POWER OUTAGES CONTINUE IN AFGHANISTAN – After Uzbekistan confirmed it had cut power exports to Afghanistan a diplomatic spat occurred when the Taliban Minister of Foreign Affairs took to social media and publicly blasted the Uzbek government. Officials from Uzbekistan responded yesterday and said it had warned the Afghan power authority that domestic needs could result in diminished power exports. It is not clear whether the Afghan power company officials informed the Taliban of this possibility or, whether the Taliban failed to disclose the information to the public. Regardless, the problem affects millions.
PAKISTAN’S POWER GRID GOES OFFLINE AS WELL – Pakistan lost power across large areas of the country for the second time in three months after a power-saving scheme to save power backfired. Electricity was shut off overnight to conserve fuel in an effort to save money but when engineers attempted to turn the power back on in the morning, the system suffered a catastrophic failure and will need to be rebooted. Government officials and those who are responsible for managing the grid were working to restore power and some cities had reported a resumption of service as of this morning. The outage also affected nationwide cellular service as thousands of mobile towers were forced offline. Internet services continued to function but many millions of cellular phone customers have been in a communications blackout state.
UNITED NATIONS ANNOUNCES $4.6 BILLION PLEDGED FOR AFGHANISTAN IN 2023 – Martin Griffiths, Under Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs, supposedly informed the Foreign Minister about the funding during a recent meeting. However, it is not clear how much of the funding will be allowed to be used in Afghanistan with the standoff over bans on women in different sectors of society. A source who was present for the meeting claimed the UN officials clearly were dangling a carrot for the Taliban with the announcement but that flew over the head of Muttaqi who was apparently giddy after the meeting. Several advisors reputedly had to explain that the funding was only pledged and was not likely to be disbursed unless the Taliban reversed several of its policies.
CLERIC MURDERED IN KAPISA – A second Salafi religious leader was murdered in Kohistan (Kapisa Province) on Sunday evening. Mawlawi Laeeq was set upon by unidentified gunmen and shot dead in Kish Katan village. In 2022, Mawlawi Nasrullah, another Salafi religious leader was murdered in a similar fashion. Unconfirmed reports have continued to mount of several Salafi followers ‘disappearing’ under mysterious circumstances since the Taliban came back to power.
CONFLICT TRACKER Helmand: An AFF raid on a Taliban checkpoint in Lashkargah resulted in the death of 1 Talib and 3 wounded. No AFF casualties were reported.
NEXT 24 HOURS
COUNTER ISIS-K SECURITY CLEARING OPERATIONS CONTINUE – Shortly after an ISIS-K militant committed suicide while in Taliban custody in Ghor, several social media channels affiliated with the terrorist group vowed revenge, and one had posted a photo of the outer security layer of the Supreme Leader’s residence in Kandahar, reputedly taken yesterday. Taliban security forces appear to have taken the threat seriously and have added additional vehicular security patrols in the city. There is a potential for violence.
[ShabelleMedia] Heavy fighting ... as opposed to the more usual name-calling or slapsy... between the Jubbaland state forces and al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... occurred in the Sijngaleyr area near the southern port city of Kismayo ...a port city in the southern Lower Juba province of Somalia, at the extreme southern end of the country (always assuming Somalia can be called a country). It is the commercial capital of the autonomous Jubaland region.... .
The battle came after al-Shabaab fighters attacked the Jubbaland military base, which is used to protect the security of Kismayo, the capital of the Lower Jubba region.
It is not known the official casualties caused by the attack, which residents said was very intense and lasted for almost an hour, in which different types of weapons were used.
Preliminary reports say that the commander of the Jubbaland army in Singaleyr area and two other soldiers were maimed in the shootout between the two sides.
Kismayo lies about 500 kilometers south of Mogadishu, the Somali capital. It has been under Kenyan army control since 2012.
Al-Shabaab often carries out such attacks on Jubbaland and Kenyan troops who are part of the ATMIS — African Union ...a union consisting of 53 African states, most run by dictators of one flavor or another. The only all-African state not in the AU is Morocco. Established in 2002, the AU is the successor to the Organisation of African Unity (OAU), which was even less successful... Transitional Mission in Somalia.
