AFF Claims Attack On Taliban Forces In Kabul
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has announced in a video that it killed two Taliban members and injured another in a guerrilla attack.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has announced in a video that it killed two Taliban members and injured another in a guerrilla attack.
According to the front's statement, the attack took place on Thursday evening at the entrance of the police town in the fourth district of Kabul.
The AFF also released a video showing an explosion in the distance, followed by a fire. Local sources confirmed to Afghanistan International that they heard an explosion in the fourth district of Kabul on Thursday evening.
The AFF is one of the military groups opposing the Taliban, established by former military figures from the previous government. The front has primarily focused on guerrilla attacks targeting Taliban checkpoints and offices.
In a recent quarterly report on Afghanistan's security situation, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres confirmed that the AFF had organised 14 attacks against the Taliban during this period.
Former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani revealed that the previous government did not have precise figures on the number of police and security forces, schools, and teachers within the Ministry of Education until the very last moment of his tenure.
Ghani accused the United States and the United Nations of obstructing the digitalisation of government institutions and being principal contributors to corruption.
During the seventeenth instalment of his series of conversations with journalist Dawood Junbish about Afghanistan, Ghani stated that although the US allocated one billion dollars for computerising the security system, it remained paper-based until the end.
"Until the end, we didn’t know how many police officers were in the Ministry of Interior," the former president admitted.
Ghani highlighted widespread corruption within security institutions, noting, "Huge expenses were incurred, but the money went into the pockets of contractors from the Ministry of Defence and USAID."
He emphasised that American forces had annually promised to provide an accurate count of the forces, but this was never fulfilled until 2021.
Ghani also confirmed the existence of "ghost teachers" and "ghost schools," pointing out discrepancies between the number of employees and schools in the Ministry of Education and those receiving salaries.
The former president criticised the United Nations, alleging that the UN impeded the digitalisation of Afghanistan's elections. He claimed that in 2002, a proposal was made to the United Nations to conduct electronic elections, but the UN refused and insisted on traditional elections, leading to numerous issues.
Ghani argued that the ineffective preventive measures by the United Nations resulted in the political crises following the 2009 elections. He mentioned that he had planned to expel the United Nations from Afghanistan, but the UN incited warlords and portrayed him as an opponent of foreigners.
The former president asserted that if the Taliban had not come to power, the government would have been digitalised within two weeks.
The Taliban's Ministry of Industry and Commerce has announced that a joint exhibition of Afghan and Uzbek products has been held in Tashkent.
In a statement, the ministry reported that 75 Afghan companies showcased their products in 140 booths at the exhibition.
According to the statement, the exhibited products included industrial goods, handicrafts, and minerals.
The Taliban-controlled Bakhtar News Agency reported that along with the exhibition, Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban's Minister of Commerce, also traveled to Uzbekistan.
According to the news agency, Azizi emphasised on mutual benefits in expanding bilateral and regional transit relations while attending a trade communication meeting.
Bakhtar added that Azizi encouraged Uzbek investors to invest in Afghanistan, citing the country's "untapped natural resources”.
Previously, the Taliban administration announced that it had granted numerous mining concessions to various domestic and foreign companies.
Despite widespread criticism regarding the unchecked extraction of Afghanistan's mineral resources, the Taliban occasionally announce new contracts with domestic and foreign investors for mining.
Critics and opponents of the Taliban have described the mining activities since the group's rise to power as the "plunder" of resources. However, the Taliban have not responded to these criticisms.
Sources have informed Afghanistan International that the Taliban's Ministry of Justice has closed a Shia mosque in Darulaman, Kabul, citing the government ownership of the mosque's land.
According to the sources, several worshippers protesting against the Taliban’s Ministry of Justice's decision have also been arrested.
Sources stated that on Monday evening, July 3, Taliban Ministry of Justice forces stormed the Bab-ul-Hawaij Mosque on Hesabdari Street, Sanatorium Road, Darulaman, during evening prayers.
