Anti-Taliban Fronts Carried Out 73 Attacks Against Taliban In 3 Months, UN Report

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

The UN Secretary-General reported that anti-Taliban fronts, including the National Resistance Front (NRF) and the Afghanistan Freedom Front, have carried out 73 attacks against the Taliban.

The report states that from May 14 to July 31, 2,127 security incidents were recorded in Afghanistan, an increase of 53 percent compared to the same period last year.

The UN Secretary-General released his report to the UN Security Council for the past three months on Tuesday (September 17).
According to the report, 80 cases of armed conflict have been recorded in Afghanistan during this period, compared to 37 cases in the same period last year.

The report was published under the title "The Situation in Afghanistan and the Implications for International Peace and Security". It also reported that explosions caused by improvised explosive devices (IEDs) increased by six to 13 during this period compared to last year.

According to the report, despite the fact that anti-Taliban fronts such as the NRF and the Afghanistan Freedom Front have not been able to seize territory, they have carried out 73 attacks against the Taliban during this period.

The report states that the National Resistance Front was responsible for 53 attacks and the Afghanistan Freedom Front was responsible for 21 attacks. The perpetrators of the other 19 attacks remain unknown.

According to the Secretary-General's report, from May 15 to August 1, ISIS-K carried out four attacks in Bamiyan, Kandahar and Kabul, and an operation was carried out by the Taliban against ISIS in Nangarhar.

The report states that contrary to the Taliban's promise of a general amnesty, there have been reports of human rights violations against former military officials.

The United Nations has documented four cases of extrajudicial killings, nine cases of arbitrary detention, and six cases of torture and ill-treatment of former government officials and members of the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces. The UN has not specified who killed or tortured them.

According to reports, the Taliban has continued to arrest and in some cases kill former government military personnel despite a general amnesty.

In the new report, it has been stated that ISIS has continued its propaganda against the Taliban and the international community over the past three months.

According to the report, ISIS "ridiculed" the Taliban's claim of providing security in May by releasing a video.

"On May 26, ISIS released a video in which it threatened all foreigners and the United Nations in Afghanistan, mocking the Taliban's claim that security in the country has been successful," the report reads in part.

The report predicts that 23.7 million people in Afghanistan will need humanitarian assistance in 2024.

The report has said that as of August 30 this year, only 24.9 percent of the $2.9 billion needed to help Afghanistan has been secured.

The report shows that during this period, Taliban officials have continued to appoint people loyal to the group at the national and local levels.
At the national level, the Taliban have appointed two ministers, seven deputy ministers, a deputy spokesperson, the governor and first deputy of the Central Bank, and 12 directors in ministries.

At the local level, the Taliban have appointed four governors, four deputy governors, two mayors, and at least 26 local administrators and 24 district chiefs loyal to the group.

According to the report, Noor Ahmad Agha, the new governor of the Central Bank, is under UN Security Council sanctions.

 

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

UN report shows 53% rise in security-related incidents in Afghanistan
by Amu TV
September 17, 2024

A new United Nations report reveals a 53 percent increase in security-related incidents across Afghanistan between May 14 and July 31, compared with the same period in 2023. The UN recorded 2,127 incidents during this period.

The report highlights several types of incidents that have surged in frequency. Land disputes have increased significantly, particularly in the southern and southeastern regions of the country. The UN documented 35 land disputes during this period, compared with 28 during the same timeframe last year. The southern region accounted for the majority, with 19 incidents, followed by the southeastern region, which saw seven cases.

Armed clashes have also escalated dramatically. The report notes that such incidents more than doubled, rising from 37 in 2023 to 80 this year. This uptick reflects ongoing tension and localized conflicts, despite the Taliban’s continued hold on most of the country’s territory. Alongside these armed skirmishes, detonations of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) also increased, from seven incidents in 2023 to 13 in 2024. These IED attacks, which frequently target Taliban forces and civilians alike, remain a significant source of instability in Afghanistan.

The report underscores that, despite the rise in violence, the Taliban’s territorial control has not been meaningfully challenged by opposition groups during this period. The armed opposition, including the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) and the National Resistance Front (NRF), remains active, but their efforts have yet to pose a significant threat to the Taliban’s grip on power.

According to the UN, a total of 73 attacks were carried out by the AFF and NRF combined. The AFF was responsible for 21 attacks, while the NRF, which has been more prominent in certain regions, conducted 52 attacks. These operations often utilized hit-and-run tactics, targeting Taliban posts, vehicles, and security personnel in ambushes and other assaults. The opposition forces have largely refrained from attempting to hold territory, preferring to rely on these guerrilla-style operations to harass Taliban forces.

Geographically, the central region of Afghanistan, and specifically Kabul Province, saw the highest concentration of attacks. A total of 58 attacks were recorded in the central region, including 46 in Kabul alone. The intensity of violence in Kabul highlights the ongoing security challenges in the Afghan capital, even as the Taliban attempt to present an image of control. Other regions were less affected, with 15 attacks in the west, 11 in the northeast, four in the east, two in the north, and two in the south.

