Taliban Forces Suffered Heavy Casualties In Baghlan Province, Claims NRF

In a video clip received by Afghanistan International, a large group of women also participated in the march in western Kabul as an act of civil disobedience against the restrictions of the Taliban.

Earlier, in Kabul, influential Shia cleric, Ayatollah Seyed Mohsen Hojjat had asked Shias not to heed the restrictive orders of the Taliban.

This year, the Taliban imposed unprecedented restrictions on Shias’ celebration of Ashura and the month of Muharram.

In the past week, Afghanistan International published several video clips and reports showing that the Taliban suppressed the gatherings of mourners and prevented Shia mourning ceremonies across Afghanistan.

In the latest case on Friday, at least one person died and several others had been injured when the Taliban shot at a Shia gathering who performed rituals on the Day of Ashura in Ghazni city.

In another video clip received by Afghanistan International, the Taliban violently dispersed Shia mourners in Chindawol area of Kabul.

The Taliban stopped caravans of Shia mourners in districts 1 and 10 of Kabul city too.

Earlier, Khalid Zadran, the Taliban’s police spokesperson in Kabul, confirmed that the group had prevented the convoys of Muharram mourners in Kabul.

Khalid Zadran said, "Some caused disorder in public areas and roads in a disorganised manner and contrary to the sayings of the elders, which caused the security forces to stop them out of their responsibility and security."

Talking to the Maidan programme of Afghanistan International, Daudzai stressed that the Taliban have learned this kind of treatment of women from the Islamic Republic of Iran.

He added that in the previous government, the Islamic Republic provided advice on dealing with the opposition groups, but according to him, because the officials of the previous government were committed to a democratic state and republic, didn’t follow Tehran’s advice.

The former interior minister of Afghanistan said, "When I look at some of the actions of the Taliban closely and compare them with the actions of the [Islamic Republic] where I was posted as the ambassador, they are very similar."

Daudzai added that the tactics used by Iranian government officials to protect their revolution are "copied" by the Taliban in Afghanistan.

After the Taliban took over Afghanistan in August 2021, the process of arbitrary arrest of women, especially those who participated in protests against the group, has intensified.

Media reports indicated that the Taliban have used brutal tactics against women during imprisonment.

Earlier, Hasht-e Subh daily reported on the torture and rape of imprisoned women by the Taliban.

The daily conducted interviews with victims, doctors, and other sources, and stated that some of the imprisoned women succumbed to sexual abuse by the Taliban under the pressure of torture and harassment.

Mustafa Hashemi, the group’s head of information and culture department in Baghlan told Afghanistan International, that these reports are not true.

On Thursday, news reports stated that the Taliban will be stoning a man and a woman in Pul-e Khumri city, the capital of Baghlan province, on charges of running away from home and having extramarital affairs.

Hashemi said, "Applying Sharia and implementing Hudud is one of the goals of Jihad and Islam, but reports of stoning in the city of Pul-e Khumri is a rumour and baseless."

He stressed that the group’s court in Baghlan does not have a case about running away from home in which a verdict has been issued.

Alam Majidi, Taliban’s governor spokesperson, also said that the news about the stoning of a man and a woman in Baghlan is not true.

On Thursday, some media outlets reported that the Taliban are going to stone a man and a woman to death on Friday, July 28, for running away from home.

Following the publication of this news, human rights activists reacted and launched a campaign on social media to stop the stoning.

During the past two years, the Taliban have publicly flogged dozens of citizens on various charges.

Last year, the group shot dead a man in the sports field in Farah Province on the charge of murder.

The front said that its forces attacked the Taliban outpost on Friday morning, in the "Pule Mirwais " area, and fired four Rocket-Propelled Grenade (RPG) towards the target.

Taliban officials have not reacted to the NRF claims.

In a statement, NRF wrote that three Taliban members had been killed using sniper weapons. The front emphasised that they do not have details of the RPG attack casualties.

Earlier, Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of the NRF told Afghanistan International, that their attacks on Taliban will intensify this summer.

The NRF had also reported killing a number of Taliban members in Hesa Duwum district of Kapisa province, Nuristan, Laghman and Nangarhar provinces.

These pictures show that a large crowd of Muharram mourners had come to the streets on the Day of Ashura.

Meanwhile, multiple sources told Afghanistan International that even telecommunication networks have been severed in Kabul on Friday.

The Taliban officials have not revealed details about the aerial shooting and snapping of telecommunication networks yet.

With the beginning of the month of Muharram, the Taliban imposed extensive restrictions on the Muharram ceremony under the guise of providing security. Taliban has limited the number of mosques and places for holding Muharram ceremonies and has banned installation of religious flags and mourning caravans in the streets.

Over the past few days, videos have been circulating which show Taliban members beating up Muharram mourners in Kabul.

Earlier, Khalid Zadran, the Taliban’s police spokesperson in Kabul, confirmed that the group had prevented the convoys of Muharram mourners in Kabul.

Khalid Zadran said, "Some caused disorder in public areas and roads in a disorganised manner and contrary to the sayings of the elders, which caused the security forces to stop them out of their responsibility and security."

Criticising the Taliban's restrictions on Muharram, the Shia Ulema Council of Afghanistan asked the group to lift the restrictions.