Afghan Witness Reports

On 9 May 2024, Kochi nomads protested against the Taliban's plans to demolish their homes on the Jalalabad-Torkham highway, leading to Taliban gunfire that caused several casualties, amid ongoing claims of land usurpation and forced displacements.

On 3 and 4 May 2024, protests in Badakhshan's Darayim and Argo districts erupted after clashes between locals and Taliban counter-narcotics teams over the destruction of poppy fields, resulting in deaths and ongoing protests despite Taliban attempts to resolve the issue.

NRF and AFF jointly commemorated fallen commanders in their first shared online event, where leaders emphasised the need for unity; both groups have intensified their activity in Kabul in recent months, but while the NRF notably increased attacks during Ramadan, the AFF announced a suspension of operations.

After a two-month hiatus in ISKP activity, the group resumed attacks in Kandahar, Kunar, Kabul, and Herat, targeting critical infrastructure and Shia communities, highlighting the group’s ongoing presence and capabilities in Afghanistan.

The Afghan media landscape has been under sustained pressure since the Taliban takeover, with the closure of two TV channels linked to political parties and a series of journalist detentions in recent weeks, indicating the Taliban's ongoing efforts to control the media landscape.

In audio clips circulated online in March, the Taliban’s Supreme Leader emphasised the strict implementation of Sharia punishments and spoke of harsher punishments for women.

According to the Taliban, the land that Hizb-e Islami party leader Hekmatyar was living on had been provided by the Republican government and was not legitimate, as recognising it as such would imply recognition of the previous administration.

In Kabul, female presenters were reportedly told to appear on air only in full veiling, while in Khost, local media was prohibited from broadcasting calls from women and girls.

Afghan Witness has seen a downturn in street protests, with many women taking their protests indoors and online in an attempt to avoid suppression or violence.

The Etilaatroz team have been working steadily with AW to learn fact-checking methodologies and develop open source skills.

Pakistan stated the strikes were directed at militant group members located in Afghanistan, while the Afghan Taliban claimed that civilian residential areas were hit. Afghan Witness confirmed the deaths of several children following the strikes and verified retaliatory shelling and gunfire from Afghan forces towards Pakistani territory.

Many of the impersonator accounts identified by Afghan Witness repeatedly use derogatory language toward the Afghan LGBTQIA+ community and attempt to defame activists and news anchors in exile.