🧵Taliban has imposed over 100 restrictions in #Afghanistan since seizing power two years ago today.

Every aspect of life affected - people's appearances, freedom of movement, right to work/study, access to entertainment and info.

Here's a list of (nearly) all the restrictions: August 2021
· Taliban instructs women to stay at home and avoid travel.
· Ban on co-education; men prohibited from teaching girls.

September 2021
· Girls above 6th grade banned from school.
· Taliban bans protests and slogans that do not have its approval.

Reasons Taliban have delayed forming/announcing new government in #Afghanistan:

- waited for U.S. to complete military withdrawal by August 31

- ongoing resistance to Taliban rule in Panjshir

But biggest reason is infighting within Taliban, several sources tell me. Major disagreement between Quetta Shura (mainly Pashtuns from southern Afghanistan) and Haqqani network (mostly Pashtuns from eastern Afghanistan)

Mullah Haibatullah as supreme leader and Mullah Baradar as head of govt is widely accepted

But disagreements over other positions.

Seven of #Afghanistan's 34 provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban in less than a week.

What does this tell us?

1. After largely surrendering the countryside since May, govt is now conceding provincial capitals to Taliban 2. Govt is concentrating its forces and resources to defending cities considered critical: capital Kabul, Herat in the west, Kandahar and Lashkargah in the south, Mazar-e-Sharif in north.

List of repressive laws the Taliban has reimposed in newly captured areas in #Afghanistan:

1. Women must to be accompanied by a male relative when they leave their homes

2. Women banned from working outside their homes

3. Girls' education severely limited, sometimes banned 4. Women must cover themselves when going outside

5. Taliban forcing single or widowed women to marry its fighters

6. Women and men who break the rules face punishment, including public floggings and beatings

Excellent points by @franzjmarty on Taliban's military gains in #Afghanistan:

1. Taliban has mostly targeted 'low-hanging fruit' - districts in which it already controlled majority of villages and govt held only the district centre with a few buildings.

globalaffairs.ch/2021/07/08/wha… 2. "Important to note that the Taliban did take over many district centres without much, if any fighting."

Govt forces chose to strategically withdraw from some districts.

In other cases, govt forces "surrendered [to the Taliban] without any resistance after negotiations."

Important points on Taliban’s military gains in #Afghanistan:

1. Speed/extent of Taliban’s capture of rural districts is concerning.

Somewhat inevitable, given exit of U.S. troops/contractors and ensuing supply gaps.

Kabul also militarily ill-prepared for the pullout. 2. Yet, Taliban has not been able to capture any major towns or cities. It wasn’t able to take Qala-e-Naw, a small town, after a nearly weeklong assault.

Taliban has attacked dozen provincial capitals. After initial breach and ensuing clashes, it has been pushed back every time

Thread on the evolution of the #Pakistani Taliban and the changes in strategies that have helped it survive and expand:

.@DaudKhattak1 and I explore this in our story below.

gandhara.rferl.org/a/the-rise-of-… The TTP has become increasingly decentralized, with significant authority handed to local commanders.

Each commander heads a unit that numbers around 25 to 30 fighters.

This contrasts with previous leaders who appointed commanders for certain zones.

Key remarks by Ashraf Ghani during an online program sponsored by the Aspen Institute.

Most of his comments were about the peace process and U.S. policy in #Afghanistan (1) Ghani also said that the United States - now with only 2,500 troops in Afghanistan - and NATO "must take a very strong stand on the conditions-based approach" to withdrawing their troops. (2)

Thread on the death of Mangal Bagh, the leader of the #Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e Islam.

Bagh was killed in a mine blast in neighboring #Afghanistan, Afghan and Pakistani security sources told @RFERL Bagh was killed earlier today in the Nazyan district of Nangarhar Province, which borders Pakistan’s tribal areas.

Mine blast also killed Bagh’s 12-year-old daughter and two of his bodyguards.

BREAKING: I can confirm that Kandahar's police chief, governor, and intelligence chief have all been killed. This is a huge blow. #Afghanistan UPDATE 1: My source tells me the #Kandahar governor's bodyguards turned their guns on their own colleagues and U.S. military officials.

Two Americans wounded and evacuated. Top U.S. commander in #Afghanistan present but unhurt, says NATO.