offensives in Panjshir province, as well as Parwan and Kapisa, claiming to have killed at least 40 Taliban members in Panjshir. Meanwhile, the Taliban reportedly conducted operations against two NRF bases in the province. Taliban forces also continued to detain and torture locals in Panjshir, including elders and children (Hasht-e Subh, 26 May 2022). These trends contribute to the 256% increase in violence in the province last month relative to the past year, as flagged by ACLED’s Subnational Threat Tracker. The Subnational Tracker first warned of this increased violence to come in Panjshir in the past month. Elsewhere, in Ghazni province, the Afghanistan Liberation Movement claimed to have killed the Taliban’s chief of intelligence in a mine explosion (Shafaqna, 27 May 2022). In Kabul province, the National Liberation Front of Afghanistan claimed to have conducted an attack on the Taliban police chief’s house in Qarabagh district, reportedly killing seven Taliban members (Subhe Kabul, 25 May 2022).
IS also carried out multiple attacks against the Taliban in Kabul city, including a suicide bombing that killed at least two Taliban members during a commemoration ceremony for former Taliban leader Akhtar Mansour (TOLO News, 22 May 2022; Twitter @Natsecjeff, 22 May 2022). IS also targeted a Taliban vehicle with an explosive device, killing or injuring all those on board.”
Tolo News, MoFA Denies UN Report Alleging Foreign Groups in Country, 30 May 2022
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) issued a statement rejecting a report by the UN Security Council alleging that Al-Qaida and the Islamic Emirate have a "close" relationship and that foreign groups are in Afghanistan. “The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan again reaffirms its commitments and reassures all that none shall be allowed to use the territory of Afghanistan against others," the statement said.
The UN Security Council Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team in the report said Al-Qaida has a “safe haven under the Taliban and increased freedom of action."
“The relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida remains close, with the latter celebrating the former’s success and renewing its pledge of allegiance to [Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada],” the UN report said.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) in a recent statement said the allegations were baseless: “The fact remains that since the return to power of the Islamic Emirate, the world and the region have been prevented from facing any harm from Afghanistan, and the Afghan government has consistently worked for the last nine months to build an environment of trust with the regional and world countries.
”The Ministry of Foreign Affairs' statement called on the United Nations to hand over the post of Afghanistan's permanent representative at the UN to the current Afghan government in order to directly provide factual information to the UNSC and other countries. The United Nations report estimated an approximate presence of "180 to 400 fighters affiliated with Al-Qaeda" from "Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan" who are settled in "Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimruz, Paktika and Zabul provinces." “The Islamic Emirate is committed to its promises. It has attempted for the past nine months to prevent any kind of threat to other countries from Afghan soil and to create a trust-building environment with regional countries,” said Inamullah Samangani, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate.”
Tolo News, Al-Qaida and Islamic Emirate Relationship 'Remains Close’: UN, 29 May 2022
"The relationship between the Taliban and Al-Qaida remains close, with the latter celebrating the former’s success and renewing its pledge of allegiance to [Mawlawi Hibatullah Akhundzada]," a UN report said. The Islamic Emirate has yet to comment on this latest claim but has earlier denied reports of the presence of terrorist groups in Afghanistan. The UN Security Council released a report by the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team which assessed the presence of Al-Qaeda and Daesh groups in Afghanistan. “Member State assessments thus far suggest that Al-Qaida has a safe haven under the Taliban and increased freedom of action. Ayman al-Zawahiri has issued more frequent recorded messages since August, and there is now proof of life for him as recently as February 2022,” the report said. The report estimated an approximate presence of "180 to 400 fighters affiliated with Al-Qaeda" from "Bangladesh, India, Myanmar and Pakistan" who are settled in "Ghazni, Helmand, Kandahar, Nimruz, Paktika and Zabul provinces." “The Islamic Emirate has yet to reach a final discussion regarding this issue. The officials of the Islamic Emirate should provide final assurances in this regard,” said Shir Hassan Hassan, an international relations analyst […]”
UNOCHR, Facing critical human rights challenges, Afghanistan at a crossroads, says UN expert in Kabul, 26 May 2022
“The newly appointed Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Afghanistan, Richard Bennett […] […] called for investigations into a series of attacks on places of worship and schools in Kabul, Kunduz, and Balkh provinces, instances of which have been claimed by the ISIS-K group. He said that such attacks specifically targeting members of the Hazara, Shia, and Sufi communities are becoming increasingly systematic in nature and reflect elements of an organizational policy, thus bearing hallmarks of crimes against humanity. He also expressed concern about allegations, which require verification, that civilians have been exposed to violations of international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including arbitrary arrests, extrajudicial killings, torture, and forced displacement in Panjshir and other northern provinces, which have recently seen clashes between the de facto security forces and fighters affiliated with the National Resistance Front.”
Long War Journal, Tajik terrorist serves as Taliban commander in northern Afghanistan, 25 May 2022
“As the Taliban continues to maintain that it doesn’t allow foreign fighters in Afghanistan, a Tajik national and commander for the Al Qaeda-linked Jamaat Ansarullah remains in control of several districts in a northern Afghan province. During the Taliban’s swift offensive across Afghanistan last spring and summer, the Taliban placed five districts in the northern province of Badakhshan under the control of Mahdi Arsalon, a Tajik national and a commander in the Al Qaeda-linked Jamaat Ansarullah (JA). Arsalon was given control of the districts by Qari Fasihuddin, an ethnic Tajik Taliban commander who served as the shadow governor of Badakhshan at the time. Fasihuddin has since been appointed to serve as the Taliban’s chief of army staff.
