Taliban Currently Has 40 Foreign Nationals Detained In Afghan Prisons

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.

Political party activities have been proscribed in Afghanistan by the Taliban.

On Sunday, the Ministry of Justice released a communiqué indicating a review of the activities of hundreds of social associations and charity organisations over the past year.

The ministry disclosed that various political parties and numerous social organisations were introduced to the group's security agencies.

The communiqué did not specify the names of these parties and organisations.

Over this period, the review of 36 additional charity organisations took place, with the operations of 19 organisations being terminated due to the untimely renewal of their operating licences.

This action aligns with the Taliban's prior warnings to political parties in Afghanistan to halt their activities.

Taliban officials have affirmed that engaging in political activities under the guise of a party is forbidden, and violators will be subject to "legal and Sharia" consequences.

Although the Taliban has repeatedly detained and incarcerated many for their civic and political engagements, the group has recently made an official proclamation banning the political activities of parties.

The construction effort reflects the Taliban's growing anxiety that Hibatullah Akhundzada, their leader, could be an ISIS target during the forthcoming Eid al-Fitr prayers.

The footage, received on Sunday, shows Taliban military units actively transporting and positioning brick barriers around the mosque's perimeter, effectively forming a stringent security barrier.

This development follows a detailed report by Afghanistan International, derived from informed sources, about a security assembly convened by the Taliban in the province, addressing fears of an ISIS incursion during Eid celebrations.

In a security session held in Kandahar last Friday, Taliban officials voiced apprehensions regarding the likelihood of ISIS orchestrating an assault on the Eid congregational prayers.

The officials deliberated on the possibility of ISIS aiming at the Taliban's paramount leader during the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kandahar, prompting a preemptive effort to select the Eid prayer venue just a night before the occasion.

Moreover, the assembly resolved to augment security and intelligence operations for the Eid al-Fitr prayers in Kandahar, indicating the high level of threat perceived.

Sources stressed that two specific locales have been earmarked for Hibatullah Akhundzada to conduct the Eid al-Adha prayers: the Hazrat Mohammad Grand Mosque and the Eidgah Mosque in Kandahar, with the final decision on the venue to be made on the eve of Eid by Akhundzada's security detail.

The session also highlighted the pressing concern of ISIS infiltrators mingling among the populace.

Following these deliberations, Taliban officials have specifically instructed the central prison authorities in Kandahar to intensify security measures during the Eid festivities, in light of the palpable threat landscape.

These heightened security measures are being implemented against the backdrop of a devastating suicide bombing at the Kabul Bank branch in Kandahar, for which ISIS claimed responsibility, resulting in the loss of at least 43 lives and injuring 45 others.