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Protesters Burn Tires, Close Kabul-Balkh Highway

Angry protesters in the northern parts of Afghanistan closed the Kabul-Balkh highway in Samangan province on Saturday morning for three hours by burning tires, local officials said. 

The protesters closed the AH76 highway close to the town of Aibak, in Samangan, officials said. 

Eyewitnesses said the road had been closed to traffic at about 8.30am local time and was reopened about three hours later. 

Mohammad Siddiq Azizi, Samangan governor’s spokesman, confirmed the closure and said efforts were underway to ensure the highway stays open.  

This comes after hundreds of protestors from Faryab province once again took to the streets on Friday and called on government to free Nizamuddin Qaisari, the Qaisar district police chief and close aide to the First Vice President Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, who was arrested on Monday. 

The protesters on Friday also said they want Dostum, who is in exile in Turkey, to return to the country. 

Friday’s protest was however peaceful, in contrast to events earlier in the week. 

Meanwhile, members of the Islamic National Movement of Afghanistan – also known as Junbish-e-Milli – claimed on Saturday that the Afghan National Army Special Forces raided Qaisari’s house in Maimana city in Faryab on Thursday night.

They said the Special Forces first surrounded Qaisari’s house and then opened fire. According to them, two of Qaisari’s bodyguards were killed and two others were wounded.

However, 209 Shaheen Military Corps spokesman Mohammad Hanif Rezaye told TOLOnews they had received intelligence reports that the group had been “planning an attack on government forces”.

He said the armed men had also attacked an army helicopter this week.

According to him, nine firearms, two Humvees, four police Ranger vehicles, one armed SUV vehicle and two heavy weapons were seized during the operation and 25 people were arrested.

He also confirmed that two people were killed and two others wounded in the operation. 

He rejected claims however that the raid had been carried out at Qaisari’s house. 

The newly appointed governor of Faryab, Naqibullah Fayiq, meanwhile said they are trying to resolve the current crisis in the province. 

Qaisari was arrested by Afghan Commandos on Monday in Faryab after being accused of insulting government officials.

Immediately after his arrest, Qaisari was flown to Kabul where he is being detained.

Qaisari’s arrest provoked widespread anger in Faryab and on Tuesday, hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets of Maimana to demand his release.

By Wednesday, their numbers were in the thousands – with some supporters estimating the crowd to have totaled around 6,000.

At one stage during Wednesday’s protest march, security forces opened fire, which infuriated the crowd. They stormed the governor’s office and set the building on fire.

On Thursday, a delegation from Kabul was sent to the area to help ease the tension. 

Rezaye, from Shaheen Military Corps, said the delegation arrived in Maimana on Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon had met with tribal elders, civil society activists and local Ulema members.

He said the delegation included Abdul Matin Bek, the head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG); Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, Chief of General Staff Afghan National Army (ANA); General Akhtar Ibrahimi, senior deputy head of the Interior Ministry; and Ebadullah Ebad, the deputy provincial head of National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Although things quietened down in Faryab, protests on Thursday continued over Qaisari’s arrest in Andkhoy district of Faryab, Sheberghan city in Jawzjan province, Faizabad city in Badakhshan and Taloqan city in Takhar province.

On Thursday, Sultan Mohammad Sanjar, governor of Andkhoy district of Faryab, said that protestors had closed the Andkhoy – Aqina highway to traffic. This highway connects Faryab to the Aqina border crossing with Turkmenistan.

Officials said earlier in the week that Qaisari’s arrest is part of President Ashraf Ghani’s plan to rein in pro-government militias.

Ghani on Tuesday said he had ordered a crackdown on militias after having received complaints from soldiers that these groups were blurring the lines of war and contributing to the high casualty toll in the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile Dostum, who is living in exile in Turkey, said in response to Qaisari’s arrest: “I call upon the government to release my representative in Faryab Nizamuddin Qaisari immediately. Otherwise all government programs in the north will face serious challenges, including the upcoming elections”.

Protesters Burn Tires, Close Kabul-Balkh Highway

Angry Faryab protestors closed the AH76 for about three hours on Saturday in ongoing calls for Qaisari’s release. 