The clear cooperation between the Taliban and Jamaat Ansarullah directly contradicts repeated Taliban claims that their regime does not provide safe haven to foreign fighters. In an interview with CNN this past week, the Taliban’s Minister of the Interior, and leader of the Haqqani Network, Siraj Haqqani doubled down on the assertion, declaring that the Taliban does not support foreign fighters and does not allow Afghanistan to serve as a breeding ground or launching pad for terrorism. Numerous terror groups, including Al Qaeda, the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, Lashkar-e-Taiba, Harakat-ul-Mujahideen, Hizbul Mujahideen, Jaish-e-Mohammed, the Turkistan Isamic Party, Katibat Imam Bukhari, and a host of others are known to operate inside Afghanistan. These groups are closely allied with the Taliban and helped the group take control of the country in order to establish the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. On his Facebook account, Arsalon recently posted videos of Jamaat Ansarullah fighters, or “Tajik Taliban” forces, operating along the Afghanistan-Tajikistan border in Badakhshan’s districts of Kuf Ab, Khwahan, Maimay, Nusay, and Shekay.”
ACLED, REGIONAL OVERVIEW: SOUTH ASIA AND AFGHANISTAN 7-13 MAY 2022, 19 May 2022
“In Afghanistan, the Taliban intensified operations against the NRF in the northern Panjshir and Baghlan provinces last week. These clashes led civilians to flee their homes, while reportedly also being targeted and tortured by the Taliban (CBS News, 16 May 2022; RFE/RL, 13 May 2022). Further clashes between the NRF and Taliban forces were reported in Parwan, Kapisa, and Warsaj district, Takhar province, after the NRF claimed to have seized key points in Warsaj from the Taliban the week prior. At least 12 civilians were killed by Taliban forces in Warsaj district, as some civilians, including the former governor of Warsaj, were tortured for information on the NRF (Subhe Kabul, 11 May 2022). Taliban forces also carried out airstrikes in Warsaj, prompting civilians to flee. ACLED’s Subnational Surge Tracker first warned of increased violence to come in both Panjshir and Takhar in the past month.
Meanwhile, IS and anti-Taliban groups targeted Taliban forces across the country. IS killed at least three Taliban members and injured others in attacks in Nangarhar and Kunar provinces. In Ghazni province, the anti-Taliban Afghanistan Liberation Movement conducted a rocket attack in Waghaz district, claiming to have caused Taliban casualties. Also in Ghazni, the Watandost Front, or Patriotic Front, claimed to have seized control of a village in Ab Band district during an attack on a Taliban base – reportedly the group’s first armed interaction with the Taliban (Subhe Kabul, 20 May 2022).”
BBC News, Afghan resistance attack Taliban, sparking reprisals in Panjshir, 17 May 2022
"The Taliban have been accused of human rights abuses during clashes with resistance forces in Panjshir province, to the north of Kabul. One local resident told the BBC his unarmed elderly relative had been shot by the group, who seized power in Afghanistan last August. Another saw a neighbour beaten by the Taliban until he fell unconscious. A local Taliban spokesman denied any abuses had taken place or that any of the group's members had been killed. The fighting is localised and at this stage does not represent a challenge to the Taliban's control of the country, but it is the most significant sustained armed opposition the group has faced since coming to power. In recent days, fighters belonging to the National Resistance Front launched a guerrilla attack on Taliban forces in the area, who responded by sending a large number of reinforcements to Panjshir. Taliban forces were ambushed and a number were allegedly killed - something Taliban officials have denied. Details on casualty figures, and even the extent of the fighting, are difficult to ascertain. The Taliban appear to be downplaying the clashes, while claims by the NRF often seem exaggerated. Two local sources said that about 15 unarmed civilians had been killed by the Taliban in Panjshir so far."
Gandhara, New Reports Of Fighting In Afghanistan's Panjshir Trigger Fresh Claims Of Taliban War Crimes, 13 May 2022
“Resistance to the Taliban is flaring up in northeastern Afghanistan, and as reports of deadly fighting increase, so are claims of war crimes against civilians. The fighting is centered in the center and south of Panjshir Province, a traditional hotbed of ethnic Tajik resistance to the Pashtun-dominated Taliban and the last province to fall to the extremist group after it seized control of the rest of the country in August.”
Jurist, Afghanistan dispatch: armed resistance against the Taliban continues, 12 May 2022
"Since their takeover of Afghanistan the Taliban have tried to cover up any news of revolt and resistance against them, although as reported by Afghanistan International since August of last year there have been at least 13 clashes between Taliban and the anti-Taliban movements in Baghlan province, 8 in Panjshir province and 3 in Takhar province. Also there have been minor clashes and attacks on Taliban in six other provinces, the capital being excluded. As recently as last Friday, May 6, there were reports of yet another conflict between the Taliban have denied the existence of any conflict in Panjshir at first, though videos of fighting and of the Taliban’s reinforcement convoys moving toward Panjshir have been shared on social media. Hasht-e-sobh, the most read news paper in the country, has confirmed that 20 bodies of Taliban fighters have been carried to the southern provinces.
Hasht-e-sobh, qouting from ACLED (Armed Conflict Location & Event Data Project), reports that at least six freedom fighter groups are currently engaged against the Taliban and are gaining influence among the public here. The Nantional Resistance Force is the current dominant group among the anti-Taliban movments. The Azadagan (Free People) Front has been jointly fighting the Taliban in the recent days with the NRF. The National Liberation Front is another group, which in a recent strike killed a prominent Taliban figure in the west of Kabul who was known to be the organizer of suicide attackes against Shiites people. The Wolfs of Jawzjan is an anti- taliban movement mainly formed by Uzbeks. The formation of The Afghan Liberation Movement, a Pashtun-led group, is thought to be a giant step for the anti-Taliban movments, although the other two are minor groups."
