Taliban Unveils Underground Shelter of Founder of Haqqani Network

It is said that Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban Defense Minister returned to Kabul, but Qari Fasihuddin, the group’s Chief of Staff of Army, continues to be present in Doabi Bazar of Khost district and is leading the operation to suppress the National Resistance Front forces.

The sources added that two senior military officials of the Taliban asked NRF forces in the two districts of Khost and Andrab to "surrender" to the group, which was rejected by the resistance forces.

There are also reports of massive deployment of Taliban forces in Baghlan province. Sources have also reported clashes between Taliban fighters and the NRF forces in Dara-e Qasan of Andrab district.

Local sources added that Taliban fighters arrested civilians in two districts of Baghlan on Thursday. Amanullah, who had worked in the Ministry of Interior of Afghanistan during the Republic era, had too been arrested from his house in Bano-Andarab district.

The Taliban and the National Resistance Front have not yet officially expressed their views on the developments unfolding in Baghlan province.

A local shopkeeper told Afghanistan International that the dead included three brothers and another relative.

The shopkeeper added that the killed people were residents of Khushi district and were members of the Shiite community. It is said that these people had no personal enmity.

So far, no group or individual has taken responsibility for this killing, and Taliban officials have not commented on the murder.

Earlier, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) had taken responsibility for attacks against Afghanistan’s Shia community members in various provinces, including the capital Kabul.

The letter sought world leaders, regional allies, and international organizations to take coordinated and bold action to uphold their commitments to support the rights of Afghan girls.

They said, "What we are asking for is more than a declaration of solidarity or a moment of silence to condemn the Taliban." The group has demanded immediate financial support for the educational system in Afghanistan, funding for human rights and civil society organizations, and the development of alternative mechanisms for the education of girls in Afghanistan.

After the takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the Taliban stopped secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. It has been 300 days since secondary school for girls stopped operations across the country.

Despite the international community's pressures on the Taliban, the group has not responded positively to the reopening of girls' schools yet.

So far, no person or group has taken responsibility for the murder of Saqib. However, Salafist clerics, who are said to have similar religious views as that of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have been mysteriously killed in the eastern provinces, especially Nangarhar.

Earlier, the Taliban had been blamed for being involved in the killing of Salafi clerics. However, Saqib had pledged allegiance to the Taliban leadership. Taliban officials in Nangarhar say that Saqib was killed by circles that want to create rifts between the Taliban and Salafi clerics.

Sardar Wali Saqib had gained fame as a religious scholar in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan.

Kazakhstan, the main exporter of wheat to Afghanistan, has imposed restrictions on its exports due to the war in Ukraine.

According to the ICRC Afghanistan, hundreds of thousands of Afghan citizens are unemployed due to food insecurity and inflation in the country. Reports show that drought has also affected the production of wheat inside Afghanistan.

The increase in the price of basic food items due to the low production of agricultural products, such as wheat, has limited people's access to food.
The war in Ukraine has also affected prices of food items in the Afghan market.

According to the statistics of ICRC, since June 2021, the price of wheat flour has increased by 68%, edible oil by 55%, fertilizer by 107%, and fuel such as diesel by 93% inside Afghanistan.