The extremist group ISIL-K (Islamic State in Khorasan Province) remains a persistent threat in Afghanistan, according to the UN report. ISIL-K claimed responsibility for four significant attacks during the reporting period. One of the most high-profile incidents occurred on May 17 in Bamyan, a historically peaceful province. Gunmen opened fire on two vehicles carrying tourists in the central market area of Bamyan city, killing five people, including three Spanish nationals. Two Afghan citizens were also killed in the attack, while two Afghans and four foreign nationals from Australia, Lithuania, Norway, and Spain were wounded. The attack on international tourists was a rare but notable escalation, aimed at undermining any sense of security within the country.

In response, Taliban authorities arrested seven suspects related to the Bamyan attack, although they have yet to provide additional information on the arrests or whether the suspects belonged to ISIL-K or another group.

On May 20, another ISIL-K attack involved the detonation of an IED targeting a Taliban vehicle in Kandahar. The explosion killed one civilian and injured three others. Although the exact number of Taliban casualties remains unknown, such attacks highlight ISIL-K’s ongoing campaign to destabilize Taliban rule through targeted violence.

On July 31, ISIL-K claimed responsibility for an attack involving small arms fire on a bus transporting Taliban security forces in Kabul city. The attack resulted in multiple casualties. Taliban authorities reported that one attacker was arrested, while three others escaped. The report also notes that Taliban security forces had arrested at least 30 suspected ISIL-K members during this period, part of a broader crackdown on the group’s activities.

ISIL-K has also maintained a steady stream of propaganda aimed at both the Taliban and the international community. On May 26, the group released a video that threatened foreigners in Afghanistan, including United Nations personnel, and mocked the Taliban’s claims of maintaining security. ISIL-K has sought to portray the Taliban as illegitimate and unable to protect the country, a narrative designed to attract recruits and fuel discontent among Afghans.

In early June, ISIL-K’s Al-Azaim media outlet released another video condemning the Taliban for accepting financial assistance from the international community. The video singled out several faith-based NGOs and United Nations entities, labeling them as legitimate targets for attacks. These claims were previously echoed in a May 17 issue of ISIL-K’s Khorasan Ghag publication, which also targeted NGOs working in Afghanistan.

Al-Qaida, another significant extremist presence in Afghanistan, also made headlines during this period. On June 7, the group’s media outlet, Al-Sahab, published a pamphlet inviting Muslims worldwide to migrate to Afghanistan and support the Taliban through investment and expertise. This call reflects Al-Qaida’s enduring ties to the Taliban and its desire to bolster the regime, despite the group’s declining operational strength in the country.

Tensions along Afghanistan’s border with Pakistan were also highlighted in the report. Between May 14 and July 31, the UN documented at least 13 armed clashes between Taliban forces and Pakistani security forces along the border areas in six districts across Kunar, Paktika, and Khost provinces. These skirmishes included indiscriminate shelling and further complicated the security situation in these volatile regions. The report also notes the deaths of at least four Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) commanders and fighters in separate incidents in Kunar, Paktika, Khost, and Kabul provinces, though the perpetrators of these killings remain unidentified.

The UN itself has been directly affected by the rise in violence. During the reporting period, the organization documented 24 safety and security incidents affecting its personnel. These included one theft, 10 cases of harassment, movement restrictions, or intimidation, and two arrests of UN staff. While this represents a slight decrease from the previous reporting period, the UN also faced five other safety incidents involving fires, flooding, and road accidents, all of which affected its compounds and offices across the country.

 

[Asfandyar Bhittani]

Statement of the National Resistance Front on the UN Security Report on Afghanistan!

"The United Nations said in its latest report on the security situation in Afghanistan that more than 2,000 security incidents were recorded in Afghanistan in the two-and-a-half months (May 14 to July 31) this year. The figure, which represents a 53 percent increase in security incidents compared to the same period last year, is clearly incomplete and presents a conservative approach to the realities in Afghanistan.

The report lists only 52 attacks by the Afghan National Resistance Front (ANRF) against the Taliban. While the actual and documented statistics of the National Resistance Front show that the number of operations carried out during this period reaches more than 100 operations. Therefore, a significant part of the activities of the National Resistance Front is ignored in this report.

The Afghan National Resistance Front (ANRF) forces have carried out 107 military operations against Taliban militias in 16 provinces of the country during the period. In these operations, 149 Taliban militants were killed and 140 wounded. Fortunately, no civilians or National Resistance Front forces were injured in these operations.

It appears that limitations in the UN security reporting process have prevented all security issues in Afghanistan from being recorded. The Taliban terrorist group does not allow independent and impartial institutions to report on the security situation in the country, and while there are numerous cases of insecurity, the group claims to provide nationwide security and hides the objective facts from the Afghan people and the international community."