ACLED, REGIONAL OVERVIEW: SOUTH ASIA AND AFGHANISTAN 23 APRIL-6 MAY 2022, 12 May 2022
"In Afghanistan, the National Resistance Front (NRF) increased attacks against the Taliban in the northern provinces over the past two weeks, especially in Baghlan, Panjshir, and Takhar. The group claims to have seized Taliban checkpoints, bases, and villages in Pul-e-Hisar district of Baghlan province, Warsaj district of Takhar province, and Darah district of Panjshir, with clashes resulting in dozens of Taliban and NRF fatalities. These trends contribute to the 157% increase in violence in Panjshir last week relative to the past month as flagged by ACLED’s Subnational Surge Tracker. The Subnational Tracker first warned of increased violence to come in Panjshir, as well as Takhar, in the past month. Additionally, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), the National Liberation Front of Afghanistan (NLFA), and IS targeted the Taliban across the country.
The AFF claims to have attacked Taliban forces in Kabul, Laghman, and Parwan provinces, including an operation on the Taliban intelligence headquarters in Badghis province. Meanwhile, the NLFA, an anti-Taliban group that declared its formation in February, has claimed several attacks against the Taliban in Kabul, Kandahar, Khost, and Paktia provinces. In Khost, the NLFA claims to have killed 12 Taliban members, including the chief of Alisher district. Taliban officials ignored NLFA claims, instead claiming that a fire occurred at the Alisher district military base (Etilaat e Roz, 2 May 2022). IS also attacked Taliban forces in northeastern Afghanistan, including attacks in Kabul, Kunar, and Nangarhar, killing at least nine Taliban members."
"“Hostilities had grown in Dara district, but a small-scale damage had been done to Taliban troops, including the destruction of three vehicles and the injury of three members,” Abu Bakr Siddiqui, spokesman for the Taliban governor in Panjshir province, told the media today, 9th May. Six Taliban were captured and seven Taliban tanks were entirely destroyed, according to the spokesperson for NRF. While the spokesman for the NRF claims that the Taliban are under pressure in Panjshir and have suffered casualties, a Taliban spokesman for the province claims that their “operation” to clear members of the NRF in the AbdullahKhel village has forced them to flee to the mountains. However, public sources in Panjshir province state that two military helicopters evacuated all Taliban bodies and wounded to Kabul yesterday."
Gandhara, Taliban Investigating Report That Islamic State Fired Rockets Into Tajikistan, 8 May 2022
"The Islamic State (IS) extremist group said earlier on May 8 that it had fired eight rockets from Afghanistan into the territory of neighboring Tajikistan, according to an Afghan media report. The Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) news agency quoted an IS press release claiming the militants had fired the rockets from the Khawaja Ghar district of Afghanistan's Takhar Province toward unspecified military targets in Tajikistan on May 7. In a statement, however, Tajikistan said bullets, not rockets, were fired accidentally into Tajik territory during a firefight on the Afghan side of the border between Taliban forces and IS militants."
Khaama, The National Resistance Front to Reassume the Control of Sections of Panjshir Province, 7 May 2022
and the National Resistance Force; an NRF spokesperson claimed 22 Taliban killed and 6 wounded. The Taliban
"The Resistance Front claims that operations in Panjshir have resumed, with their first operation claiming sections of the province. The Resistance Front’s spokesman, Sibghatullah Ahmadi, tweeted last night, May 7, that the districts of AbdullahKhel and Abshar, with the exception of their centers, had fallen to the Front. He also labeled all of the Resistance Front’s held territories as crucial and strategic, noting that the district centers were under siege and that the Taliban had asked more time to surrender. The operation was carried out as the Taliban Red Unit was conducting house-to-house searches in the two districts, according to the spokesman for the Resistance Front. The operation has killed 13 Taliban fighters, and Ahmadi claims that five of their armored vehicles have been destroyed."
"In response to statements by Sebghatullah Ahmadi, spokesman for the Resistance Front, claiming sections of Panjshir province had fallen into the front’s control, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said no military actions had been carried out against their forces in Panjshir."
Khaama, ISIS Trying to Regroup in Afghanistan: Gen. Milley, 6 May 2022
"Chairman of the US Joint Chief of Staff General Mark Milley said Tuesday the terrorist groups – including the Islamic State (ISIS) – are trying to regroup in Afghanistan, according to sources, exclaiming it poses a threat to the United States mainland."
ACLED, REGIONAL OVERVIEW: SOUTH ASIA AND AFGHANISTAN 16-22 APRIL 2022, 28 April 2022
“In Afghanistan, dozens of civilians were killed by IS and unknown groups during attacks across the country last week, including deadly bombings at mosques in Balkh and Kunduz provinces. In Balkh province, an IS-planted explosive went off in a Shiite mosque in Mazar-e-Sharif city on 21 April, killing at least 10 people and injuring over
30. Taliban officials claim to have since arrested the main IS militant behind this explosion (Ariana TV, 22 April 2022). The following day, in Kunduz province, unknown perpetrators planted explosives inside a Sunni mosque in Hazrati Imam Sahib district, killing at least 33 people during Friday prayers. The attacks took place as the Muslim holy month Ramadan is ongoing, augmenting insecurity for the worshippers.
Meanwhile, in Kabul, multiple deadly explosions — perpetrated by IS and unknown groups — targeted members of the Hazara community. This surge of attacks triggered a large protest in Kabul, with protesters demanding that the Taliban provide security and calling the attacks against the Hazara community acts of “genocide” (Hasht-e Subh, 22 April 2022). Taliban forces intervened with aerial fire to disperse the protest and injured two people. These trends contribute to the 157% increase in violence in Kabul over the past week relative to the past month, as flagged
by ACLED’s Subnational Surge Tracker.
