[AfghanDigest] LAST 24 HOURS- SECURITY INCIDENT AT AIRPORT, TALIBAN USE GUNFIRE TO DISPERSE CROWDS – A rumor began circulating on social media yesterday that Turkey had dispatched planes to Kabul and was interested in transporting volunteers to assist with the earthquake disaster relief effort. A crowd of Afghans descended on the airport, hoping to be evacuated to Turkey. Several groups of people stormed the gates and made it onto the airfield and the Taliban opened fire to disperse the crowd. Some local eyewitnesses claimed to have seen bullets hit some of those in the group. The Taliban released several statements dispelling the rumors. A Turkish aircraft was said to have landed at the airport but was there to evacuate some of the diplomatic staff and their families from the country.
- BLAST NEAR MOSQUE IN FARYAB – An IED that had been stashed on a motorcycle was detonated during the early afternoon hours near the entrance to the Imam Abu Hanifa Mosque in Maimana City yesterday. Taliban authorities said no casualties had resulted from the explosion but local eyewitnesses said that 3 Taliban and 3 non-combatants had been injured in the blast. No group has yet claimed credit for the bombing.
- CANADA IS EXPECTED TO ANNOUNCE ITS EXPANDED REFUGEE PROGRAM FOR AFGHANS IN THE COMING WEEKS – The program is focused on assisting approximately 45 Afghan interpreters and cultural advisors to bring their families to Canada. The program is expected to launch after a human-rights campaign filed by several Afghan Canadians was adjudicated in a settlement.
- MOSCOW CONSULTATIONS ON AFGHANISTAN LAUNCHED YESTERDAY, TALIBAN NOT IN ATTENDANCE – The fifth meeting of national security advisors from Russia, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, China, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan began yesterday in Moscow. The focus of the meeting was to discuss security matters related to Afghanistan and the Taliban were not invited to the event. While Iran and Russia spent much of their time grinding axes with the US, they also agreed that an inclusive government and commitment to control terrorism are precursors to further engagement. The Taliban had called on Russia to invite their delegation last week but the request was denied.
Conflict Tracker
Helmand: An ALM team assassinated a senior Taliban judge in an operation near Shin Nawar of the Danhar Siraj district. No ALM troops were wounded or killed in the hit-and-run attack.
NEXT 24 HOURS
SEARCHES CONTINUE IN KABUL, AIRPORT TO TIGHTEN SECURITY – Security searches are expected to continue but will be hampered by a lack of manpower as the incident at the airport has drawn over 100 Taliban off the search details to reinforce the guard force there. Sources in the Ministry of the Interior said that Taliban leadership was incensed upon hearing the airport defenses had been overwhelmed so quickly and were looking for answers from security officials in charge of the site. One official is said to have complained that the incident will cause the world to wonder who is in control in Afghanistan. At-risk Afghans can expect more of the same over the coming days with detailed identity checks at Taliban checkpoints and house searches across the city. We do believe the airport and its surrounding neighborhoods will be the focus of searches for today.