Facebook Increases Restrictions on Taliban

Wang Yu, on Wednesday, met Shahabuddin Delawar, Taliban’s minister of mining and petroleum and discussed solving challenges regarding the Aynak copper mine project and Amu River Project.

Delawar had earlier said that China can start the extraction process based on an agreement with the previous government.

The Chinese contractor company has been granted the tender of extracting the Aynak copper mine for a period of 30 years.

This mine is the biggest copper mine in Afghanistan and the second biggest copper mine in the world.

The contract of exploitation and enrichment of Aynak mine was signed between the Afghanistan ministry of mining and petroleum and MCC, a Chinese company, in 2008.

The extraction and enrichment project of Aynak mine is a big and strategic project for Afghanistan from an economic and political view, as per experts.

Taliban’s security officials in Balkh said that the explosion took place in Police District 4 and the blast occurred when the explosives were in the perpetrator's hand. Taliban added that no one was hurt in the incident.

However, Najibullah Tawana, head of Public Health Directorate in Balkh province, reported that six people have been injured in the incident and said that the condition of one of the injured is critical.

A video of the incident which has been shared on social media depicts several injured people.

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.

During the telephone conversation, Rahmon said that the increase in the activity of terrorist groups, including ISIS, in Afghanistan has caused the instability of central Asian countries.

According to him, since August 2021, thousands of members of ISIS, Al-Qaeda, Ansarullah and Hizb ut-Tahrir have been released from Afghan prisons.

Putin also believes that northern Afghanistan has become a hub for ISIS and Al-Qaeda fighters.

The Tajik president has warned Central Asia states that the presence of terrorists in Afghanistan may lead to the radicalisation of the region.

Rahmon is going to talk about Afghanistan at the next meeting of the leaders of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which will be held in Samarkand in September.

According to media reports, in addition to the president of Tajikistan, the presidents of Russia, China, India, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Uzbekistan will probably attend the upcoming SCO meeting.

After taking over Afghanistan in August 2021, the Taliban announced that the group will form a 100,000-member strong army.

The Taliban’s military recruits must have a background of membership of the group.

According to the decree, attributed to the leader of the Taliban Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the group can’t hire former Afghan national army soldiers in its military establishment.

He has urged for an investigation into the civilian detentions in Panjshir.

A video clip has been circulating on social media depicting Taliban officials arresting a number of people with handcuffs.

Taliban forces claim that the detained people were members of the National Resistance Front (NRF).

Many have criticised the Taliban’s behaviour after the release of the video clip. Several social media users have stated that the Taliban arrest and imprison civilians under the pretext of fostering relationship with the National Resistance Front.

After the National Resistance Front increased its attacks against the Taliban members in Panjshir, this group has appointed one of its most radical commanders as the commander of Panjshir and Andrab.

According to reports, the Taliban have also sent hundreds of additional troops to Panjshir province on Monday.