IS also increased its attacks on the Taliban last week, killing at least 13 Taliban members during clashes in Kabul, Kunar, Logar, Nangarhar, and Takhar provinces. IS explosions targeting civilians and clashes with the Taliban last week marked a significant increase in IS activity compared to recent months (for more on IS activity in Afghanistan, see this infographic). While the Taliban has been carrying out anti-IS operations since their takeover of Afghanistan, last week’s attacks raise concerns about the effectiveness of such operations and the possibility of IS
launching larger offensives in the coming months (The Washington Post, 22 April 2022).
Meanwhile, the NRF and the AFF continued to attack Taliban forces in northern Afghanistan last week, with the AFF also attacking the Taliban in southern Kandahar province. The Liberation Front of Afghanistan and Wolf Unit anti-Taliban groups also claimed separate attacks in Kapisa and Balkh provinces, respectively. The Wolf Unit is reportedly led by the son of Uzbek-Afghan warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum, while the Liberation Front of Afghanistan declared its formation in February without any affiliation (The Institute for the Study of War, 9 March 2022).
Additionally, the militia of Atta Mohammad Noor — a former governor of Balkh province and prominent warlord
— clashed with the Taliban in Mazar-e Sharif city following the explosion in the Shiite mosque. Noor’s nephew was reportedly killed in the clash, along with a number of militiamen and Taliban members.”
Tolo News, 9 killed, 13 Wounded in Two Blasts in Balkh, 28 April 2022
“At least nine people were killed and 13 others were wounded in two blasts occurring on Thursday evening in Mazar-e-Sharif of Balkh province, security officials said. Both blasts targeted public transportation. A spokesman for the Balk security department said that the blasts were due to explosives placed in vehicles. Provincial health officials confirmed hospitals had received bodies of the slain and were treating the wounded. Najibullah Tawana, head of the public health department in Balkh, said ten people including women and children were killed and 15 were wounded in Thursday's Mazar-e Sharif explosions. Daesh claimed responsibility for the blasts.”
Khaama Press, ISIS, Not a Threat, It’s eliminated in Afghanistan: MoI, 25 April 2022
“The phenomenon called Daesh has been eliminated up to 98 percent in Afghanistan and is no more a serious threat. Security forces are still trying to eliminate the last and only hideouts of the heinous phenomenon”
French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Afghanistan – Terrorist attacks, 22 April 2022
“France condemns in the strongest possible terms the terrorist attacks of April 19 and 21 on schools in Kabul as well as yesterday’s attacks on the Seh Dokan mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif and in Kunduz province. These attacks, for which Daesh (IS-K) claimed responsibility, killed several dozen people and wounded more than a hundred, including young children.”
Al Jazeera (Afghanistan), At least 16 killed as explosions rock Afghan cities, 21 April 2022
“At least 16 people have been killed in bomb attacks in two Afghan cities, including 12 people at a Shia mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif in Balkh province which has been claimed by the ISIL (ISIS) group. Twelve people were killed and 58 wounded – including 32 in serious condition – by the blast on Thursday at the Seh Dokan mosque in Mazar-i-Sharif. […] Another roadside blast in Kabul wounded three, including a child, he added.”
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA), Death toll in ‘Pakistan strikes’ on Afghanistan rises to 47: officials, 18 April 2022
“Afghanistan has reported a death toll of at least 47 after Pakistani military air strikes hit the provinces of Kost and Kunar provinces. Pakistani security forces carried out airstrike on Waziristan refugees in Sperai district of southeastern Khost province and in the Shaltan district of eastern province, inflicting casualties on people. “Forty- one civilians, mainly women and children, were killed and 22 others were wounded in air strikes by Pakistani forces near the in Khost province,” Shabir Ahmad Osmani, director of information and culture in Khost told Pajhwok. Meanwhile Najibullah, an official with the Ministry for Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice in Khost told AFP, the death toll in the province was 48.”
Ava Press, Pakistan claims ‘terrorists using Afghan soil’ to carry out attacks, 17 April 2022
“[…] Pakistan said it has “repeatedly requested Afghan Government in last few months to secure Pak-Afghan border region. Terrorists are using Afghan soil with impunity to carry out activities inside Pakistan.” The ministry of foreign affairs spokesman said the two countries have been engaged in dialogue over the past few months tocoordinate security along the shared border.”
Afghan Voice Agency, Attack Claim by NRF Forces on Taliban Base Near Balkh International Airport, 13 April 2022
“The National Resistance Front (NRF) forces have claimed of targeting a Taliban base near Mawlana Jalaluddin Mohammad International Airport in -e-Sharif province, killing and injuring a number of the Taliban rebels in the province. It is said that they carried out the attack at around 1:00 AM on Tuesday night. However, the Taliban press members in the province have refused to provide details about the causalities.The National Resistance Front forces have increased their operations on the Taliban insurgents in , Kunduz, Takhar, Panjshir, , Jowzjan, and provinces.”
Afghan Voice Agency Unknown Armed Gunmen Abduct a Child in Balkh Province, 13 April 2022
“Security camera footage sent to Hasht-e Subh shows armed abducting a child from Zabihullah Shahid Square in Mazar-e-Sharif, the center of the province. The footage was filmed on Tuesday afternoon, April 12. Taliban security members in Balkh have confirmed the case, saying that they have launched a search operation to rescue the child. Reports and findings show a significantly increased graph of abduction cases in Balkh province during the past couple of weeks. In the latest case, the fighters in Mazar-e-Sharif city rescued an abducted man named Ferdous, but the kidnappers escaped. Meanwhile, the operations of unidentified gunmen have recently increased in the province.”
