Taliban Killed Group’s Political Opponent Under ISIS Membership, Says Afghan Politician

Apr 4, 2023, 15:35 GMT+1

Former Balkh governor, Atta Mohammad Noor, has contradicted the Taliban’s claim of killing six ISIS members in Nahar-e-Shahi district. Noor said on Tuesday that the Taliban has been killing their "political opponents".

Noor claimed that the Taliban has been killing people mysteriously under the garb of destroying ISIS hideouts.

The former governor of Balkh called the Taliban’s actions as "barbaric" and asked the international community, especially the United Nations, not to let the people become victims of the group's policies.

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Severe Funding Constraints Cut Assistance to 4 Million Afghans, Says WFP

Apr 4, 2023, 13:53 GMT+1

World Food Programme (WFP) announced that due to funding constraints, it has been forced to cut assistance to four million Afghans in April. WFP warned that if additional funds are not received, it will be forced to cut assistance to an additional four million people in May.

According to the new report of WFP, the organisation was supposed to aid 13 million Afghans in April, but due to the lack of funds, only nine million people had been provided support.

WFP stressed that nearly 20 million people are projected to be acutely food-insecure between November 2022 and March 2023.

The World Food Programme added four million people are acutely malnourished, including 3.2 million children under the age of 5.

The United Nations has identified 28.3 million people, which comprise two-thirds of Afghanistan's population, as people in need of humanitarian assistance.

WFP said that hunger is primarily driven by the economic crisis that has gripped Afghanistan since August 2021, compounded by decades of conflict, climate shocks, and severe restrictions on the rights of women and girls to work and pursue higher education.

The World Food Programme has reported that 82 of the 100 partner institutions of the organisation are in fully operational and female staff from 80 partner organisations are engaged in activities across all provinces of Afghanistan.

57000 Afghan Civilians Killed, Injured By Landmines in Afghanistan, Says UN

Apr 4, 2023, 10:42 GMT+1

The United Nations Office for Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) announced that since 1989, almost 57,000 Afghan civilians have been killed or injured by landmines. OCHA added that mine action partners in Afghanistan have cleared over 19 million items.

However, on International Day for Mine Awareness & Assistance, OCHA stressed that more than 4,150 identified hazards remain, posing a lethal threat to communities, in particular children in Afghanistan.

In previous reports, according to the United Nations, 150 people are killed by land mines in Afghanistan each month. Eight out of every 10 victims are children who inadvertently pick up an unexploded ordnance, some of which resemble toys.

Decades of conflict have littered Afghanistan with land mines and other explosive remnants of war. As a result, today the country is one of the most contaminated in the world. Without de-mining, Afghans harmed by decades of war cannot build themselves a safe future in their country. Without effective de-mining operations, farming cannot happen, internally displaced people cannot return to their villages, and education cannot be effective as children cannot go to school.

The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) was established in 1989.

Taliban Claims To Conduct Operations Against IS-K in Balkh & Nirmoz Provinces

Apr 4, 2023, 09:33 GMT+1

Sources close to the Taliban claimed on Monday evening that the group had attacked an Islamic State – Khorasan (IS-K) hideout in Zaranj city, Nimroz province. The Taliban also announced on Monday that they conducted another operation against IS-K in Balkh.

However, in both cases, there has not been any independent source to confirm the Taliban’s accounts of the operations.

Independent sources have only confirmed explosions and gun fire had been heard in Zaranj city, but it is not clear who the Taliban forces targeted in the operations.

Mohammad Asif Waziri, the spokesperson of Taliban police in Balkh province, claimed on Monday that the Taliban forces have killed six ISIS members in a military operation in Nahar-e-Shahi district.

The Taliban has not released more details about the attack or the details of the dead men.

Mersad, a media outlet leaning towards the Taliban, reported that this operation was carried out in Street 13 of the Engineer Mehdi area.

Earlier, the Taliban had also claimed to have killed ISIS fighters who were involved in the attacks on Chinese citizens and the Pakistani embassy in Kabul and Nimroz provinces.

Due to severe restrictions imposed on independent media and journalists by the Taliban, it is not easy to confirm or deny the group’s claims, particularly when they wage operations against targets across the country. The group pressurises the media outlets that present different accounts than the Taliban’s narrative on incidents in Afghanistan.

Over 30 Employees in Taliban Custody Even 24 Days After Killing of Group’s Balkh Governor

Apr 3, 2023, 15:01 GMT+1

Reliable sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that even 24 days after their detention, the Taliban has not released employees of the Balkh governor’s office. These employees had been detained after the assassination of the former Taliban governor of Balkh province.

According to the sources, several employees of the Taliban’s governor office in Balkh province, who had worked with the previous government of Afghanistan too, had been detained due to suspicions of regarding the killing of Dawood Muzammil, the former Taliban governor for Balkh province.

However, on Sunday, the Taliban intelligence agency released the "confessions" of a man who is said to have been involved in the assassination of Muzammil.