Jubaland has recently announced it readied a fresh push to retake the areas that remained under al-Shabaab, a decision that came after President declared in 2022 an all-out war.
[ShabelleMedia] The military officials in central Somalia reported an Arclight airstrike ...KABOOM!... against al-Shabaab ...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord... in the southern Mudug region amid ground operations by SNA and locals.
As many as 40 al-Shabaab members were killed in the strike, which is believed to have been carried out by the US military as Washington is involved in the current Somalia war.
The dronezap was conducted in support of the Somali military as they battle against al-Shabaab in Beer-Fanah area near the coastal city of Harardhere, which is now under government control.
The seaside Hararhdhere city has been controlled by al-Shabaab for over 15 years and it served once as the main hub of Somali pirates who used to hold the hostages there.
Al-Shabaab is yet to comment on the airstrike and the claims of the deaths of 40 combatants in the battle of Mudug region.
Harardhere was liberated from al-Shabaab last week after SNA and allied local clan militia moved into it without encountering any resistance from the retreating Death Eaters.
Somalia is current waging a big offensive that saw the liberation of dozens of key areas since last year with the government saying al-Shabaab presence will end this year.
Direct Translation via Google Translate. Edited.
[REGNUM] At least three servicemen were killed in a Mi-171 helicopter crash in northern Algeria, the Algerian Defense Ministry said on its website.
The incident occurred in the vicinity of the city of El Attaf (Ain Defla province), when the crew of the device was performing a training flight.
[NYPOST] Border enforcement officials apprehended more than three dozen people named on the federal terrorism watchlist at the US-Mexico frontier in the final three months of 2022 — after a record number of terror suspects were caught in the 12 months ending Sept. 30 of last year.
According to US Customs and Border Protection, 38 people identified as known terrorists, suspected terrorists, or associates of both were stopped while attempting to cross into the US between official points of entry since Oct. 1.
In fiscal year 2022, CBP apprehended 98 people whose names appeared on the terror watchlist trying enter the US illegally. That number is on pace to top 150 in fiscal year 2023.
The watchlist was established after the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks as a federal database of known forces of Evil who are not US citizens, according to the FBI ...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time... . It has since expanded to include suspected forces of Evil and their known affiliates.
According to the latest data from the US Customs and Border Protection, 38 people from the terror watchlist were stopped on the border since October.
Between Oct. 1, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2020 only 11 people on the terror watchlist were arrested trying to enter the US from Mexico.
In fiscal year 2021, there were 15 arrests related to the terror watchlist before spiking to 98 between Oct. 1, 2021 and Sept. 30, 2022.
The dramatic increase in crossings of known or suspected forces of Evil comes as illegal immigration continues to explode in the US under President Joe Biden ...... 46th president of the U.S. The very model of probity, except maybe for abandoning Afghanistan...... .
Posted by: Fred ||
01/24/2023 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Migrants/Illegal Immigrants
[Dawn] A Pakistain Army soldier was martyred after an improvised bomb (IED) went kaboom! in Janikhel area of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa’s Bannu district, the military’s media affairs wing said on Monday.
The Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) identified the martyred soldier as 24-year-old Sepoy Gul Sher, a resident of Khyber district.
"Sanitisation of the area is being carried out to eliminate any gunnies in the area," the brief ISPR statement said.
President Dr Arif Alvi expressed sorrow and paid tribute to the martyred soldier.
Last week, four soldiers were martyred, and as many bad boyz were potted in separate incidents in parts of Balochistan ...the Pak province bordering Kandahar and Uruzgun provinces in Afghanistan and Sistan Baluchistan in Iran. Its native Baloch propulation is being displaced by Pashtuns and Punjabis and they aren't happy about it... Over the past few months, the law and order situation in the country has worsened, with terrorist groups executing attacks with near impunity across the country.
Insurgents in Balochistan have also stepped up their violent mostly peaceful activities and formalised a nexus with the outlawed Tehrik-e-Taliban ...Arabic for students... Pakistain (TTP).