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Angry protesters in the northern parts of Afghanistan closed the Kabul-Balkh highway in Samangan province on Saturday morning for three hours by burning tires, local officials said. 

The protesters closed the AH76 highway close to the town of Aibak, in Samangan, officials said. 

Eyewitnesses said the road had been closed to traffic at about 8.30am local time and was reopened about three hours later. 

Mohammad Siddiq Azizi, Samangan governor’s spokesman, confirmed the closure and said efforts were underway to ensure the highway stays open.  

This comes after hundreds of protestors from Faryab province once again took to the streets on Friday and called on government to free Nizamuddin Qaisari, the Qaisar district police chief and close aide to the First Vice President Gen. Abdul Rashid Dostum, who was arrested on Monday. 

The protesters on Friday also said they want Dostum, who is in exile in Turkey, to return to the country. 

Friday’s protest was however peaceful, in contrast to events earlier in the week. 

Meanwhile, members of the Islamic National Movement of Afghanistan – also known as Junbish-e-Milli – claimed on Saturday that the Afghan National Army Special Forces raided Qaisari’s house in Maimana city in Faryab on Thursday night.

They said the Special Forces first surrounded Qaisari’s house and then opened fire. According to them, two of Qaisari’s bodyguards were killed and two others were wounded.

However, 209 Shaheen Military Corps spokesman Mohammad Hanif Rezaye told TOLOnews they had received intelligence reports that the group had been “planning an attack on government forces”.

He said the armed men had also attacked an army helicopter this week.

According to him, nine firearms, two Humvees, four police Ranger vehicles, one armed SUV vehicle and two heavy weapons were seized during the operation and 25 people were arrested.

He also confirmed that two people were killed and two others wounded in the operation. 

He rejected claims however that the raid had been carried out at Qaisari’s house. 

The newly appointed governor of Faryab, Naqibullah Fayiq, meanwhile said they are trying to resolve the current crisis in the province. 

Qaisari was arrested by Afghan Commandos on Monday in Faryab after being accused of insulting government officials.

Immediately after his arrest, Qaisari was flown to Kabul where he is being detained.

Qaisari’s arrest provoked widespread anger in Faryab and on Tuesday, hundreds of angry protesters took to the streets of Maimana to demand his release.

By Wednesday, their numbers were in the thousands – with some supporters estimating the crowd to have totaled around 6,000.

At one stage during Wednesday’s protest march, security forces opened fire, which infuriated the crowd. They stormed the governor’s office and set the building on fire.

On Thursday, a delegation from Kabul was sent to the area to help ease the tension. 

Rezaye, from Shaheen Military Corps, said the delegation arrived in Maimana on Wednesday night and by Thursday afternoon had met with tribal elders, civil society activists and local Ulema members.

He said the delegation included Abdul Matin Bek, the head of the Independent Directorate of Local Governance (IDLG); Mohammad Sharif Yaftali, Chief of General Staff Afghan National Army (ANA); General Akhtar Ibrahimi, senior deputy head of the Interior Ministry; and Ebadullah Ebad, the deputy provincial head of National Directorate of Security (NDS).

Although things quietened down in Faryab, protests on Thursday continued over Qaisari’s arrest in Andkhoy district of Faryab, Sheberghan city in Jawzjan province, Faizabad city in Badakhshan and Taloqan city in Takhar province.

On Thursday, Sultan Mohammad Sanjar, governor of Andkhoy district of Faryab, said that protestors had closed the Andkhoy – Aqina highway to traffic. This highway connects Faryab to the Aqina border crossing with Turkmenistan.

Officials said earlier in the week that Qaisari’s arrest is part of President Ashraf Ghani’s plan to rein in pro-government militias.

Ghani on Tuesday said he had ordered a crackdown on militias after having received complaints from soldiers that these groups were blurring the lines of war and contributing to the high casualty toll in the ongoing conflict.

Meanwhile Dostum, who is living in exile in Turkey, said in response to Qaisari’s arrest: “I call upon the government to release my representative in Faryab Nizamuddin Qaisari immediately. Otherwise all government programs in the north will face serious challenges, including the upcoming elections”.

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