The forces evicted the worshippers and sealed the entrance doors.
It was reported that several worshippers and local residents who protested against the Taliban's actions were detained and taken to an unknown location.
Furthermore, a document obtained by Afghanistan International reveals that the Taliban's Ministry of Justice has informed local residents that they have illegally occupied approximately 24 acres of land.
The Ministry of Justice described the residents' ownership documents as fraudulent and has urged them to appoint legal representatives to pursue the case in court.
The Taliban's closure of the Shia mosque follows previous actions, including declaring the lands of Tamadon TV, the Khatam-ul-Nabieen Mosque, and university on Darulaman Road as usurped, with orders for their confiscation.
The Greek anti-terrorism police announced on Thursday the arrest of seven suspects, including three Iranian and two Afghan nationals, accused of setting fire to a synagogue and a hotel owned by Israelis in central Athens earlier this year.
According to the report, a 25-year-old Greek woman, two Iranian men aged 36 and 46, and their 44-year-old Afghan accomplice were arrested in connection with an attack on a building housing an Israeli-owned hotel and restaurant.
The attack, carried out on May 16, involved a homemade incendiary device.
The arrested individuals are accused of endangering lives through arson and causing damage to foreign citizens' property in a racially motivated attack.
In another incident, a 44-year-old Greek man and a 26-year-old Afghan man approached a synagogue in Athens on June 18, and set its entrance on fire using incendiary materials. A 30-year-old Iranian man was also involved in this operation. All these individuals have been arrested and charged with arson, theft, and possession of weapons.
The Greek police stated that of the seven suspects arrested in connection with the attacks on the synagogue and the Israeli-owned hotel, five remain in custody, while two have been conditionally released and are awaiting their trial.
On October 7, Hamas members attacked southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking over 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a massive military operation in the Gaza Strip, which, according to the Gaza Health Ministry, has resulted in over 38,000 deaths and 87,000 injuries so far.
Following the Gaza conflict, European officials have been deeply concerned about terrorist threats. Previously, in April 2023, Greek police foiled a plot to attack an Israeli restaurant in Athens and arrested two individuals in connection with the plan. At that time, Mossad identified the Islamic Republic as being responsible for the plot and stated that the foiled operation in Greece was part of a larger network directed from inside Iran.
Earlier, on May 6, Tel Aviv University and the Anti-Defamation League reported a significant increase in antisemitic incidents worldwide.
In March of last year, The Wall Street Journal reported the emergence of new "terrorist" threats, the foiling of several "terrorist operations," and the arrest of several refugees and extremist agents in Europe, stating that these threats are linked to the Islamic Republic, its proxy groups, and the Gaza conflict.
The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced the appointment of Amanda McGregor as the new Special Representative for Afghanistan.
In a statement, the ministry wrote that McGregor will carry out her mission from Qatar.
Penny Wong, Australia's Foreign Minister, emphasised in a statement on Wednesday that her country will continue to work with like-minded countries to call out the Taliban on its abuse of human rights violations.
The Australian Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that McGregor has previously undertaken missions in Afghanistan, Jordan, and Kuwait.
Before working in the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, McGregor served as a senior advisor at the Canadian Embassy in Zimbabwe and the Office of the Prime Minister and Cabinet in Australia. She also worked for five years in the Australian Ministry of Defence.
She replaces Glenn Miles, the former Special Representative for Afghanistan.
In the statement from the Foreign Minister, it has been mentioned that Australia has been cooperating with the international community to support the people of Afghanistan since the Taliban regained control.
The Australian Foreign Minister also emphasised that her country has committed to providing USD 71 million in support for Afghan women and girls and humanitarian aid in Afghanistan from 2023 to 2024.
So far, no country has recognised the Taliban, and the group's policies towards women and girls over the past three years have been repeatedly criticised by Australia and other countries.