The year 2022 ended with December as the deadliest month for Pakistain as the country suffered as many as 376 terror attacks in the year that resulted in an increased number of casualties in Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa and Balochistan.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
01/24/2023 02:10 ||
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[17 views]
Top|| File under: Pak Taliban (TTP)
Police on Monday said that two Improvised Explosive Devices were recovered by them along with army and paramilitary CRPF in Dassal and its adjoining area of Rajouri district. "On 22-01-2023 at 1800 hours a joint search operation was launched by Police, SOG Rajouri, Army 225 field Regiment and CRPF 72Bn at Dassal and its adjoining area," police said in a statement, as reported by GNS.
During the searches, the police said, two IEDs were recovered. "Later on IEDs were destroyed by Bomb Disposal Squad team," it said, adding, "On this a case (FIR No. 39/2023) under section 13/16/UAP Act, 3/4 Explosive Act has been registered."
[israelTimes] Lion’s Den claims responsibility for targeting soldiers in northern West Bank; one security officer reported hurt in festivities.
Paleostinian button menshot up Israeli troops in the northern West Bank cities of Jenin and Nablus during extensive raids before dawn on Monday that saw 14 wanted Paleostinians arrested, the Israel Defense Forces said.
The military said special Border Police forces and the IDF’s Haruv counter-terrorism reconnaissance unit entered Jenin to arrest a Paleostinian suspected of involvement in terror activities. The suspect’s makeshift "Carlo" submachine gun was seized by the troops, the IDF said.
It said Paleostinians hurled bombs and shot up troops.
The military added that troops "disarmed" several more IEDs found hidden in a cycle of violence used by an arrested suspect.
Meanwhile, ...back at the dirigible, the gondola was dangling by a single thread of rope.
Jack! Cynthia cried. I just realized I'm afraid of heights! I don't even like high heels!... in the West Bank city of Nablus, the IDF said forces came under fire while arresting two wanted Paleostinians and seizing weapon parts.
The Nablus-based Lion’s Den terror group said in a statement that its members had shot up the Israeli troops in the city.
Troops also heard gunfire while arresting three suspects in the Nur Shams refugee camp, near Tulkarem, the IDF said.
According to the Kan public broadcaster, a security officer was lightly by glass shrapnel after his car was hit by gunfire in Nur Shams during the operation.
The 14 Paleostinians who were wanted over suspected terror activities were taken to be questioned by the Shin Bet security agency.
There were no immediate reports of Paleostinians hurt in the festivities either.
[Rudaw] The Sick Man of Europe Turkey ...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire... -backed fighters and imported Arabs in Afrin, northern Syria recently cut the olive trees of Kurdish farmers, a local source told Rudaw on Monday.
A source, speaking on the condition of anonymity, told Rudaw on Monday that a number of fighters from the Ottoman Turkish-backed al-Hamza Division (al-Hamzat) in Afrin and many Arabs who have been imported to the city recently cut the olive trees and other trees of Kurdish farmers in Kurzel village.
The source also sent Rudaw several photographs purportedly showing the trees which have been cut by these fighters and Arabs, adding that hundreds of trees of more than 20 farmers have been cut in a month.
After the farmers filed a complaint against the perpetrators, local forces briefly arrested them, according to the source.
Afrin is a Kurdish city which was invaded by Turkey and its Syrian mercenaries after they launched a military operation against Kurdish fighters in January 2018. Since then, the members of the pro-Turkey groups have been accused of violating the rights of Kurds as well as cutting olive trees of Kurdish farmers.
Human rights groups and the United Nations ...a formerly good idea gone bad... have published reports detailing arbitrary arrests, detention and pillaging, among other violations.
Hussein Naso, an activist muppet from Kurzel village, told Rudaw that a 85-year-old Kurdish farmer, Mustafa Jaafar, cut 100 trees in his farm to prevent imported Arabs and mercenaries from cutting and stealing them.
The activist muppet added that it hurts the farmers to cut their trees but they do not have another option.
A non-commissioned officer of the Syrian government forces and a soldier were killed by an IED planted by unknown people on a road in #Syria's #Qunaitra.https://t.co/Zjf3pn3wn8
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...... the Islamic version of the old Somali warlord...
...
Somali pirates
...Formerly one of the world's premier criminal investigation organizations, something for a nation to be proud of. Now it's a political arm of the Deep State oligarchy that is willing to trump up charges, suppress evidence, or take out insurance policies come election time...
...Arabic for 
...the only place on the face of the earth that misses the Ottoman Empire...
