Website of Taliban’s Ministry of Defense Hacked, Again

The group asked United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the International Committee of Red Crescent (ICRC) and other humanitarian organizations to ensure that aid reaches the vulnerable people timely.

The group added, “We, the women of Afghanistan, are seriously concerned about the inaction of the international agencies regarding Afghans who have been displaced as a result of the Taliban attacks in Balkhab, Andarab and Panjshir”.

The group said that “disturbing war crimes” are being committed by the Taliban against civilians in these districts and provinces and as well as reports of armed conflict which has already displaced thousands of families, including large numbers of women and children.

On Thursday, July 7, OCHA had announced that at least 27,000 people have been displaced as the result of recent clashes in Balkhab district of Afghanistan. As of now, there is no recorded data regarding the number of people who have been displaced in Panjshir and Andarab district of Baghlan province.

The group, however, appreciated the efforts and rapid response of the international aid organizations for the people affected by the earthquake in eastern Afghanistan. They added that there would have been a humanitarian catastrophe, if not for the generous and timely assistance of these aid organizations.

Afghan women activists are members of the Afghan Women Advocacy Group, which has been raising their voice against Taliban’s violations of women and human rights in Afghanistan, ever since the Taliban took over Kabul

According to a video of the event published on YouTube, three people will be selected as the winners of the competition.

Jaghori is one of the largest districts in Ghazni province. Many book reading competitions have been held here before.

The competition has been held at a time when it has been more than 297 days since the Taliban has prevented the reopening of secondary schools for girls in Afghanistan.

Yaqoob can be heard as saying, "In Khawash valley of Khost wa Farang district, some rebels came, removed the flag and there was a rumour that they have taken this area from the Mujahideen [Taliban]. The Mujahideen had themselves evacuated the area and no one was present there." Yaqoob complained that the fighters of this group had assured the "elders" that they were present on the field, but ground realities prove the contrary.

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) had announced on Thursday, July 7, that the group had "liberated Suchi Bala and Suchi Pain in Khost district of Baghlan province from the Taliban and inflicted heavy casualties on the group”. At the same time, a video was published on social media in which the Taliban flag was removed by armed men. The National Resistance Front said on its official website that “the Taliban fled from these areas and the forces of the National Resistance Front had been relocated there”.

Yaqoob can then be heard as urging Taliban fighters to "obey" their duties properly and fulfil their responsibilities.

A new wave of pressure against civilians

Meanwhile, along with the release of Mullah Yaqoob's audio file on social media and following the removal of the Taliban flag in two areas of Suchi Bala and Suchi Bain of Khost district, a wave of arrests and new pressures by the group against civilians in this district has been launched.

One day after the Taliban flag was removed, the Taliban arrested a group of men from Khost district.

Local sources from Khost district confirmed that the Taliban "arbitrarily arrested" 12 men from the district on Friday.

In another incident, local sources confirmed that Ziaul Haq Raid, a former local employee of the Ministry of Finance in this district, was shot after three days of torture in a Taliban prison. The body of the young man was handed over to his family on Saturday, July 9.

On Monday morning, the Taliban shot dead a civilian named Sayed Aman Osmani in Suchi Bala village of Khost district.

Taliban has not yet commented on the issue.

Abdul Hai Khatibi had served as the spokesperson for the Ghor province governor for several years and had retired recently.

Taliban had announced general amnesty for former government employees when they took power in Kabul in 2021. However, according to reports by human rights organizations, hundreds of employees in the former government, especially security officials, have been murdered or have disappeared.

Head of the political office of the Taliban in Qatar expressed hope that this issue “will be resolved in the light of Islamic prnciples and values”.

It has been more than 296 days since the gates of secondary schools have been shut for girls in Afghanistan. The Taliban have ignored all domestic and international criticisms regarding the closure of girls' schools.

The head of the Taliban’s political office in Doha, did not deny the differences of opinion of leaders of the Taliban regarding the reopening of schools for girls and said that this issue has many aspects and “all of them must be resolved”.

He said, "We are not against education, but we have always said that this issue should be resolved in the light of Islamic values and principles."

Over the past 300 days, the group has always avoided answering fundamental questions about girls' education, with generic comments such as "they are preparing suitable conditions or solving the problem in the light of Islamic principles, and that they continue to work on the plan to reopen schools for them".

Currently, Afghanistan is the only country in the world where girls are denied the right to education.

After the Taliban entered Kabul on August 15, 2021, severe restrictions have been imposed on the civil and political rights of Afghan women. The working women of Afghanistan have lost their jobs in most cases and no women are involved in the policing-making circles of the country.

Human rights organizations have said that the Taliban are practicing "gender apartheid" against Afghan women.

The international community has always proposed the reopening of girls' schools, the formation of an inclusive government and the fight against international terrorism in Afghanistan as conditions for the recognition of the Taliban government.

Shaheen said that the Taliban differ from other political groups in the definition of "inclusive government". He said that various figures from different ethnic groups who participated with this group in the war against the previous Afghan government and international forces have a role in the Taliban government.

But even after more than 10 months since the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, no government in the world has recognized them as a legitimate state.

Many countries in the region and the world have emphasized that they will not recognize the administration of the Taliban until an inclusive government is formed in Afghanistan.