Bombing Targets Shiite Community in Kabul, Afghanistan
A bombing killed at least two and wounded twenty-two in Kabul’s Shiite community; the attack has not been claimed, but it followed two terrorist attacks claimed by the self-proclaimed Islamic State-Khorasan in the same area across a four-day period (Washington Post)
Meanwhile, hundreds of Afghans participated in anti-U.S. protests following the U.S. drone strike that killed al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri earlier this month (Reuters)
U.S. Drone Strike Kills Al-Qaeda’s Top Leader
A U.S. drone strike in Kabul, Afghanistan killed Ayman al-Zawahiri, one of the main planners of the 9/11 terrorist attacks and the global leader of al-Qaeda following the death of Osama bin Laden in 2011; U.S. President Biden said there were no civilian casualties (New York Times)
Border Fight Between Iran and Afghanistan’s Taliban Kills One
A border fight between Iranian forces and Afghanistan’s Taliban killed one Taliban soldier and wounded another (Al Jazeera)
Uzbekistan to Host U.S.–Taliban Talks on Afghanistan
As countries and international organizations meet in Tashkent, Uzbekistan this week to discuss emergency assistance to Afghanistan, the U.S. government and the Taliban have agreed to meet following the conference to discuss economic challenges facing Afghans (Voice of America)
UN Reports at Least 160 Extrajudicial Killings in Afghanistan under Taliban
The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) released a report outlining at least 160 extra-judicial killings of former officials as well as 2,106 civilian casualties attributed to the self-proclaimed Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant-Khorasan Province (UN Press)
Taliban Reportedly Tell Female Officials to Suggest Male Replacements
Female Afghan officials in the country’s finance ministry said the Taliban has demanded that they suggest male relatives to replace them, as female public-sector workers have been barred from government work (The Guardian)
UK Special Forces Committed War Crimes in Afghanistan, Says BBC Probe
A BBC probe found that United Kingdom Special Forces killed at least fifty-four Afghans under suspicious circumstances; the British Royal Military Police said their previous investigation from 2014 to 2019 was obstructed by the military and the evidence collected was judged inconclusive (Al Jazeera)
UAE and Taliban to Strike Deal on Kabul Airport
The Taliban are reportedly set to hand over the operation of Kabul Airport—Afghanistan’s major air connection with the world—to the United Arab Emirates (UAE), following months of negotiations with the UAE, Turkey, and Qatar (Reuters)
Afghan Loya Jirga Urges Recognition of Taliban Government
The Afghan Loya Jirga, an assembly of Islamic clerics and tribal leaders, pledged support for the Taliban; unlike Loya Jirgas under the previous government, women were not allowed to attend, and most attendees were Taliban supporters or officials (Voice of America)
United States to Provide Nearly $55 Million to Support Earthquake Response in Afghanistan
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States will provide nearly $55 million in aid for Afghanistan to support disaster relief following the June 22 earthquake (Reuters)
Meanwhile, the United Nations and other human rights groups have called for the Taliban to hold military operatives responsible for reportedly carrying out summary executions and harming civilians in the rebelling Balkhab district (Voice of America)
One Thousand Afghans Killed in Earthquake
At least 1,000 Afghans were killed and 1,500 were injured in a 5.9 magnitude earthquake which struck southeastern Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan (Al Jazeera)
Explosion in Afghanistan Mosque Kills One, Wounds Seven
An explosion in a mosque in Afghanistan’s northern Kunduz province killed done worshipper and wounded seven others, according to a Taliban official; no group has claimed responsibility for the attack (Washington Post)
American Woman Detained in Afghanistan Released
An Afghan-American man who spent months in Taliban custody helped negotiate the release of an American woman who was detained by the Taliban in May (Axios)
Former Afghan Education Minister Returns to Afghanistan Under Taliban Security Guarantee
Former Education Minister Ghulam Farooq Wardak is the highest ranking official to return to Afghanistan following Taliban security guarantees, having previously fled Afghanistan amid the Taliban takeover (Voice of America)
Taliban Deny Existence of Armed Opposition in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley
Armed resistance to Taliban rule in the Panjshir Valley has included repeated assaults on Taliban positions and has prompted mass arrests of civilians; a Taliban official denies there has been any fighting in the region (Washington Post)
Indian Officials Meet With Taliban in Kabul
During their first trip to Afghanistan since the Taliban’s takeover, Indian officials said they were focused on providing humanitarian aid to the country, while Taliban officials urged them to reopen the Indian embassy in Kabul (The Hindu)
Taliban Order Female TV Presenters to Cover Faces While on Air
The order for local TV channels comes as the UN special rapporteur on human rights in Afghanistan visits the country (Voice of America)
Taliban Dissolve Afghan Human Rights Commission
The Taliban dissolved five government departments created under their predecessors, including the commission for human rights and another for overseeing the implementation of the constitution (Reuters)
Taliban Tightens Gender Segregation Rules in Herat, Afghanistan
The Taliban tightened gender segregation rules in the city of Herat, forbidding men and women from dining together and visiting parks on the same day (Al Jazeera)
UN to Discuss Taliban Order for Women to Cover Faces
The UN Security Council and special envoy for Afghanistan will hold a closed-door briefing about the Taliban policy, which hearkens back to the group’s previous hardline rule of Afghanistan (The National)
Taliban Issue New Order on Women’s Clothing
The Taliban announced that women and girls are required to wear all-encompassing loose clothing that only reveals their eyes when out in public (National Public Radio)
Over twenty-four million Afghans are in need of humanitarian assistance, up from around eighteen million last year, according to a Pentagon watchdog’s report; the U.S. Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction said conditions are likely to worsen amid a historic drought and surging food prices fueled by the war in Ukraine (Bloomberg)
Deportation of Afghan Migrants From Iran Jumps Dramatically in 2022
Iran’s deportations of Afghan migrants jumped 60 percent per month in January, February, and March, the UN migration agency said (Associated Press)
Millions Lose Electricity in Afghanistan
Unidentified suspects bombed power transmission towers outside Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, cutting off electricity to millions of people in eleven provinces; a full restoration of power is expected in two weeks (Agence France-Presse)
Islamic State Claims Responsibility for Attacks in Afghanistan That Killed Nine
The self-declared Islamic State claimed responsibility for two explosions in Afghanistan’s northern Balkh Province that killed at least nine people and injured thirteen (TOLONews)