ISIS Militants
Amu: Members of the UN Security Council warned on Tuesday that Islamic State’s Khorasan affiliate (IS-K) in Afghanistan continues to pose a serious threat to regional and international security, despite a reported decline in attacks. The council met under the agenda item “Threats to international peace and security caused by terrorist acts” to review the UN secretary-general’s latest strategic report on the Islamic State threat. Click here to read more (external link).
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8am: Several citizens of Afghanistan are complaining about the quality of telecommunications services. They say that since the Taliban takeover, the quality and ease of access to telecommunications services, especially the internet, have declined in an unprecedented manner. According to them, poor service quality and frequent call disruptions have created serious problems in their daily lives, work, and communications. These citizens also believe that there is insufficient transparency in the charges for calls and internet services, and that the services provided do not correspond to the announced prices. Click here to read more (external link).
Khawaja Muhammad Asif
Amu: Pakistan’s defense minister Khwaja Asif has said that militants behind deadly attacks in the country’s Balochistan province were acting as proxies for the Taliban, warning that Islamabad would hold those backing them to account. Asif said fighters from the Balochistan Liberation Army (BLA) were being used by both India and the Taliban to destabilise Pakistan. “With the support of our people, parliament and a national resolution, we will confront India through Afghanistan,” Asif said in remarks broadcast by local media. He warned that Pakistan would also take action against Afghanistan under Taliban control. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps said Afghan migrants were not involved in operating drones during the recent 12-day conflict between Iran and Israel, rejecting rumours that Afghans had been arrested over flying the devices. Hossein Nejat, a senior commander in the Revolutionary Guard, said most of those involved in activities during the conflict were Iranian nationals, though in some cases foreign nationals, including a small number of Afghan migrants, were present. He said Afghans played no role in flying drones and that claims about the discovery of tunnels or large-scale organised actions by migrants had not been confirmed. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: After the departure of Cenk Unal, Ankara appointed Sadin Ayyildiz as chargé d’affaires in Kabul in December, rather than sending a new ambassador. Ayyildiz met Tuesday with Amir Khan Muttaqi, the Taliban’s acting foreign minister. Since the Taliban returned to power, Türkiye has changed its top envoy to Kabul at least twice. The decision to send a chargé d’affaires instead of an ambassador is seen as indicating a lower level of diplomatic engagement with the Taliban administration. Click here to read more (external link).
Amu: Afghanistan beat West Indies by 23 runs in a men’s T20 World Cup warm-up match on Wednesday, posting 182 for six before restricting the Caribbean side to 159 for seven. The match was part of preparations ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, with teams using the warm-up fixtures to finalize combinations before the tournament begins. Click here to read more (external link).
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Deminer (file photo)
Khaama: The UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) says Afghanistan ranks third globally for casualties caused by landmines and unexploded war remnants. UNAMA stated on Tuesday, February 3 that children account for nearly 80 percent of victims, often injured or killed while playing or unknowingly handling unexploded ordnance. The mission called for increased financial support to demining organizations working to clear mines and educate communities about explosive risks across the country. Click here to read more (external link).