Abdullah Naji Nazari, a member of the Badakhshan Provincial Council, said Tuesday the Taliban attacked a checkpoint in Pul-e-Soch in Badakhshan’s Jurm district at midnight on Monday. 

The attack lasted for two hours. 

According to Nazari, three soldiers were killed, three were wounded and three others were captured. 

Nazari added that five armed Taliban were killed and eight others were wounded in the attack.

Local officials have not yet responded to calls for more information. 

Taliban has also not commented. 

A number of former military chiefs and members of the Wolesi Jirga (Lower House of Parliament) have said the Taliban are not able to get access to hi-tech drones without the help of neighboring countries. 

The use of drones is one of the Taliban’s latest tactics. The group has not only used the devices to gather surveillance footage of possible targets but have also used them to carry out bombardments against military installations. 

Sources in Kunduz said on Monday the Taliban also carried out an airstrike on a national army battalion in Imam Sahib district of the province on Sunday – using drones. This comes after they dropped explosives on the 217 Pamir Corps.

The use of this technology by the Taliban is not new, but in recent months such attacks by the group on military bases have increased. 

“The use of drones by the Taliban has concerned the people. The group has attacked the 217th Pamir Corps and an ANA battalion in the Imam Sahib district of Kunduz,” said Mohammad Yusof Ayoubi, head of Kunduz Provincial Council.

Military experts say the use of such technology by the Taliban alone is not possible, and that countries in the region are involved in the attacks. 

They say there are now free markets in parts of Pakistan, where the Taliban obtain drones and advanced weapons.

“Advanced weapons are still sold freely in parts of Pakistan. The Afghan military can easily thwart Taliban airstrikes, even with Kalashnikovs,” said former military chief Dawlat Waziri.

Although the Ministry of Defense did not comment on the use of Taliban drones, the National Directorate of Security (NDS) has already confirmed the use of such technology by the group.

The House Defense Committee also says the Taliban are active near military bases due to the lack of intelligence.

“Weak intelligence has led to a large presence of the Taliban near military bases. This must be stopped,” said Mir Haidar Afzali, Chairman of the Defense Affairs Committee of the Wolesi Jirga.

Military experts say the attacks are dangerous, but say security and defense agencies could easily prevent them.

Documents leaked to Ariana News show that more than one million Afghanis (about $13,000) of the dedicated COVID-19 budget has been embezzled in Parwan province.

The documents indicate that the cost of health-related items recorded was double that of the actual purchase price. 

Chlorine powder was purchased for 405 Afghanis per kilogram, while studies show that the actual price is 350 Afghanis per kilo.

The documents revealed that 433,316 Afghanis too much was paid for 2,380 cases of surgical gloves; 307,692 AFs too much was spent on personal protective equipment (PPE); and the province paid double for handwash. 

Officials also paid too much for vitamin D ampoules, plastic bowls, thermometers and medical masks. 

According to the documents, the total difference against the actual prices of the goods was 1,137,094 Afghanis. 

While the provincial governor and the health director deny that the money was embezzled, the Attorney General’s Office has announced it will conduct a thorough investigation into the issue. 

“The issue of corruption in the special budget in the fight against coronavirus in Logar, Khost, Parwan, Baghlan, Kunduz, Bamyan and Daikundi provinces has been sent to the Attorney General’s Office and is under investigation,” said Jamshid Rasouly, AGO spokesman.

According to regulations around curbing the spread of the virus in the country, provincial governors have the authority to spend up to five million Afghanis on necessary medical items. 

However, according to a source, the governor of Parwan has already used eight million Afghanis. 

“In the coronavirus budget section, we had appointed a delegation, under the leadership of the deputy governor, and civil society which could look into the matter. We are accountable to all institutions,” Parwan’s provincial governor Fazluddin Ayar said.

But a researcher from Integrity Watch Afghanistan Nasir Temori said: “The national budget has been wasted due to the lack of regulatory bodies.” 

However, the governor of Parwan, the director of health, the head of pharmacy, the director of procurement, the director of remittances, the chief of the provincial hospital and several others have been referred to the Attorney General’s Office on charges of corruption.

It is not only the officials of Parwan province who have been accused of embezzling COVID-19 funds. Governors and officials of several other provinces have also been accused of embezzlement.