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​ ​ 1 Jun 2023

Taliban claim raid on ISKP cell responsible for recent bus attack in Herat The Taliban spokesperson said the targeted cell was responsible for the attack on a bus in Herat carrying members of the Taliban's al-Farooq Corps on October 27. 18 Nov 2022 On the evening of November 15, 2022, pro-Taliban Twitter users reported an ongoing clash between ISKP and the local Taliban in Herat. The incident, covered by The Independent Persian , was claimed to be an operation organised by the General Directorate of Intelligence on an alleged ISKP hideout. According to reports citing Hamidullah Mutawakkul, the Herat governor spokesperson, the clashes resulted in the death of five ISKP members. RFI, a French news agency, reported that residents confirmed the incident occurred in the Haji Abbas neighbourhood of Herat, located in the Police District 12. Mutawakkul added that out of the five alleged ISKP men killed, two were Tajikistan citizens, whilst the remaining three were Afghanistan citizens. The spokesman did not mention any casualties on the Taliban side of the conflict. Zabihullah Mujahid, the spokesperson of the Islamic Emirate, issued a statement regarding the incident claiming that six ISKP members were killed in the special operation and four captured alive. Mujahid added that, in addition to the men, “ a lot of weapons and ammunition have also been found ”. According to the Taliban spokesperson, this group was responsible for the attack on a bus in Herat carrying members of the Taliban's al-Farooq Corps on October 27, 2022. Although ISKP claimed the bus attack on October 27 via their Telegram channels, it is not possible to verify from open sources that the men killed on November 15 were responsible for the bus attack, which resulted in at least four dead and 18 injured. The General Directorate of Intelligence later released a [WARNING: GRAPHIC] video on November 16, providing unlocatable night time footage of the special operation and close-ups of bodies of alleged ISKP members. According to the GDI’s version of the events, the operation resulted in six ISKP members killed and four captured – the same numbers as Zabiullah Mujahid. However, the information is slightly different from that provided by the Herat governor spokesperson, who claimed that five men were killed and did not mention any arrests. Analysis of the [WARNING: GRAPHIC] footage provided by the General Directorate of Intelligence and various photos of the deceased shared on social media shows only four different bodies. There were rumours the operation was triggered after the Taliban had captured and interrogated a wounded ISKP member in the days beforehand. It is possible the one additional death given by the GDI and Zabiullah Mujahid includes that ISKP member in the total. Cover image: Jim Kelly Share

Gawhar Before the Taliban’s takeover, Gawhar had been preparing for university. Now she spends her days as a carpet weaver in Pakistan. "During the day, I work as a carpet weaver, but when I return home, my nights are spent writing.” Afghan Witness changed the name of the individual interviewed. It is hard for Gawhar, not her real name, to understand how she ended up here. She’d lived a “quiet life” before, she tells Afghan Witness. She’d studied hard at school; in tenth grade, she won a gold medal in a global mathematics competition. Later on, she was learning English and taking preparation programmes for the university entrance exam. At 19 years old, she now weaves carpets for a living in Pakistan. "I wanted to become fully educated and be an independent woman," she says. “I wanted to become a journalist in a local media agency. A fellow female classmate wanted to become a doctor – unfortunately, all of us became hopeless.” The Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan changed everything for Gawhar. Her city, Mazar-i-Sharif , in the northern province of Balkh, fell to the Taliban on August 14, 2021. The group seized power in the capital, Kabul , the next day. Gawhar’s father and brother both worked as journalists and had covered issues relating to the former Afghan security forces – making them particularly vulnerable with the Taliban back in power. Gawhar says