NRF Claims Responsibility Of Explosion In Kabul

Following an explosion in the city center of Kabul, the National Resistance Front (NRF) announced that it had launched an attack on a Taliban checkpoint close to the Serena Hotel.

Following an explosion in the city center of Kabul, the National Resistance Front (NRF) announced that it had launched an attack on a Taliban checkpoint close to the Serena Hotel.
The NRF claimed that in this attack, at least five Taliban members were killed, and two others got injured.
Earlier, local sources reported a relatively severe explosion in the center of Kabul city to Afghanistan International.
One of the sources said that the Taliban had closed the traffic route in the area where the explosion occurred.
NRF did not provide details about the nature of the attack. The Front's statement mentioned that the attack took place on Friday around 7pm local time.
According to the front, neither its forces nor civilians were harmed in this attack.
Taliban authorities have not yet commented in this regard.
The Serena Hotel is located in the center of Kabul city and near the presidential palace of Afghanistan. This is one of the busiest areas in the capital and is under strict security measures by the Taliban.
The NRF, which has intensified its attacks against the Taliban in recent days, stated that over the past two days, it has targeted Taliban positions in the fifteenth, seventeenth, fifth, and second police districts of Kabul city, resulting in at least 11 Taliban casualties.

The Taliban's Ministry of Justice reacted to Afghanistan International’s exclusive report about the establishment of a private prison by Abdul Hakim Sharei, the group’s Minister of Justice.
The ministry stated that Sharei, by the order of the Taliban leader, has the authority to "detain" land usurpers for 10 days.
Earlier, sources told Afghanistan International that the Taliban's Minister of Justice had built a private prison inside the ministry building.
Family members of Haydar Jan Naimzoy, a former member of the Afghan parliament, stated that he has been imprisoned in the Taliban's Ministry of Justice.
In a statement, the Taliban's Ministry of Justice stated on Thursday that "there is no private prison in the Ministry of Justice”. However, the ministry did not explain where Abdul Hakim Sharei detains the accused land usurpers and under what conditions.
The statement mentioned that the Minister of Justice has been appointed by the decree of Mullah Hibatullah, the leader of the Taliban, to head the commission for addressing land usurpation. According to the statement, he has the authority to decide on the detention of land usurpers who continue to confiscate lands, for up to 10 days.
Following takeover of power in Afghanistan, the Taliban abolished the constitution of the previous government and declared some of its regulations invalid. Legal experts say that the Taliban is now operating based on their own preferences.
According to the law, the police and the prosecutor's office have the right to arrest individuals, and judicial and legal institutions handle the cases of the accused.
The Ministry of Justice did not explicitly mention Naimzoy. However, it indirectly stated that the decision to detain one of the "rebels" was made by the commission for the prevention of land usurpation, and he was officially handed over for detention to Kabul province.
The Taliban's Ministry of Justice detained Naimzoy, on Monday, March 11 and has been held in the private prison of the Minister of Justice until the publication of the report on March 12
According to information received by Afghanistan International, before Naimzoy, Mahmoud Karzai, the brother of former President Hamid Karzai; Mullah Tarakhel, a former member of parliament; Mir Afghan Safi, another former member of parliament, and Bahram Khan Zadran, the head of the money exchangers union, were also detained in the Taliban's Minister of Justice's private prison on charges of land grabbing.

Bakhtiyor Hakimov, the Russian envoy to the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), has expressed that discussions on Afghanistan's accession to the organisation are not feasible at this time.
Hakimov pointed out that although Afghanistan submitted a request to join the SCO in 2015, the circumstances now make it clear that "this matter cannot be currently addressed”.
As reported by the TASS news agency, Hakimov, who serves as Vladimir Putin's delegate to the SCO, delivered these comments during a press briefing in Moscow.
Afghanistan holds the status of an observer within the SCO. The nation's former administration had sought to elevate its membership to a permanent level within the organisation.
The SCO's permanent members include Russia, China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India, Pakistan, and Iran.
Following the Taliban's ascension to power, the SCO has consistently underscored the importance of establishing an inclusive government in Afghanistan through its declarations.
At the 23rd SCO summit, hosted by India in July 2023, member states unanimously advocated for an inclusive Afghan government that incorporates various ethnic, religious, and political factions. They collectively stated that promptly addressing Afghanistan's situation is essential for the region's security and stability.
The Taliban, which was not invited to the summit, criticised the SCO's stance and described the group's exclusion from the organisation's meetings as a significant obstacle to comprehensive coordination.

IRIB, the Iranian news agency, announced that Brace Concrete Industries, an Iranian enterprise, has inked a deal worth $500 million with the Taliban's Railway Authority.
This contract, revealed on Wednesday, commits the Iranian firm to supplying 20,000 railway sleepers for the development of Afghanistan's railway infrastructure.
Brace Concrete Industries, hailing from Hamadan province, is recognised for its specialisation in manufacturing concrete sleepers, illustrating the company's innovative and leading stance in the sector.
An official from the Taliban’s Railway Authority informed IRIB about their order of 20,000 sleepers from Brace Concrete Industries.
Hossein Mirabian, the founder of Brace Concrete Industries, detailed that the delivery schedule includes 10,000 sleepers by the end of the Persian year and an additional 10,000 by April 2024, ensuring a steady supply for the ongoing railway projects in Afghanistan.
Mirabian further indicated plans for expanded involvement of his company in Afghanistan's railway development initiatives.
Despite the lack of formal recognition of the Taliban by the Islamic Republic and other nations, there exist engagements, with Iran maintaining both diplomatic and economic interactions with the group.

In a letter to the United Nations, the Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women expressed concern regarding the health of Manizha Seddiqi, women's rights activist and a member of their group.
The letter stated that Seddiqi is in a dire condition at the Pul-e-Charkhi prison and has fallen severely ill due to "Taliban torture”.
A copy of this letter that was published on Wednesday has been sent to Afghanistan International. The Spontaneous Movement of Afghan Women also said that the Taliban prevented Seddiqi’s family from providing her with medicine.
The letter highlighted that the Taliban has accused this activist of burning an image of the Taliban leader. The movement urged the United Nations to address Seddiqi’s situation.
Manizha Seddiqi was forcibly taken by the Taliban intelligence forces on October 9, 2023, and later transferred to the Pul-e-Charkhi prison. However, the Taliban has not provided any explanation for her detention or her current situation in prison.
In a statement, Amnesty International stated that women rights activists have been detained on fabricated charges, and they have not been given the right to a fair trial.

On Wednesday, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) announced that one Taliban member had been killed, and three others had been injured in two separate attacks in Kabul.
According to the front, these attacks were carried out at the Taliban checkpoints on Silo Road and in front of the National Archive.
The NRF stated that these attacks occurred one hour apart from each other during the night.
The Taliban has not yet commented on this matter. However, a source close to the Taliban told Afghanistan International that the NRF's attack on the Silo Road checkpoint did not result in any casualties.
The NRF has reported that one Taliban fighter was killed in the attack.
This marks the fifth attack by the NRF on the Taliban in the past three days. Meanwhile, Afghanistan Freedom Front, another armed group against the Taliban, announced this week that it would refrain from launching any military attacks during Ramadan and the Eid days.
