Ghor

In August 2015, Mawlavi Baz Mohammad was named as Taliban provincial shadow governor for Farah. The Taliban is said to have a ‘quick reaction force’ operational in Farah, Herat and Nimroz with a strength between 200 and 500 fighters. A former Taliban commander, Abdul Rauf Khadem, was said to have travelled to Iraq in October 2014 and has become loyal to IS. Upon his return he reportedly collected followers from the Taliban in Farah province by paying them large sums of money. (¹⁷¹⁵)

The UN reported that clashes between Taliban and IS groups occurred in Farah, but on a lower scale than Nangarhar. (¹⁷¹⁶)

isolated, located 480 kilometres from Kabul and 386 kilometres from Herat. (¹⁷²¹) This road is inaccessible for most traffic for five months of the year. Ghor is considered one of the most underdeveloped provinces of Afghanistan. (¹⁷²²) The province has a rural and tribal society and literacy is very low. (¹⁷²³) President Ghani appointed a new governor for Ghor in June 2015, Seema, one of the rare female provincial governors in Afghanistan. (¹⁷²⁴)

Due to its proximity to areas producing large amounts of opium, Ghor is the main transit route for opium from north to south. Kakori village in Pasaband is said to house the biggest opium market of Ghor. (¹⁷²⁵) Seasonal labourers working in Helmand’s poppy fields brought the expertise and Ghor’s opium cultivation is quickly expanding. (¹⁷²⁶)

Description of the violence

According to a source in Kabul, the security situation in Ghor deteriorated from October 2010, when hundreds of Taliban fighters from Helmand found shelter in Ghor by escaping a large-scale ISAF operation. The Taliban is now seen as relatively active in eight of Ghor’s 10 districts, most of them bordering with volatile Helmand, Farah, Badghis, Faryab and Uruzgan provinces. Chronic tribal rivalries in this province are another major problem which has left dozens of people dead and hundreds displaced. (¹⁷²⁷)

According to the same source: (¹⁷²⁸)

As the Province is dominated by warlords and their supporters, often in the form of IAGs [Illegal Armed Groups], there is little or no accountability for past or present violations. The rule of law is extremely fragile.

Local activists and those involved in human rights promotion are under enormous pressure, including threats, from warlords and their supporters.

Landinfo’s sources describe Ghor as a province with little government presence and a rising insurgent activity. (¹⁷²⁹) According to analyst Obaid Ali, Ghor has become a very unstable province because there is an abundance of weapons and local tribal leaders or warlords rule small areas and want to protect their territory and tribal honour. The five largest illegal armed groups operate in the provincial capital, Chaghcharan, and in the districts of Pasaband, Charsada and Du Layna. These districts are transit points for opium between Helmand and Faryab. These and other smaller groups rule their respective areas and are heavily involved with the government-appointed rulers. According to Ali, some of these warlords are even members of the provincial High Peace Council. (¹⁷³⁰) Another driver of insecurity is rampant unemployment. Many young people do not have a job, even if they are educated. Many consider either joining the insurgents, or engaging in criminal activity. (¹⁷³¹)

From 1 January to 31 August 2015, Ghor province counted 116 security incidents. (¹⁷³²) Table 34 provides an overview of the nature of the security incidents: (¹⁷³³)

(¹⁷²¹)  MRRD, Ghor Provincial Profile, n.d.

(¹⁷²²)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Introduction of Ghowr Province, n.d.

(¹⁷²³)  WFP, Provincial Profile. Ghor, n.d.

(¹⁷²⁴)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Ex-Lawmaker Seema replaces Rehmati as Ghor governor, 28 June 2015.

(¹⁷²⁵)  Obaid, A., “You must have a gun to stay alive”: Ghor, a province with three governments, 4 August 2013.

(¹⁷²⁶)  Obaid, A., “As easy as growing potatoes”: How formerly ‘poppy-free’ Ghor is at risk of becoming an important player in Afghanistan’s opium business, 4 November 2013.

(¹⁷²⁷)  Anonymous source specialised in security in Afghanistan, emails and briefing, July - October 2015.

(¹⁷²⁸)  Anonymous source specialised in security in Afghanistan, emails and briefing, July - October 2015.

