KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban’s Ministry of Interior in a six-month report said on Thursday that most provinces in Afghanistan experienced “no security incidents or anti-security movements” in the last half year. The ministry, however, did not list the specific provinces in question.
The report was unveiled during a press conference in Kabul by a spokesperson for the Ministry of Interior. Covering the period from Sept. 22, 2023, to March 19, 2024, of the solar year 1402, it documented 8,747 criminal cases, with 7,233 resolved and 1,525 still under investigation.
Furthermore, the Taliban conducted 15,549 anti-narcotics operations countrywide during this time, resulting in the arrest of 5,663 suspects and the confiscation of 1,178 tons of narcotics. The operations also led to the discovery and destruction of 377 drug production facilities and the referral of 19,000 drug addicts to health centers.
Additionally, the report highlighted the elimination of 21 kidnappers and the release of 18 abducted individuals.
This optimistic assessment by the Taliban contrasts sharply with a United Nations quarterly report indicating a 38% rise in security incidents across Afghanistan. The UN attributes most incidents to conflicts involving narcotics cultivation and production. It also noted continued attacks by Taliban military adversaries, including 24 attacks by the Freedom Front, increasingly targeting urban areas.
The UN report further mentioned that ISIS claimed responsibility for three attacks in a three-month period, including a deadly assault in Kandahar that killed 27 and wounded dozens.
Despite these security challenges, the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior reported an increase in passport issuance capacity from 6,000 to 10,000 per day, with 837,000 passport covers distributed over six months.
