Taliban parades forces in Logar province

[Valin]

FDD's Long War Journal

Bill Roggio

October 7, 2020

As the Afghan government continues to attempt to get the Taliban to negotiate a settlement to the decades old war in Afghanistan, the Taliban continues to flex its muscle in provinces outside of Kabul. In Logar province, a large Taliban convoy paraded through a town unopposed by Afghan and Coalition forces.

A large convoy of Taliban vehicles, including dozens of new Toyota Fielder station wagons, moved through the town before stopping at a building and dropping off Ahmad Ali Jan Ahmad, the shadow governor for Logar province. The Taliban convoy slowly paraded through the town during broad daylight with Taliban flags prominently displayed.

FDD’s Long War Journal cannot verify the validity of the video, however it bears the watermark of Al Emarah Studio, an official media arm of the Taliban’s Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The video was retweeted by Zabihullah Mujahid, an official spokesman for the Taliban. The Taliban has released similar videos in the past which have proven to be accurate.

The exact location of the town could not be determined, however it appears the video was shot in either Charkh or Baraki Barak districts. Charkh is one of three Taliban-controlled districts in Logar. Three other districts, including Baraki Barak, are contested. Baraki Barak borders Sayedabad district, a Taliban hotbed in neighboring Wardak province. Only one district, Khoshi, is under government control. [See FDD’s Long War Journal report, Mapping Taliban Control in Afghanistan.]

(Snip)

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