(¹⁷²⁹)  Landinfo, Temanotat Afghanistan Sikkerhetsoppdatering, 9 January 2014, pp. 15-17.

(¹⁷³⁰)  Obaid, A., “You must have a gun to stay alive”: Ghor, a province with three governments, 4 August 2013.

(¹⁷³¹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Jobless Ghor youth ponder swelling Taliban’s ranks, 28 March 2015.

(¹⁷³²)  The district of Ghormach is not included in the total numbers of different kinds of incidents for the province (total 159), because different sources consider it to be resorting under either the province of Faryab or under Badghis.

(¹⁷³³)  For more information on the source of the data and the methodology, see introduction.

Violence targeting individuals 26

Armed confrontations 49

Explosions 28

Security enforcement 11

Non-conflict related incidents 1

Other incidents 1

Total security incidents 116

Table 34: Security incidents by type, Ghor (Jan - Aug 2015)

The map in figure 37 presents the number of security incidents per district in Ghor province. (¹⁷³⁴)

Figure 37: Ghor, security incidents (Jan - Aug 2015)

In Chaghcharan, an intense tribal conflict is taking place, with militias fighting each other in and around the capital.

Major armed clashes occurred in the district in April, August and early September 2015. (¹⁷³⁵) Insurgents are said to be in control of certain outskirts of the provincial capital, where they openly collect ushr and zakat. (¹⁷³⁶)

Charsada continued to see heavy clashes in this reporting period. In October 2014, the killing of a local jihadi commander sparked violence between two rival groups. (¹⁷³⁷) The commander, Ahmad Murghabi, was a former jihadi and later Taliban commander, who switched sides to the government and since presumably formed an ALP group with his men. He was therefore targeted by the Taliban. His death sparked violence between former and current Taliban in Charsada district, where his followers killed many presumed Taliban, torched their houses and kept many more hostage. (¹⁷³⁸) Eventually, the Taliban had to leave the area and flee to Faryab. (¹⁷³⁹) In January 2015, however, insurgents ambushed security personnel on their way to the provincial capital. In the ensuing firefight, many civilian homes were hit and a rocket fell on one, injuring two inhabitants, a woman and child. (¹⁷⁴⁰) In May 2015, the Taliban again launched a major attack on the district centre of Charsada in what officials claimed to be the bloodiest attack in Ghor in 13 years. (¹⁷⁴¹) At the same time, insurgents from Helmand launched attacks on security forces in Pasaband district, but were repelled. (¹⁷⁴²) The exact number of civilian casualties is unknown; during the military campaign to expel the insurgents that lasted for days, Pajhwok reported of only one civilian casualty. (¹⁷⁴³) Officials also claimed

(¹⁷³⁴)  For more information on the source and the methodology of the maps, see introduction.

(¹⁷³⁵)  Anonymous source specialised in security in Afghanistan, emails and briefing, July - October 2015.

(¹⁷³⁶)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Hundreds of foreign insurgents lead, train Taliban in Ghor, 5 August 2015.

(¹⁷³⁷)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Jihadi leader’s death sparks deadly clash, 18 October 2014.

(¹⁷³⁸)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Taliban infighting claims 12 lives in Ghor, 19 October 2014.

(¹⁷³⁹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Local group expels Taliban in Ghor, 21 October 2014.

(¹⁷⁴⁰)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Civilians harmed in Charsadda fighting, 11 January 2015.

(¹⁷⁴¹)  Khaama Press, Taliban attack Chaharsada district in Ghor, 11 May 2015; Tolonews, Over 100 insurgents killed as troops reclaim Ghor district, 16 May 2015.

(¹⁷⁴²)  Pajhwok Afghan News, 40 rebels dead, over 100 wounded in Ghor showdown, 15 May 2015; Pajhwok Afghan News, ANA soldier, 2 policemen dead in Ghor firefight, 14 May 2015.