ACLED, Regional Overview: South Asia and Afghanistan 26th February - 1 April 2022, 6 April 2022
In Afghanistan, the NRF, the recently-emerged anti-Taliban AFF, and IS continued to attack Taliban forces last week. The NRF claims to have launched deadly retaliatory attacks on Taliban forces in response to Taliban operations targeting the NRF in Baghlan and Panjshir provinces. (...) In Parwan province, the NRF also claims to have conducted several offensives targeting the Taliban, including an attack on the governor’s building in Sayyed Khel district. Additionally, the AFF and the Taliban clashed in Kapisa province, and (for the first time) in Badakhshan, Kandahar, and Jowzjan provinces last week. Lastly, IS clashed with the Taliban in Logar, Nangarhar, and Farah provinces. In Nangarhar, Taliban forces conducted operations killing five people with suspected IS ties in Chaparhar district.
ACLED, Regional Overview: South Asia and Afghanistan 26th February - 4th March 2022, 10 March 2022
“Last week in South Asia and Afghanistan, the National Resistance Front (NRF), the Islamic State (IS), and unknown groups continued to attack Taliban forces in Afghanistan. The Taliban launched nationwide operations during which they arrested IS members and reportedly detained and tortured civilians. Additionally, former judges and engineers working for the government held protests in Kabul. In Afghanistan, clashes between the NRF and the Taliban continued in Parwan, Baghlan, Badakhshan and Panjshir provinces last week. In Panjshir, the NRF damaged two Taliban helicopters in Shutul district, and claimed to have taken over three Taliban checkpoints in Unaba district. These trends underline how violence continues to surge in Panjshir, with an increase of 168% in the last month relative to past year, as flagged by ACLED’s Subnational Threat Tracker, which first warned of increased violence to come in Panjshir last month. Unidentified groups also targeted Taliban forces with explosives in Kabul and Helmand provinces. In Helmand, a Taliban commander managed to escape unhurt from an explosion targeting his vehicle. Meanwhile, IS killed a Taliban member during a clash in Kunduz. Elsewhere, in Parwan, the Taliban killed an IS militant and arrested others, including a Tajik citizen.”
Freedom House, Freedom in the World 2022 - Afghanistan, 28 February 2022
“Other armed groups were active during the year. The IS-K engaged in violent activity throughout 2021; UNAMA reported that the IS-K claimed responsibility or was believed responsible for 77 attacks in the first four months of the year. The IS-K also claimed responsibility for a bombing near Kabul Airport in August, which killed over 170 civilians and 13 US military personnel. IS-K activities continued after the elected government collapsed; in November, the IS-K attacked a military hospital in Kabul, killing at least 19 people.In August 2021, the Taliban fought the NRF in the Panjshir Valley. The Taliban claimed victory in September, though the NRF vowed to continue its operations.”
TOLO News, Groups Seek to Destabilize Bamiyan, Says Commander, 21 February 2022
“ [...] reports of increased resistance activities in Panjshir, Kapisa and Parwan provinces. [...] A senior army official in the central province of Bamiyan spoke of efforts by some groups to destabilize the province. Mulla Mohammad Shireen, the commander of the 5th Brigade of the 203rd Mansouri Corps, did not provide names of these groups, but stressed that the security forces would not allow anyone to disrupt security. 1,500 troops, armed with light and heavy weapons, left Paktia for Bamiyan.But who are the threats to this province?
“There is talk of a second resistance, we ask all the people of Bamiyan to work with us so that the security of Bamiyan is not compromised,” said Allah Mohammad Bakhtyar, head of Planning and Operations of the Fifth Brigade of Mansouri Corps. Meanwhile, a number of Bamiyan residents criticize what they see as the persecution of the people by the forces of the Islamic Emirate. “Everyone who came here, created check points, nobody listened to the governor's speeches, the people were harassed,” said the elder of the tribe.”
Gandhara, Taliban's Arrest Of Ethnic Uzbek Commander Sparks Clashes In Northern Afghanistan, 29 January 2022
“Since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan in August, information has trickled in about tensions building between the ethnic Uzbek, Turkmen, and Tajik communities in parts of northern Afghanistan and the mainly Pashtun Taliban fighters who have moved to the area in recent months. [...] There is still armed resistance to the Taliban in parts of northern Afghanistan. RFE/RL’s [Radio Free Europe/ Radio Liberty] Afghan service, Radio Azadi, has received information of fighting between Taliban forces and guerrilla bands in Afghanistan’s northern provinces of Baghlan, Balkh, Badakhshan, and Faryab. The guerrilla bands are believed to be part of the National Resistance Front (NRF), a group that emerged after the Taliban seized control over most of Afghanistan and is led by Ahmad Masud, the son of legendary Afghan field commander and leader Ahmad Shah Masud. According to Azadi, there are no reports of fighting in the Panjshir Valley, the NFR stronghold before Taliban forces seized that area in fighting in September. But northern Afghanistan remains restive nearly a half year after the Taliban chased the government from power. The so-called Islamic State of Khorasan (ISK) has been active in northern Afghanistan, as well.”
France 24, Fears stalks city in Islamic State’s Afghan heartland, 21 January 2022
“Once a fringe force in Afghanistan, analysts say the local chapter of IS has been increasingly active since the United States agreed to a deal in 2020 with the Taliban to withdraw foreign troops from the country. The fundamentalist fighters, who are opposed to any compromise with the West, are believed to have about 2,000 to 4,000 fighters in Afghanistan, against 80,000 Taliban. [...] According to Abdul Sayed, an academic specialising in jihadist networks, the group is responsible for nearly 100 attacks since mid-September -- some 85 percent aimed at the Taliban -- and Jalalabad is the front line. [...] While Salafist elders do not deny the community has been a source of recruits for IS, they say they are now being collectively punished. "Not all Salafists are members of the Islamic State," one elder told AFP. "Very often, it is innocent people who are caught, and sometimes killed," says analyst Bahiss, who warns that this indiscriminate Taliban crackdown on Salafists risks strengthening rather than weakening IS.”
