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Afghan forces kill mastermind of Nangarhar prison attack
Afghanistan’s National Directorate of Security (NDS) on Tuesday confirmed Special Forces had killed the mastermind of this month’s Nangarhar prison attack.
The NDS said in a statement on Tuesday it had killed high ranking Daesh member, Abdullah Orakzai, the chief justice of ISIS-K/Daesh in Afghanistan.
According to the NDS, Abdullah Orakzai had masterminded the recent prison attack which left at least 30 people dead and more than 50 wounded.
The Afghan spy agency, however, did not provide further details.
Abdullah Orakzai had also been the deputy intelligence leader of Daesh.
Assadullah Orakzai, who was killed by the Afghan Special Forces near Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province, in late July, had been the head of intelligence for the terrorist organization.
However, Abdullah Orakzai was also suspected of being involved in several deadly attacks against both military and civilian targets in the country, the NDS added.
“Abdullah Orakzai, was military in charge for Daesh in Naziyan and Achin districts of Nangarhar province, and he had issued a fatwa allowing its insurgents to behead civilians and forcibly marry their girls,” the NDS said in a statement.
This latest development comes after Afghan Special Forces arrested another coordinator of the prison attack during a raid in Kunar province on August 5.
The key commander was identified as Mohammad Saeed son of Mohammad Afzal, who was involved in moving foreign ISIS insurgents along with their families around the country.
“He (Mohammad Saeed) was one of the masterminds of the recent attack in Nangarhar,” the NDS said.
The prison attack started when an Indian doctor, Ijas Kallukettiya Purayil, detonated an explosive-laden vehicle at the entrance gate of the jail.
Soon after 10 militants stormed the facility and it took security forces nearly 18 hours to bring the situation under control.
Meanwhile, an Afghan MP claimed that around 800 ISIS-K (Daesh) and Taliban prisoners had escaped during the attack. Afghan officials later confirmed that hundreds of Daesh and Taliban prisoners were missing.
Daesh has not yet commented in this regard.
Esmaeil Baqaei, spokesperson for Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, has announced that Tehran will host a regional meeting on Afghanistan next week.
Referring to Iran’s ongoing consultations with neighboring countries, including Pakistan and Afghanistan, aimed at promoting peace and stability in the region, he said: “The Islamic Republic of Iran attaches fundamental importance to security and stability in our neighboring environment, and in this regard, spares no effort to reduce tensions among regional countries and to strengthen mutual understanding.”
He described the upcoming meeting as the result of consultations held at various levels with neighboring countries and other regional actors, expressing hope that this initiative will play an effective role in enhancing regional cohesion and easing tensions.
According to Baqaei, the regional meeting will take place next week in Tehran, hosted by Iran’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and will be attended by special representatives for Afghan affairs from Pakistan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, China, and Russia.
The European Union has announced €25 million in assistance to the World Food Programme’s Afghanistan office.
According to the EU, the aid will be used to develop climate-resilient projects and strengthen local food systems in Afghanistan.
It will also help create employment opportunities for women and youth, as well as support school nutrition programs.
The EU added that this cooperation will continue to expand opportunities that improve the lives of Afghans.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Islamic Emirate has denied reports claiming that Afghan dual citizens living abroad are now required to obtain an Afghan visa when returning to their home country.
Zia Ahmad Takal, the ministry’s head of public relations, said in a statement that no new decision has been made in this regard.
According to him, Afghans who travel to Afghanistan with a foreign passport, as before, do not need to obtain a visa if they present proof of their Afghan identity, and they may enter the country without a visa.
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