(¹⁷⁴³)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Taliban pushed back in Charsada fight, Khatibi, 12 May 2015.

only one civilian was killed and his home robbed by insurgents, while more than 100 insurgents were killed, 30 injured and 50 arrested. (¹⁷⁴⁴) According to press sources, the government forces relied heavily on air support. (¹⁷⁴⁵) A civil-society activist from Ghor explained to Pajhwok Afghan News that all roads to Charsada were heavily mined and only Taliban supporters could travel on them. (¹⁷⁴⁶)

In February 2015, the district of Tulak saw an unusual incident. Several villages were attacked and looted by about 150 armed men who, according to a local politician, belonged to both the Taliban and an illegal armed group. According to several sources the district’s attorney was also involved in the attack. The incident was sparked by a local dispute between two tribes. (¹⁷⁴⁷)

In October 2014, about 300 insurgents stormed several villages in Du Layna, firing scores of rockets, according to local officials. (¹⁷⁴⁸) In March 2015, two civilians were killed in an insurgent attack on a police checkpoint between Du Layna and Shahrak. (¹⁷⁴⁹) In April 2015, two people riding a motorbike were shot by unknown gunmen in Du Layna and seven police officers were injured by a roadside bomb in Saghar district. (¹⁷⁵⁰) Analyst Thomas Ruttig stated that the attacks on the district centre of Taywara and heavy fighting in Du Layna were simply not publicised in the media. (¹⁷⁵¹) In May 2015, a local transport vehicle drove over a PP-IED in Pasaband district, killing eight civilians and injuring two others as they were en route to the provincial capital to obtain passports for the Hajj pilgrimage. (¹⁷⁵²) An airstrike in Pasaband killed at least 25 insurgents in June 2015. (¹⁷⁵³) A major clash between tribal militias occurred in Shahrak district in July 2015. (¹⁷⁵⁴)

Residents of Du Layna and Pasaband complained in June 2015 that the Taliban threatened pro-government residents though they never received any government support. (¹⁷⁵⁵) A major stand-off occurred between insurgents and the ANSF during two weeks in July and August 2015, with the intention of cutting off the road connecting the provincial capital with Herat. During that period, residents were prevented from moving around. (¹⁷⁵⁶)

There were targeted killings and abductions in this reporting period; for example a judge was killed in the capital in November 2014 and a district education officer was killed in Sanghar in January 2015. (¹⁷⁵⁷) In April 2015, a polio worker was abducted on his way to a clinic in a Taliban-controlled area of Chaghcharan district. He was released after the mediation of tribal elders. (¹⁷⁵⁸) In April 2015, two students were killed by unknown gunmen on their way from school to home in Du Layna. (¹⁷⁵⁹) Also in April, the son of the Shahrak education official was abducted from his father’s house and later murdered. This killing sparked the arrest of two local commanders and four others.

In a so-called ‘kangaroo trial’ (¹⁷⁶⁰) held by a local militia leader, three of the six were ordered to be killed. (¹⁷⁶¹) In May 2015, members of a pro-government armed group abducted 18 civilians they believed to be affiliated with the Taliban. Earlier the same day, the Taliban had abducted a member of the education department in Charsada district and it appeared that the Pro-Government Forces abducted civilians they believed to be affiliated with the Taliban in order to secure the release of the member of the education department. Through the mediation of local elders, both sides released their hostages on 31 May. (¹⁷⁶²) In July 2015 another judge was targeted on his way home by an IED on a bike. He and three other officials sustained injuries. (¹⁷⁶³) Also in July, the district police chief for Du

(¹⁷⁴⁴)  Tolonews, Over 100 insurgents killed as troops reclaim Ghor district, 16 May 2015.

(¹⁷⁴⁵)  Afghanistan Times, Taliban pushed back in Ghor, governor, 15 May 2015; Pajhwok Afghan News, 40 rebels dead, over 100 wounded, 15 May 2015.

(¹⁷⁴⁶)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Hundreds of foreign insurgents lead, train Taliban in Ghor, 5 August 2015.

(¹⁷⁴⁷)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Large group of gunmen plunder Ghor houses, 17 February 2015; Afghanistan Times, Gunmen plunder houses, beat locals in Ghor, residents, 17 February 2015.

(¹⁷⁴⁸)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Rebel commander among 6 killed in Ghor, 6 October 2014.

(¹⁷⁴⁹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, 5 including civilians dead in Ghor, Faryab attacks, 14 March 2015.

(¹⁷⁵⁰)  Pajhwok Afghan News, 4 killed, 10 injured in Ghor, Farah incidents, 7 April 2015.