Afghan Voice Agency (AVA) Muttaqi, Afghanistan Seeks Good Relations With World, 11 January 2022
“Acting Foreign Minister Amir Kahn Muttaqi said that the new government is exercising power over the whole country, and the Islamic Emirate-led government will not pose a threat to any country in the world. He said that the political isolation of Afghanistan is not in the interest of anyone.”
RUSI, The Taliban’s Homemade Counterinsurgency, 4 January 2022
“Another reason for the Taliban not to hurry in mobilising resources for a massive campaign against IS-K bases in the east has to do with the value that the IS-K threat represents for the Emirate: the Taliban argue to their neighbours that they are the only defence against IS-K, and hence deserve to be supported adequately. A successful campaign against IS-K would undermine that argument.
As a result, instead of mounting a determined strike against IS-K’s ‘centre of gravity’ in the east, the Taliban have been battling it, mostly in the rural areas of Nangarhar – where IS-K has been particularly active – and in the cities affected by the group’s campaign of terrorist attacks, primarily Kabul and Jalalabad. Information about the repression unleashed by the Taliban is sketchy. In Nangarhar in particular and, during September, in Kunar, the Taliban seem to have been rather indiscriminate in their repression. In Kunar, the governor appointed by the Emirate went as far as closing down all Salafi mosques and madrasas, causing a major backlash. The Taliban’s leadership had to replace him and rescind his orders, and the repression seems to have been become less indiscriminate since. In Nangarhar, there are claims that Taliban death squads are executing IS-K suspects without trials and on the basis of little, if any, evidence. To be sure, a lot of unclaimed killings of Salafis have been taking place, although the pace has slowed down in recent weeks.”
Gandhara, Two Killed, Four Wounded After Blasts Hit Kabul Shi’ite Neighborhood, 10 December, 2021
“The Taliban says two separate bomb explosions in a predominately Shi'ite neighborhood of the Afghan capital claimed the lives of two civilians and wounded four others. Two were killed and three others wounded when a car bomb exploded in the Dasht-e Barchi area of wester Kabul, the Taliban’s Interior Ministry spokesman, Sayed Khosti, told RFE/RL on December 10. A woman sustained injuries in another bomb blast in the same area, Khosti added.There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blasts, which followed similar attacks in Kabul claimed by the local affiliate of the Islamic State extremist group, the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K). Twin bombings in Dasht-e Barchi on November 17 that killed or wounded a total of seven people were claimed by IS-K. IS-K is an enemy of the Taliban, which came back to power after toppling the Western-backed government in Kabul in mid-August. Afghanistan's Shi'ite Hazara minority has been the target of repeated attacks by IS-K militants.Hazara represent Afghanistan's third-largest ethnic group. They have faced long-term discrimination and persecution in predominantly Sunni Afghanistan.”
DW, Afghanistan: Deadly bomb blast in Shiite neighborhood in Kabul, 17 November 2021
“A bomb blast killed at least one person in a neighborhood of Kabul populated largely by people from the Hazara Shiite minority on Wednesday, the Taliban confirmed.The explosion happened in the Dast-e-Barchi district. One civilian was killed and six were injured, Interior Ministry spokesperson Qari Sayeed Khosty said on Twitter. Other witnesses reported more casualties. [...] The so-called Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militant group claimed responsibility for the attack.”
Khaama Press, Taliban arrests 11 Daesh suspects in central Daikundi province, 16 November 2021
“Provincial officials in central Daikundi province said that their intelligence personnel arrested 11 people who are suspected to be ISIS-K affiliates. The officials said that the suspects are from Helmand, Ghazni, and Urozgan provinces but added that further investigations have been started. The Taliban have also seized weapons with the suspects. It comes a day after the Taliban fighters in large-scale operations in four districts of Kandahar province arrested ten ISIS-K affiliates and killed three more. Provincial officials of Kandahar province said that four hideouts of the terror group have been eliminated in the province. Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan branch (ISIS-K) is now the only terror group that operates against the Taliban in Afghanistan and inflicts causalities on civilians people mainly the Shi ‘ite Muslims.”
[The Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD) published on 15th November 2021 a Brief compilation on recent developments and key actors in Afghanistan, which you may wish to consult. The compilation covers: Developments in 2021, The Taliban, Taliban-associated groups (Haqqani Network; Al Qaeda); Islamic State - Khorasan Province; National Resistance Front (NRF)]
Khaama Press, Taliban conducts large-scale operations against ISIS-K in Kandahar province, 15 November 2021
“Provincial officials in southern Kandahar province said that the Taliban officials conducted large-scale operations against ISIS-K fighters in four districts of Kandahar province on Monday night, November 14. It is the first time that the Taliban launched operations against the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria-Khorasan branch in Kandahar province. Local residents have said that the operations started Monday midnight and continued until early morning the following day and claimed that three civilians have also been killed during the operations.
Taliban’s provincial officials in Kandahar said that they killed three ISIS-K affiliates and arrested ten more but did not say anything about civilians. In the meantime, it is rumored that an ISIS-K affiliate has blown his explosives in a room that killed the affiliate. The provincial officials and interior ministry have not said anything about the casualties of the Taliban fighters. The ISIS-K has recently escalated their attacks in Afghanistan and has lately claimed responsibility for a deadly attack on Saturday in Kabul that left three killed and six wounded.”
Al Jazeera (Afghanistan), Afghanistan: Taliban leader warns of infiltrators, 4 November 2021
"The supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, has warned the group that there may be “unknown” entities among their ranks who are “working against the will of the government."