she and her family were fearful of reprisal. “That was the longest night of my life,” she adds. No school for girls Gawhar’s father sent the family away to the Shuldara district of Balkh province to escape the chaos in the city. Gawhar was anxious to return to her studies but was told that she could not attend classes until further notice. While the Taliban reopened schools for boys of all ages in September 2021, classrooms remained closed for Afghanistan’s secondary school girls, with the group stating that they needed to create “a safe learning environment” before older girls could return to school. Girls’ secondary schools were due to reopen in March 2022, but the Taliban U-turned on the decision, and they have since remained closed. Gawhar says she was able to temporarily resume some of her studies at a language learning centre, but girls were required to adhere to a strict dress code and were instructed by their teachers to hide their books and enter the classroom discreetly to avoid being seen by Taliban fighters. “We needed to sit all the way at the back of the class, in the shadows, so if the Taliban came, either they won’t see us, or if they see us, they won’t notice that we didn’t obey the dress code. The whole focus was on male students while studying in the class.” After attending for a month or so, Gawhar says the academic centre also closed its doors to female students. As well as restrictions on girls’ education, the Taliban issued a ban on long-distance road trips for solo women in December 2021, and the following May, women were ordered to cover their faces in public. “Restrictions became severe in Mazar-i-Sharif, we [women and girls] were no longer able to freely move around our city.” Gawhar’s family were also increasingly vulnerable due to her father and brother’s work as journalists. “My brother was beaten once by the Taliban when he was covering the women’s protest in Mazar-i-Sharif – life was becoming extremely tough and frightening.” Leaving Afghanistan Gawhar's family decided to leave Afghanistan and seek safety in neighbouring Pakistan. They sold their belongings to cover the cost of visas and arrived in Islamabad after crossing the border into Pakistan in June 2022. The family moved to a remote area of Pakistan where rent and food was slightly lower than in the capital. Although they have left Afghanistan, Gawhar and her sister have struggled to find opportunities to study or work in Pakistan. Their lack of knowledge of the local language and economic issues forced them to find work as carpet weavers in a factory. “I never thought that one day, all of my thoughts would be around survival and finding work to buy food.” A gruelling work schedule, combined with financial struggle and uncertainty over her future has taken its toll on Gawhar’s mental health. “Over the past year, most nights I go to bed with tearful eyes thinking about my future and ask myself, is that what you will become – a carpet weaver? It is very difficult – this situation creates severe mental health issues such as depression and anxiety.” Gawhar and her sister have faced difficulties finding opportunities in Pakistan, and now work as carpet weavers. Finding solace in writing Despite the difficulties she faces, Gawhar clings to the one constant in her life: writing. "During the day, I work as a carpet weaver, but when I return home, my nights are spent writing.” For three years, she has been writing about women’s rights and her own experiences as an Afghan woman. Since the Taliban’s takeover, she says even her writing has taken a “hopeless angle”. “I write about my experiences, dreams, and how life has changed for myself and many other women and girls.” She also writes about other women who, like her, are currently weaving carpets despite their qualifications and aspirations. Gawhar uses pseudonyms for their safety and sends the stories to Afghan media outlets. So far, she says more than ten of her articles have been published. While she faced restrictions on her rights in Afghanistan, Gawhar faces economic limitations in Pakistan. She cannot afford to buy notebooks, so instead writes on her phone. “I see other girls are studying, learning English by attending language courses – but I cannot do anything in Pakistan due to financial issues.” Gawhar describes her future as “uncertain” – she says her family feels alone in Pakistan. They have contacted various organisations for support but have not heard back. In a situation where she feels her options have been taken away, Gawhar turns to her writing as a form of escape. “I still write and want to write more; it is the only way I express my thoughts and the only tool to take out the pain in my heart.” Interview by Afghan Witness Source: Share