(¹⁷⁵¹)  Ruttig, T., The Second Fall of Musa Qala: How the Taleban are expanding territorial control, 3 September 2015.

(¹⁷⁵²)  UNAMA, Afghanistan. Midyear Report 2015. Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, August 2015, p. 47.

(¹⁷⁵³)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Civilians among 29 dead in Ghor, Baghlan incidents, 8 June 2015.

(¹⁷⁵⁴)  Anonymous source specialised in security in Afghanistan, emails and briefing, July - October 2015.

(¹⁷⁵⁵)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Rebels harass, loot pro-govt residents in Ghor, 8 June 2015.

(¹⁷⁵⁶)  Anonymous source specialised in security in Afghanistan, emails and briefing, July - October 2015.

(¹⁷⁵⁷)  Tolonews, Unknown gunmen shot dead a judge in Ghor, 3 November 2014; Pajhwok Afghan News, District education officer shot dead in Ghor, 17 January 2015.

(¹⁷⁵⁸)  UNAMA, Afghanistan. Midyear Report 2015. Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, August 2015, p. 24.

(¹⁷⁵⁹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Students among 8 dead in fresh bout of violence, 8 April 2015.

(¹⁷⁶⁰)  This name is used for an informal and locally organised trial with few guarantees for a fair trial, often resulting in harsh and unlawful punishments.

(¹⁷⁶¹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Kangaroo trial: 3 men executed on murder charges, 21 April 2015.

(¹⁷⁶²)  UNAMA, Afghanistan. Midyear Report 2015. Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict, August 2015, p. 62.

(¹⁷⁶³)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Judge among 4 wounded in Ghor bombing, 8 July 2015.

Layna was targeted by an IED that injured only civilian bystanders. (¹⁷⁶⁴) In the same month, five workers on a school construction project were abducted by insurgents in Pasaband. (¹⁷⁶⁵)

In June 2015, the military commander responsible for the region, ANA colonel Shoaib Bakhshi from Panjshir, was killed by rockets in an ambush on his vehicle in Du Layna or Pasaband, depending on the reporting. (¹⁷⁶⁶) The incident happened in an operation to free the road connecting Pasaband and the provincial capital Firozkoh. That road had been blocked by insurgents for one week at that point. (¹⁷⁶⁷)

Ghor’s human rights department stated that, in January 2015, 152 civilians were killed in the province and another 148 injured in 2014. The department blamed in the first place local warlords followed by militants and other powerful groups for the civilians’ casualties. (¹⁷⁶⁸) Civilians suffer in many ways from the absence of a strong government, rival local commanders and thriving insurgents. For example, four children were killed, and a fifth injured, when an IED went off while they were herding their flock in July 2015 and insurgents looted and burned several houses in Dawlatyar in August 2015. (¹⁷⁶⁹) According to analyst Obaid Ali, citizens are being harassed by warlords on a daily basis. (¹⁷⁷⁰)

Displacement

Between January and July 2015, between 500 and 1,500 people were displaced in Ghor province. (¹⁷⁷¹) In this reporting period, conflict-induced displacement took place from different districts in Ghor to the provincial capital and district centres Shahrak and Du Layna, but also to neighbouring provinces, mainly Herat. Districts of origin were most notably Shahrak, Du Layna and Chaghcharan. Reasons for displacement were: generalised violence, armed conflict between insurgents and ANSF and inter-tribal conflicts, as well as intimidation, threats, kidnapping and targeted killing of those affiliated to the government and extortion and forced recruitment by insurgents. (¹⁷⁷²)

Actors in the conflict

According to a source in Kabul: (¹⁷⁷³)

Ghor province was under the control of Jamiaat-e Islami and Hezb-e Islami parties until the ouster of the Taliban. Since Hezb-e Islami was not very influential among the population, some of its members joined Jamiat.

Many of the illegal armed groups (IAG) in most parts of Ghor are seen as a key force in fighting insurgents.

Reports from the ground suggest that often Afghan National defense and Security Forces cooperate with IAGs in fighting Taliban in districts, such as Pasaband, Charsada, Dawlatyar, etc.