Lawfare, The Taliban Haven’t Changed, But U.S. Policy Must, 31 October 2021
“When it comes to IS-K, the notion that the Taliban will be able to provide anything more than short-term, tactical gains against the group is optimistic. Although the Taliban may succeed in rooting out some IS-K cells in the next few months, the history and current trajectory of the Islamic State-Taliban rivalry suggests that a much longer, protracted war between the two organizations is likely if the Taliban are left alone to manage IS-K. Civilians will bear the brunt of the costs. Boosted by thousands of jailbroke fighters, new leadership, and a revamped messaging campaign that paints the Taliban as illegitimate puppets of the United States and the international community, IS-K recently embarked on a lethal campaign of attacks in its former stronghold of Nangarhar province to challenge Taliban rule. With likely support from Salafist sympathizers, veteran jihadists, younger Afghans and others, IS-K has already begun to implement the same method of insurgency as its namesake in Iraq and Syria, including the assassination of prominent members of the “moderate middle” in IS-K’s target recruiting pool in order to weaken its opponents.”
EurAsia.net, Event | Russia looks to Taliban to contain Islamic State in Afghanistan, 28 October 2021
"Moscow seems willing to tolerate Taliban rights abuses, if the movement can get the job done."
AVA Press, ISIS unable to threaten region, Taliban are way stronger: Taliban’s minister, 27 October 2021
“Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan has assured the region not to be threatened by ISIS-K from their soil and said that their fighters are way stronger and serious when it comes to suppressing the group. Afghan Voice Agency (AVA)_Afghanistan’s acting minister of information and culture Khairullah said that they will eliminate not only -K but any group who wants to insecure the region. On the other hand, US undersecretary of defense said that they suspect the ability of the Taliban in suppressing ISIS-K and . Colin Kahl has said that the Taliban have relations with the Al Qaida terror group and that will make it difficult for the former to fight against the group.
Our intelligence assessment indicates that ISIS and Al Qaida are willing to conduct operations abroad including in the US. The assessments show that ISIS-K will be able to do so in six months while Al Qaida will gain the ability in upcoming 12 or 24 months.” Said Kahl. The concerns over the appearance of ISIS-K come after the group conducted bloody attacks in Kandahar and Kunduz province that inflicted casualties to Shite worshipers.”
Gandhara News, Taliban Wages Deadly Crackdown On Afghan Salafists As War With IS-K Intensifies, 22 October 2021
“Since seizing power, the militant group has waged a deadly crackdown on Salafists, who accuse the Taliban of detaining and killing members of the community. They also allege that the Taliban has raided and closed down dozens of their mosques and madrasahs, or religious seminaries.
The Taliban’s clampdown on Salafists has coincided with its escalating war with rival Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) militants, many of whom are Salafists. There are believed to be several hundred thousand Salafists in Afghanistan, mainly concentrated in the eastern provinces Fof Nangarhar, Kunar, and Nuristan. Salafists like Hakimullah say civilian members of the community are caught in the middle of the intensifying conflict between the two groups in eastern Afghanistan, an IS-K stronghold.”
Khaama Press, Taliban underrate Daesh, do not call it danger in Afghanistan, 17 October 2021
“Afghanistan’s acting foreign minister Amir Khan Motaqi during his visit to Turkey said that ISIS-K (Daesh) is not a threat in Afghanistan and the group does not have training centers in the country.”
Al Jazeera (Afganistan), Will Afghanistan’s powerful neighbours engage the Taliban?, 16 October 2021
“The withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan is inevitably leaving a political vacuum in South and Central Asia. The question that many are asking is who will step in to fill it. Afghanistan’s immediate neighbours – Pakistan, Iran and China – all have special interests in the country that they are likely to pursue with renewed vigour.”
Afghan Voice Agency, Blasts Hit Mosque in Kandahar, 32 Killed, 16 October 2021
“A bombing attack occurred at Imam Bargah Fatimeyah mosque in the southern province of Kandahar on Friday.”
Al Jazeera (Afganistan), Deadly explosion hits Shia mosque in Afghanistan’s Kandahar, 15 October 2021
“ISIS-K claims responsibility for attack that killed at least 47 people inside a mosque in southern city during Friday prayers.”
[The Austrian Centre for Country of Origin and Asylum Research and Documentation (ACCORD) published on 5th October 2021 a Brief compilation on recent developments and key actors in Afghanistan, which you may wish to consult. The compilation covers: Developments in 2021, The Taliban, Taliban-associated groups (Haqqani Network; Al Qaeda); Islamic State - Khorasan Province; National Resistance Front (NRF)]
Ariana News, IEA says Daesh is not a threat to Afghanistan’s security, 3 October 2021
“MoI officials also said that Daesh claims responsibility for attacks in Afghanistan that are carried out by criminals. “Daesh is not a serious threat to Afghanistan’s security, and they (Daesh) are not able to threaten Afghanistan’s security,” said Saeed Khosti, spokesman for the MoI. Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) officials say that Daesh has no active presence in the country and falsely claim responsibility for attacks.[...]
This comes after IEA forces raided a Daesh (ISIS-K) hideout north of Kabul on Friday, killing and arresting an unspecified number of militants, an IEA spokesman said. IEA spokesman Bilal Karimi told The Associated Press that Friday’s raid took place in the city of Charikar in Parwan province. He did not provide more details.The raid followed an arrest by the IEA of two Daesh members linked to a roadside bombing that targeted an IEA vehicle in the city on Friday, wounding four members. The two were questioned and the information they provided helped the IEA identify the hideout, Karimi said.”
The Guardian, Civilians killed in deadliest Kabul attack since US withdrawal, 3 October 2021
“IS militants have stepped up attacks against the Taliban since their mid-August takeover, signalling a widening conflict between them. IS maintains a strong presence in the eastern province of Nangarhar, where it has claimed responsibility for several killings in the provincial capital of Jalalabad. [...]
