March 29, 2024

Justice for Gemmel

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Taliban Find New Revenues as They Seize Afghanistan’s U.S.-Built Border Gateway

KABUL—The Taliban have attained a lucrative new resource of income, having over the major trade gateway into Tajikistan, and commencing to gather customs revenues, as some of Afghanistan’s neighbors tacitly cooperate with the insurgent group.

The American-constructed Sher Khan Bandar crossing, north of the city of Kunduz, fell to the Taliban on June 22, with 134 border guards and other Afghan governing administration troops fleeing to neighboring Tajikistan. Due to the fact then, the insurgents have seized most of the relaxation of Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan. Approximately one,000 Afghan troops sought refuge in Tajikistan on Sunday and Monday, surrendering the second principal crossing, Ishkashim.

In its place of shutting down after the insurgent takeover, the Sher Khan Bandar sophisticated has remained operational, with tacit understandings reached involving the Taliban and Tajikistan, according to local traders.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen said the group had reached out to the governments of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan after having over quite a few border parts in June.

“We knowledgeable all these governments and assured them that the schedule perform of the border, the customs, will be working as ahead of,” Mr. Shaheen said in an interview. “Even the staff users of the customs, we have not improved them, we informed them: Do your perform as it was. We haven’t even improved the stamps. The purpose is that we don’t want to generate complications for businessmen, for traders, for frequent people.”