Taliban Asks Mosque Clerics To Prevent Anti-Regime Propaganda & Gatherings

For the first time, a Taliban’s security entity has verified the recruitment operations of ISIS.

The document expresses concerns that ISIS, using different names, might enlist former Taliban members in Maidan Wardak who abandoned their posts following internal purification efforts, aiming to turn them against the Taliban government for intelligence purposes.

It's noteworthy that the Taliban refer to ISIS as "Khawarij".

The report also discusses the potential for ISIS to infiltrate Taliban ranks, posing a direct threat to Taliban officials through collaborative schemes.

According to the intelligence report, proactive intelligence measures have been initiated across Maidan Wardak's districts to counter ISIS' agenda, which contradicts Sharia law.

Emphasis was placed on seeking support from local mosque imams during these operations.

It also specified that operational duties in Nerkh district were assigned to Mawlawi Wakil, who was tragically killed by ISIS in his own village.

Maidan Wardak's intelligence directorate has made an appeal to Kabul's Directorate 074 for enhanced security measures to protect Taliban operatives in the area.

Additionally, a communication sent to the inhabitants of Syed Abad district contained contact details of Taliban intelligence officers, urging the community to report any activities deemed un-Islamic, suspicious, or illegal to safeguard the Taliban government's stability.

Despite Taliban claims of having subdued ISIS in Afghanistan, the threat posed by ISIS remains significant, particularly challenging the Taliban's intelligence operations.

The severity of the threat was underscored following a devastating ISIS suicide bombing at the New Kabul Bank branch in Kandahar, highlighting concerns over ISIS' potential to infiltrate and undermine the Taliban from within.

Badr specified that these detainees are citizens from a variety of countries, notably those neighbouring Afghanistan, and have been incarcerated on allegations of serious criminal activities, including murder.

Reports emerging on Sunday highlighted that these foreign nationals are distributed across several detention facilities within Afghanistan.

In a previous interview with TOLOnews, Badr had disclosed the detention of 25 foreign nationals in the custody of the Taliban.

Following their ascent to power in Afghanistan, the Taliban had initially released all inmates. However, they subsequently declared that over 19,000 individuals have been taken into custody over the past 30 months, reflecting a significant increase in arrests.

The announcement regarding the foreign prisoners aligns with ongoing criticisms directed at the Taliban for allegedly arresting and mistreating protestors and adversaries within the country.

Moreover, there have been allegations suggesting the Taliban's involvement in the torture and execution of Afghan nationals through makeshift "field courts," though the exact figures of such incidents remain undetermined.

Mullah Shirin requested that Taliban officials remain vigilant about maintaining security in densely populated areas during the Eid days.

In a statement, the Taliban governor's office in Kandahar announced on Sunday the convening of a meeting to discuss the implementation of security measures for the Eid al-Fitr celebration.

Mullah Shirin, while stressing on the significance of upholding security in densely populated urban areas, also highlighted the necessity of controlling and preventing traffic incidents during Eid.

With Eid al-Fitr approaching, security measures in Kandahar have been increased, and the security command in Kandahar has appealed to the public to cooperate in maintaining security.

Security measures in Kandahar city have increased, while earlier, reliable sources have provided Afghanistan International with footage depicting the Taliban's construction of brick walls encircling the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar, amid concerns over a potential attack by ISIS on Hibatullah Akhundzada, the leader of this group, during Eid prayers.

In a statement on the X social media platform, the front said that a Taliban fighter had been killed and three others were injured in this attack.

NRF stated that in this attack, neither civilians nor NRF forces were harmed.

The Taliban has not yet commented on this attack.

NRF, an anti-Taliban military and political faction, has carried out numerous attacks against the group in the past two and a half years.

Haqqani argued that shutting down Facebook would help to "prevent the waste of youth's time and resources" and curb exposure to "immoral content."

During an interview with TOLOnews, Haqqani expressed concern over the state of Afghan youth, describing them as "scientifically weak and largely illiterate," and criticized their consumption of social media for benefiting corporations at the nation's expense.

While no specific timeline for the implementation of this plan was disclosed, Haqqani revealed that the Ministry of Telecommunications and Information Technology is preparing a policy to enact the Facebook ban in Afghanistan.

The minister stressed the importance of education for Afghan youth over time spent on social networks.

This announcement follows a directive from Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's supreme leader, instructing the cabinet to consider the proposal to disable Facebook access.

Additionally, the Taliban cabinet has instructed the Ministry to block other platforms and channels, including TikTok and PUBG, citing their potential to mislead youth.

This move to restrict access to Facebook in Afghanistan comes as "Meta," Facebook's parent company, has already blocked accounts associated with the Taliban and Afghan government institutions under U.S. "anti-terrorism" laws.