Surge in Verified Taliban Accounts on X A surge in verified Taliban accounts on X, formerly Twitter, highlights the group's strategic use of the platform's features to spread propaganda and legitimise their presence. This trend raises questions about the implications of the verification feature and the moderation of extremist content on social media. 14 Jun 2024 In May 2024, AW noted a surge in the number of verified Taliban accounts on X (formerly Twitter), including spokespersons, officials, and institutions. In January 2023, only a limited number of Taliban accounts and approximately 10 pro-Taliban pages were identified. Verification status of the accounts was inconsistent, with pages often gaining and losing verification intermittently. By the end of May 2024, many more official Taliban and pro-Taliban accounts had acquired verified status, indicated by the blue checkmark. The following Taliban officials have been identified to have their official titles listed in their X account bio and verification status: De facto authority Deputy Spokesperson Taliban Supreme Court Spokesperson , Spokesperson for the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum Director of Information of the Ministry of Martyrs and Disabled Affairs National energy company Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat ( DABS ) Spokesperson for the National Statistics and Information Authority ( NSIA ) S pokespersons for Balkh and Nimruz provinces Directors of Information and Culture for Ghazni and Balkh provinces Spokesman for the 209 Al-Fath Military Corps Officials from the Ministry of Interior (MoI) Officials from the General Directorate of Physical Education and Sports Other verified Taliban officials Other Taliban officials with verified accounts were observed without their official titles in their bios on X. For example, Zakir Jalaly , a Foreign Ministry Head of the Asian Department , and Qari Abdul Satar Saeed , Deputy Director of Strategic and Public Relations at the Office of the Prime Minister. Verified State-Affiliated Accounts Taliban state-affiliated accounts, which are also verified, include the Ministry of Education (MoE), state-run Radio Television Afghanistan (RTA) Pashto , RTA Dari , RTA Islam , RTA Sport , RTA Radio , and the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan Urdu Official . None of the Taliban accounts listed display the official grey checkmark typically associated with government-related accounts. Follower Counts The follower counts for these verified Taliban accounts range from a few thousand to hundreds of thousands. For example, the Taliban’s Deputy Spokesman has approximately 4,500 followers, while the spokesman for the Supreme Court has 32,000 followers. The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan's Urdu-language account also has more than 241,600 followers. Shadow accounts The Taliban MoE and RTA Pashto each maintain two accounts: one verified and one unverified . The unverified MoE account has 43,300 followers, while the verified account has 8,700 followers. Similarly, the unverified RTA Pashto account has 770,300 followers, compared to 17,200 followers of the verified account. The unverified accounts, which have significantly more followers, often repost content from verified accounts in order to reach a wider audience. Figure: The screenshot shows the unverified X account of the Taliban MoE reposting content from the Ministry’s verified account. Pro-Taliban verified accounts In addition to Taliban accounts, there are numerous pro-Taliban accounts engaged in activities supporting the de facto authority, dozens of which have recently received verification on X. These accounts are either managed by individual pro-Taliban propagandists, or by alleged independent