Attacks in Kabul have so far been rare, but in recent weeks IS has shown signs it is expanding its footprint beyond the east and closer toward the capital. On Friday Taliban fighters raided an IS hideout just north of Kabul in Parwan province. The raid came after an IS roadside bomb wounded four Taliban fighters in the area.”
Long War Journal, Testimony: The Biden’s Administration policy in Afghanistan, 30 September 2021
“Al-Qaeda retained a significant footprint in Afghanistan throughout the war. At FDD’s Long War Journal, my colleague Bill Roggio and I have documented this footprint for more than a dozen years. Other sources have recently recognized al-Qaeda’s current network inside the country. For example, a team of experts working for the UN Security Council reported earlier this year that al-Qaeda has an active presence in at least 15 of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces.2 This assessment is broadly consistent with al-Qaeda’s own reporting, via its Arabic newsletter Thabat, as well as with reporting by other sources.3 The U.S. Treasury Department warned in January that al- Qaeda has been “gaining strength in Afghanistan while continuing to operate with the Taliban under the Taliban’s protection.” Al-Qaeda has a “network of mentors and advisers who are embedded with the Taliban, providing advice, guidance, and financial support.”4 Much of al-Qaeda’s focus inside Afghanistan has been on winning the war. Now that the war has been won, al-Qaeda’s personnel in Afghanistan will have the resources to devote to other missions, both throughout the region and globally. [...]
ISKP continues to pose a threat throughout the region. ISKP’s network extends into Pakistan, where it has conducted a string of attacks. The group has also demonstrated some capability to strike in the Central Asian nations. In July 2018, a team of Islamic State terrorists ran over American and European cyclists in Tajikistan, killing four people.5 ISKP has also recruited members from throughout Central Asia who could potentially return to their home countries to conduct attacks.ISKP poses some degree of threat outside of Central and South Asia as well. In the summer of 2016, three men allegedly conspired to carry out terrorist attacks in New York City on behalf of the Islamic State.
American investigators discovered that the trio had at least some contact with ISKP’s jihadists. In April 2020, German authorities broke up a cell of four Tajik nationals who were allegedly preparing to attack U.S. and NATO military facilities.7 Given ISKP’s open hostility to the United States, as demonstrated by the August 26 suicide bombing outside the airport in Kabul, military and intelligence officials will have to continue monitoring the group. 2 U.N. Security Council, “Twelfth report of the Analytical Support and Sanctions Monitoring Team submitted pursuant to resolution 2557 (2020) concerning the Taliban and other associated individuals and entities constituting a threat to the peace stability and security of Afghanistan,” April 28, 2021, page 12. (https://www.undocs.org/pdf?symbol=en/S/2021/486)
3 Bill Roggio, “Analysis: Al Qaeda continues to operate throughout Afghanistan,” FDD’s Long War Journal, April 8, 2021. (https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2021/04/analysis-al-qaeda-continues-to-operate-throughout- afghanistan.php)
4 U.S. Department of the Treasury, Memorandum for Department of Defense Lead Inspector General, “Operation Inherent Resolve - Summary of Work Performed by the Department of the Treasury Related to Terrorist Financing, ISIS, and Anti-Money Laundering for First Quarter Fiscal Year 2021,” January 4, 2021.
(https://oig.treasury.gov/sites/oig/files/2021-01/OIG-CA-21-012.pdf) 5 Thomas Joscelyn, “Assailants in Tajikistan swore allegiance to Baghdadi before attack,” FDD’s Long War Journal, July 31, 2018. (https://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2018/07/assailants-in-tajikistan-swore-allegiance- to- baghdadi-before-attack.php)
6 U.S. Department of Justice, Press Release, “Charges Unsealed Against Three Men for Plotting to Carry out Terrorist Attacks in New York City for ISIS in the Summer of 2016,” October 6, 2017.
(https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/charges-unsealed-against-three-men-plotting-carry-out-terrorist-attacks-new- york- city-isis)
7 Nodirbek Soliev, “The April 2020 Islamic State Terror Plot Against U.S. and NATO Military Bases in Germany: The Tajik Connection,” CTC Sentinel, January 2021, Volume 14, Issue 1. (https://ctc.usma.edu/the-april-2020- islamic- state-terror-plot-against-u-s-and-nato-military-bases-in-germany-the-tajik-connection)”
Long War Journal, Islamic State bombs Taliban convoys in eastern Afghanistan, 20 September 2021
“The Islamic State’s Khorasan Province has claimed responsibility for a series of bombings that targeted Taliban convoys throughout the city of Jalalabad, the capital of Nangarhar province. The group claims that 35 Taliban members were killed or wounded in the attacks, though the casualty figures could not be independently verified. [...] The so-called caliphate’s men previously controlled a number of districts in Nangarhar. The Islamic State even seized ground in the Tora Bora Mountains, which were once home to Osama bin Laden. As of early 2016, the Islamic State’s men reportedly controlled 10 districts in Nangarhar. However, their safe haven shrunk in the months that followed. They lost their turf after battling the U.S. military, security forces for the now deposed Afghan government, as well as rival jihadists from the Taliban and al Qaeda.
Even after losing its turf, the Islamic State retained a terror network in Nangarhar. That network received a new influx of personnel in recent months, as thousands of jihadists were freed from Afghanistan’s jails, including in Jalalabad.”
Danish Immigration Service, Afghanistan Recent developments in the security situation, impact on civilians and targeted individuals, 8 September 2021
[The Danish Immigration Service lists the National Resistance Front (NRF), Al-Qaeda, Islamic State of Khorasan Province (ISKP), and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU) as actors in Afghanistan besides the Taliban.]
“Although these rapid developments in the conflict have put the Taliban in control of all of Afghanistan but the Panjshir Valley and other small pockets of resistance, it should be noted that the Taliban does not constitute the only actor in the country.”