Afghanistan Freedom Front Claims Responsibility For Attack On Taliban Members In Kabul

As per the local media outlets, key routes such as Salang, Kabul-Ghor route, Shatu mountain pass, and communication routes in Bamiyan and Daikundi are currently inaccessible to traffic.

The Salang crossing, which recently reopened, had to be closed to traffic again on Saturday due to severe snowfall and storm.

Officials overseeing the Salang crossing are advising travellers to refrain from using this route at the moment. Salang holds significant importance as it connects nine northern and northeastern provinces along with four commercial ports in Afghanistan.

Bakhtar News Agency, under the control of the Taliban, has reported, quoting officials from the group in the Ministry of Public Works, that heavy snowfall on Saturday led to the closure of the Ghor-Kabul highway. Additionally, communication routes between the centre of Ghor province and six districts have also been affected.

The Shatu mountain pass, connecting the Yakawlang districts, has been closed as well due to adverse weather conditions.

Furthermore, the Qonaq mountain pass along the route connecting Daikundi to Kabul province, along with various district routes leading to the capital of Daikundi province, have been closed since Saturday morning.

He highlighted the Taliban's errors in killing Abdul Ali Mazari, a prominent Hazara leader; banning Ja'fari jurisprudence; and detaining Hazara women.

Behsudi attended the meeting at the request of Taliban intelligence officials. In his speech, he criticised the Taliban's violent behaviour towards Hazara-Shia women and their strict enforcement of the hijab.

He expressed his concerns about the Taliban's announcement of taking serious action and bringing in the military to impose their desired policies with regard to people’s personal lives.

He emphasised that while Afghanistan faces significant issues, the Taliban is focusing on trivial matters such as clothing and appearance.

The cleric noted that the Taliban's approach should be cautious and non-violent, stressing that they are not superior to biblical figures like Moses and Aaron, and the people are not like Pharaoh.

Behsudi identified three major mistakes by the Taliban in their dealings with the Shia-Hazara community: the killing of Abdul Ali Mazari, the removal of Ja'fari jurisprudence from the educational curriculum, and issues related to women and their honour. He stated that these actions have led to a lack of trust and distancing of the community from the Taliban.

Additionally, Behsudi highlighted the Taliban leader's reluctance to engage with Shia representatives. He criticised Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada for not meeting with Shia Ulema Council representatives, while a Pakistani cleric managed to meet all Taliban officials within two days. He stressed that such behaviour creates further discontent and alienation among the Shia community.

In his critique, Behsudi reaffirmed the community's commitment to Islamic values, including hijab, but opposed the Taliban's harsh and violent methods. He also noted that the Taliban's attempt to homogenise religious practices in Afghanistan is counterproductive and increases the rift between the regime and the people. He concluded by saying that declaring people of the Qibla as infidels does not resolve issues and is not acceptable.

However, the department added that there is no evidence of targeting local collaborators of Americans in Afghanistan.

The US State Department's media office, through an email sent a response to Afghanistan International's inquiry, emphasising that the department is deeply concerned about the killings and disappearances of members of the former Afghan security forces.

The US State Department, referring to a recent United Nations report on the killing of former military personnel by the Taliban, told Afghanistan International that Taliban members committed retaliatory killings and that the group has also been involved in disappearances of members of the former government's security forces in the months after entering Kabul.

The US State Department added in the note that the Taliban, after coming to power, promised a "general amnesty" and should remain committed to it.

Since the Taliban took over Afghanistan, there have occasionally been reports of the group's retaliation against former members of the Afghan security forces. The Taliban has always denied these reports.

However, the US State Department wrote in its note that there is no evidence that the Taliban specifically targeted those who collaborated with Americans in Afghanistan.

The department added in its note that the relocation and transfer operations for those Afghan citizens who qualify for legal immigration to the US are ongoing.

The department also said that responsible units have increased their capacity to expedite the transfer process and are trying to solve the problem of prolonged review times for their applications.

After the withdrawal of US forces in the summer of 2021, tens of thousands of Afghan citizens who collaborated with the US military and civilian agencies in Afghanistan were put at risk.

The US relocated more than 70,000 of these individuals in a special operation from Afghanistan to regional countries and then to the US. The relocation programme is still ongoing.

The United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) announced in a report in August that despite the Taliban's general amnesty, over the past two years, 800 human rights violations against former security forces’ members have been recorded.

UNAMA reported at least 218 killings of former government officials and members of the former security forces’ members by the Taliban, none of whom have been arrested.

In the UK government's statement, while highlighting the potential risk of terrorist attacks in Afghanistan, it has been noted that Kabul's airport does not meet international safety standards.

The country has particularly warned of the risk of terrorist attacks near religious sites and during religious ceremonies and holidays.

The statement emphasised that travel to Afghanistan is "extremely dangerous”, and there is also a risk of British citizens being arrested.

The UK stressed that if British nationals are detained in Afghanistan, London may not be aware of their situation as there are significant challenges regarding consular communication.

According to the ministry, both parties emphasised on their countries' commitment to assisting in establishing peace and stability in Afghanistan.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Pakistan announced that the meeting took place on Friday and Qureshi and Yue Xiaoyong stressed on the need to increase coordination to ensure regional stability.

The ministry added that both sides also emphasised on the vital role of Afghanistan's neighbouring countries in achieving peace, stability, and prosperity in the region.