Even after the arrest of the suspect by the Taliban, these employees who were arrested on March 9 haven’t been released.

Sources close to the families of the arrested people said that they have repeatedly visited the government offices of the Taliban, but haven’t been able to meet these arrested individuals.

These sources said that over the past 24 days, the families of the detainees have not been given any information about their health condition and whereabouts.

Mohammad Dawood Muzammil, the former governor of the Taliban in Balkh, was killed in a suicide attack in his office on March 9. The Islamic State – Khorasan (IS-K) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Following the attack on Muzammil, sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban intelligence operatives had arrested more than 30 employees of the governor’s office.

The sources had stressed that some of the detainees had been injured in the explosion too.

Taliban Increases Withdrawal Limit for Funds from Afghan Banks

Apr 3, 2023, 13:47 GMT+1

The Taliban-controlled Central Bank increased the weekly withdrawal limit for individual bank accounts from 400 to 600 dollars. The bank announced that the limit of withdrawing funds from bank accounts that have been opened after November 3, 2021, has been completely removed.

According to a statement by the Taliban Central Bank, the limit of withdrawing funds from corporate accounts has changed from 40 thousand dollars per week to five percent of the total bank deposit.

The Central Bank announced the increase in the limit of withdrawal of funds from bank accounts as an improvement in the performance of Afghan banks.

After their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban reduced the limit of withdrawal of funds from personal accounts to 200 dollars on a weekly basis.

This restriction had been imposed to prevent the outflow of cash from the country and the bankruptcy of private banks.

After the Taliban’s return to power, many were concerned about the future of Afghan banks and the security of bank deposits, and most bank deposit holders rushed to banks to withdraw their funds.

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Severe Funding Constraints Cut Assistance to 4 Million Afghans, Says WFP

Apr 4, 2023, 13:53 GMT+1

According to the new report of WFP, the organisation was supposed to aid 13 million Afghans in April, but due to the lack of funds, only nine million people had been provided support.

WFP stressed that nearly 20 million people are projected to be acutely food-insecure between November 2022 and March 2023.

The World Food Programme added four million people are acutely malnourished, including 3.2 million children under the age of 5.

The United Nations has identified 28.3 million people, which comprise two-thirds of Afghanistan's population, as people in need of humanitarian assistance.

57000 Afghan Civilians Killed, Injured By Landmines in Afghanistan, Says UN

Apr 4, 2023, 10:42 GMT+1

The Mine Action Programme of Afghanistan (MAPA) was established in 1989.

Taliban Claims To Conduct Operations Against IS-K in Balkh & Nirmoz Provinces

Apr 4, 2023, 09:33 GMT+1

However, in both cases, there has not been any independent source to confirm the Taliban’s accounts of the operations.

Independent sources have only confirmed explosions and gun fire had been heard in Zaranj city, but it is not clear who the Taliban forces targeted in the operations.

Mohammad Asif Waziri, the spokesperson of Taliban police in Balkh province, claimed on Monday that the Taliban forces have killed six ISIS members in a military operation in Nahar-e-Shahi district.

The Taliban has not released more details about the attack or the details of the dead men.

Mersad, a media outlet leaning towards the Taliban, reported that this operation was carried out in Street 13 of the Engineer Mehdi area.

Earlier, the Taliban had also claimed to have killed ISIS fighters who were involved in the attacks on Chinese citizens and the Pakistani embassy in Kabul and Nimroz provinces.

Over 30 Employees in Taliban Custody Even 24 Days After Killing of Group’s Balkh Governor

Apr 3, 2023, 15:01 GMT+1

However, on Sunday, the Taliban intelligence agency released the "confessions" of a man who is said to have been involved in the assassination of Muzammil.

Even after the arrest of the suspect by the Taliban, these employees who were arrested on March 9 haven’t been released.

Sources close to the families of the arrested people said that they have repeatedly visited the government offices of the Taliban, but haven’t been able to meet these arrested individuals.

These sources said that over the past 24 days, the families of the detainees have not been given any information about their health condition and whereabouts.

Following the attack on Muzammil, sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban intelligence operatives had arrested more than 30 employees of the governor’s office.

The sources had stressed that some of the detainees had been injured in the explosion too.

Taliban Increases Withdrawal Limit for Funds from Afghan Banks

Apr 3, 2023, 13:47 GMT+1

According to a statement by the Taliban Central Bank, the limit of withdrawing funds from corporate accounts has changed from 40 thousand dollars per week to five percent of the total bank deposit.

The Central Bank announced the increase in the limit of withdrawal of funds from bank accounts as an improvement in the performance of Afghan banks.

After their return to power in August 2021, the Taliban reduced the limit of withdrawal of funds from personal accounts to 200 dollars on a weekly basis.

This restriction had been imposed to prevent the outflow of cash from the country and the bankruptcy of private banks.

After the Taliban’s return to power, many were concerned about the future of Afghan banks and the security of bank deposits, and most bank deposit holders rushed to banks to withdraw their funds.

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