The Taliban shadow governor is Mawlavi Abdulkhaliq, affiliated to the Quetta Shura. (¹⁷⁷⁴)

According to Ghor’s Human Rights Department, there are 182 illegal armed groups in Ghor, with more than 9,000 armed men. Local officials acknowledged the presence of 4,500 armed men. (¹⁷⁷⁵) The Taliban is believed to have about 3,000 to 3,500 combatants there. (¹⁷⁷⁶) Officials have claimed that foreign insurgents have established a major training facility in Charsada district, leading insurgents from Ghor, Faryab and Sar-e Pul and training them

(¹⁷⁶⁴)  Pajhwok Afghan News, District official survives bomb attack, alleged robbers held, 14 July 2015.

(¹⁷⁶⁵)  Pajhwok Afghan News, 5 constriction workers kidnapped in Ghor, 29 July 2015.

(¹⁷⁶⁶)  Khaama Press, Colonel Shoaib Bakhshi martyred in Ghor, 14 June 2015; Tolonews, ANA commander in Ghor killed in Taliban ambush, 14 June 2015.

(¹⁷⁶⁷)  Pajhwok Afghan News, ANA commander dead in Ghor attack, 14 June 2015.

(¹⁷⁶⁸)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Illegal armed men constant threat for Ghor security, 9 January 2015.

(¹⁷⁶⁹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Ghor IED explosion claims lives of 4 children, 24 July 2015; Pajhwok Afghan News, Rebels in Ghor torch civilian houses and harvest, 11 August 2015.

(¹⁷⁷⁰)  Obaid, A., “You must have a gun to stay alive”: Ghor, a province with three governments, 4 August 2013.

(¹⁷⁷¹)  UNOCHA, Afghanistan : Conflict-Induced Displacement (January to July 2015), 16 September 2015.

(¹⁷⁷²)  UNHCR, Conflict-induced Internal Displacement Monthly Update, November 2014; UNHCR, Conflict-induced Internal Displacement Monthly Update, December 2014; UNHCR, Conflict-induced Internal Displacement Monthly Update, January 2015; UNHCR, Conflict-induced Internal Displacement Monthly Update, February 2015; UNHCR, Conflict-induced Internal Displacement Monthly Update, March 2015; UNHCR, Conflict-induced Internal Displacement Monthly Update, April 2015.

(¹⁷⁷³)  Anonymous source specialised in security in Afghanistan, emails and briefing, July - October 2015.

(¹⁷⁷⁴)  UN Security Council, Letter dated 18 August 2015 from the Chair of the Security Council Committee established pursuant to resolution 1988 (2011) addressed to the President of the Security Council, 26 August 2015, p. 20.

(¹⁷⁷⁵)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Illegal armed men constant threat to Ghor security, 9 January 2015.

(¹⁷⁷⁶)  Obaid, A., “You must have a gun to stay alive”: Ghor, a province with three governments, 4 August 2013; Pajhwok Afghan News, Number of child soldiers in Ghor on the rise, 23 August 2014.

in bomb-making. The Taliban, which is said to be in control of the whole of Charsada and Dawlatyar, is also openly recruiting in these districts. (¹⁷⁷⁷)

According to Obaid Ali, ANSF lacks the manpower and is ill-equipped to control these two main actors. ANP is said to have only 1,400 men. Neighbouring provinces Herat and Faryab have 4,000 and 5,500 ANP members, respectively.

The province also has a modest ALP programme, with some 200 men for Du Layna and Pasaband districts only. (¹⁷⁷⁸) The total number of ANSF is said to be only 2,500. (¹⁷⁷⁹) In this disadvantaged position, police are said to be more loyal to their tribes and often refuse to operate against their kinsmen. (¹⁷⁸⁰)

(¹⁷⁷⁷)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Hundreds of foreign insurgents lead, train Taliban in Ghor, 5 August 2015.

(¹⁷⁷⁸)  Obaid, A., “You must have a gun to stay alive”: Ghor, a province with three governments, 4 August 2013.

(¹⁷⁷⁹)  Pajhwok Afghan News, Policemen among 45 killed in Ghor battle, 28 August 2014.

(¹⁷⁸⁰)  Obaid, A., “You must have a gun to stay alive”: Ghor, a province with three governments, 4 August 2013.