media outlets publishing Taliban propaganda. Some of these outlets, such as Al Mersaad Media , have been identified as Taliban-affiliated. Follower counts for these accounts range from tens of thousands to several hundred thousand . Unverified Taliban and pro-Taliban accounts Despite verification of some accounts, the majority of Taliban and pro-Taliban accounts remain unverified. Notably, the Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid ’s account, with nearly a million followers, as well as the accounts of the Prime Minister’s office and over 20 ministries , are unverified as of the time of writing. Similarly, accounts of prominent pro-Taliban propagandists also have not received verification, including some with follower counts ranging from tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands . Analysis The Taliban prefer X over other social media platforms such as Meta, citing Meta's block of Taliban-affiliated accounts. In August 2021, following the Taliban’s rise to power, Facebook informed the BBC that it would maintain its ban on Taliban content, classifying the group as a ‘Dangerous Organisation.’ In November 2022, Elon Musk announced a USD $8 monthly fee for verification of accounts on X, enabling users to post longer texts and videos, edit published content, and benefit from “priority ranking in search, mentions, and replies.” AW note that these privileged functionalities allow the Taliban to strengthen its propaganda capabilities on social media, including by reaching a larger audience. The Taliban’s gradual transition from unverified to verified accounts may also indicate ongoing efforts to appear more legitimate. Share

ما د دوهم ځل لپاره جګړه تجربه کړه، په اوکراین کې د افغانانو سخت حالت تېر کال یو شمېر افغانان د خوندیتوب په هیله اوکراین ته وتښتېدل، اوس دوی بیا له جګړې سره مخامخ دي د پوښ انځور، د کابل په هوايي ډګر کې د اوکراین پوځ، اګست ۲۰۲۱. عکس فیسبوک، د اوکراین د دفاع وزارت د استخباراتو اصلي ریاست. کله چې طالبانو تېر اګست کې کابل ونیو، هغو کسانو چې له افغانستانه په تېښته بریالي شول او په بل ځای کې یې د پناه اخیستو ادعا وکړه، هیله یې درلوده چې په نویو هېوادونو کې پټنځایونه ومومي. يو شمېر افغانانو په اوکراين کې خپل ځانونه يو ځل بيا پيل کړي، خو د روسيې د يرغل له امله يو ځل بيا د خپل ژوند له لاسه وتلو ته اړ شوي دي. افغان وتنس له یو شمېر هغو افغانانو سره خبرې کړې دي چې اوکراین ته کډه شوي ول، اوس د جګړې له پیلېدو سره له ناڅرګندتیا سره مخامخ دي، دوی افغان وتنس ته د جګړې له یوې سیمې څخه د تېښتې د تجربې په اړه وايي، یوازې د دې لپاره چې ځان په بل ځای کې ومومي. صفیه چې اصلي نوم یې نه دی، په افغانستان کې په یوه خصوصي هوايي شرکت کې د ميلمه پالي په توګه کار کاوه. کله چې د تېر کال د اګست په میاشت کې د افغانستان پخوانی حکومت نسکور شو، هغه سمدستي کیف ته کډه شوه، چیرته چې هغه اوسیږي. صفیه فکر کاوه چې هغه به په کیف کې خپل ژوند له سره پیل کړي، نه پوهیده چې یو سهار به له خوبه پاڅي ترڅو ښار په بحران کې ومومي، موږ د پنجشنبې په ورځ د فبروري ٢٤ سهار د سایرن په غږ له خوبه پاڅیدو. صفیه أفغان وتنس ته وویل، هغه وايي پدې شیبه کې چې هغه پوهیده چې د هغې پاتې کیدو لپاره هیڅ لاره نشته. صفیه سمدلاسه خپل سامانونه بسته کړل او د کیف سره د پولنډ پولې تهله ملگرو سره ولاړه، هغه وايي ما د دوهم ځل لپاره جګړه تجربه کړه. د پنجشنبې په ماسپښین کې، صفیه د پولنډ پولې ته ورسیده چیرې چې د موټرو اوږد قطار ولاړ وه، هغه صحنه چې هغې ته د تیر کال د کابل په هوایي ډګر کې د ګډوډۍ یادونه ورکړل. صفیه د جمعې په سهار وختي له پولې واوښته او د سهار په٤:٢٠ بجو د اوکراین پولې ته نږدې ښار لوبلین ته ورسیده. له دې ځایه هغې وارسا ته اورګاډي ونیوله بیا د آلمان په لور روانه شوه، ماسپښین د برلین مرکزي سټیشن ته ورسیده. صفیه وايي له ګاونډیو هېوادونو څخه د دوی د پولو پرانستلو مننه کوي. ښار د وحشتي ښار په څیر احساس کوي افغان وتنس همچنان له تمنا سره چې د هغې اصلي نوم نه دی خبرې کړې، د کابل پوهنتون پخوانۍ محصله ده، چې اووه میاشتې وړاندې د اوکرایین پوځ د عملیاتو په ترڅ کې له خپلې کورنۍ سره ژغورلې وه. تمنا په اوکراین کې د جګړې په پیل کې د کډوالۍ په توګه د هغې کورنۍ ستونزې تشریح کوي، موږ په ښار کې داسې څوک نه پیژنو چې زموږ سره یې په تیښته کې مرسته کړې وي. هغه وويل هغه لږ شمېر افغانان چې موږ يې پېژنو د جګړې په لومړۍ ورځ يې موټرونه پرېښودل او وتښتیدل، اوس موږ د یوې بلې کورنۍ سره بند پاتې یو چې موږ پوهیږو چې موټر هم نه لري. تمنا او کورنۍ یې د کییف په څنډه کې ژوند کوي. کله چې افغان وتنس د شنبې په ورځ د فبرورۍ په ۲۶ له هغې سره خبرې وکړې، هغې وویل چې هغه لا هم د بمونو غږونه اوري. تمنا زیاتوي بازارونه تړلي دي، ښار داسې احساس کوي لکه یو وحشتي ښارګوټی، ډیری خلک وتلي دي او موږ هڅه کوو چې خپله گزاره وكړو په هغه خوړو چي پخلنځي كي را پاتي دي چي ژوندي پاتي شو. کورنۍ د اپارتمان بلاک په اتم پوړ کې ژوند کوي. تمنا افغان وتنس وويل که جګړه نږدې شي ت چې ودانۍ یوه تاكوي لري چیرې چې دوی پټیږي. د مرکې په جریان کې تمنا احساساتي شوه، موږ د خوندیتوب احساس کولو لپاره افغانستان پریښود په پای کې یو نوی جي ته. زه پوښتنه کوم چې دا ټوله ګډوډي به کله پای ته ورسیږي؟ هغه کسان چې د سولې په لټه کې دي تر ټولو ډېر ځورېږي. په وارسا او پراګ کې د افغانستان د پخواني حکومت سفارتونو له اوکراین څخه د تېښتې له افغانانو سره د مرستې لپاره د مرستې نيولو اړيك لاین جوړ کړی دی. دغو سفارتونو هڅه کړې چې له طالبانو څخه په خپلواکه توګه خپلو فعاليتونو ته دوام ورکړي او په کابل کې د طالبانو له چارواکو څخه د قونسلګرۍ د خدمتونو مالي كومك باندې تکيه نه کوي فقت قنسلگري خدماتو په فيسونو باندي اتكا كوي. د طالبانو چارواکو ویلي چې دوی به هڅه وکړي چې په اوکراین کې افغان اتباع او زده کوونکي خوندي ځای ته انتقال کړي، خو تر اوسه یې جزیات نه دي په ډاګه کړي. د لیکلو په وخت کې ملګري ملتونه وايي چې 600,000 ملکي وګړي له اوکراین څخه تښتیدلي دي، خو اروپایي اتحادیه اټکل کوي چې ممکن د روسیې د یرغل له امله شاوخوا څلور ملیونه خلک له دې هیواد څخه د وتلو هڅه وکړي.

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Naeemi A former government worker says he has burned his certificates and documents connected to his previous roles. Naeemi has worked with the former Afghan government, as well as human rights organisations. Afghan Witness changed the name of the individual interviewed. Naeemi, not his real name, has had an impressive career so far. Before the Taliban seized the country, he worked as a journalist for more than five years, and started an organisation providing support for local NGOs. He had also worked with human rights organisations in Afghanistan, and had the opportunity to work with the former Afghan government. He tells Afghan Witness (AW) that some of his work involved sensitive cases of intelligence and security, and that he was part of a team that prevented several terrorist attacks in Kabul. With the Taliban now back in power, Naeemi feels his past employment has made him a target. “It has become a huge deal for me right now. I am paying the price at the moment," he says. “They [the Taliban] are looking for people who worked in the government, media, civil society and human rights commissioners – I was involved in them. I have not left my home, and my wife goes to buy the groceries and does the outdoor work.” The UN has raised the alarm over mounting evidence of reprisals against activists, journalists, former government officials and security forces. In late February 2022, the Taliban began house searches starting in northern parts of Kabul. The Taliban claimed ‘criminals’ were being targeted in the operation and have denied targeted reprisals , insisting reports of violence and disappearances were being investigated. “My mother burned all of the documents that belonged to me - my certificates, my diplomas, my contracts, DVD recordings of my speeches over the past two decades, my pictures with foreign and Afghan government officials, and everything that was associated with me,” Naeemi tells AW. Many others in Afghanistan have similar stories of burning evidence of the life they lived before the Taliban's takeover. Naeemi claims that his home was searched by the Taliban, but that his family swapped houses with his uncle before the search. “It was tough, unbearable, and we had no other choice but to just give up after watching everything in our house be torn apart." He tells AW that he believes the house searches are not for finding weapons, but for seeking vengeance. Some residents whose homes were searched claimed doors were broken and their belongings left in a mess. At the end of the interview, Naeemi stresses the need for Islamic countries to take a “firm stand against the Taliban”, adding that the group has “no place in our world". “I know the global attention turned away from Afghanistan and focused on Ukraine. But, please, pass on my message and tell the world not to forget Afghanistan and its people." Interview with Afghan Witness Source: Share

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