Urgent Prayers…

News is being received through many media outlets of the violence being instigated by the Taliban in Afghanistan as they seek to gain total power in that country.  As we go to press, we are also receiving news that Christian families, including women and children, are being murdered and known Christians are being sought. 

Pray that the plans of our spiritual enemy. described by Jesus as a liar, a thief and a murderer, will be thwarted and that God will watch over and provide safety and means of escape for those who are His followers.  

Pray for His church in Afghanistan at this time.

Pray that God will open the eyes of those who persecute, so that they receive revelation and can experience His mercy, salvation and forgiveness. 

Update…

Record numbers of civilians have been killed and injured in Afghanistan in intense fighting since 1 May, when international forces began their final drawdown, and the Taliban launched a major offensive. 

The heavy toll so far comes largely from battles in rural areas, according to the UN. If the conflict were to spill into more densely populated towns and cities, the consequences could be catastrophic, it says in its report, The Protection of Civilians in Armed Conflict. 

Swathes of the country have fallen to the insurgents since they launched their offensive two months ago to coincide with the original deadline authorities set for US and other forces to leave the country. The UN report is the first nationwide account of the impact of the fighting on civilians. 

It notes near-record levels of casualties in the first six months of the year, with insurgent groups responsible for well over half of the deaths and injuries. It also says the “acute rise” in the two months since 1 May is of particular concern. 

In that period 783 civilians were killed and 1,609 injured, almost equivalent to the toll during the first four months of the year, and the highest figures for May and June since the UN began keeping records in 2009. They are also likely to be the worst since the Taliban were toppled from power in 2001. 

“I implore the Taliban and Afghan leaders to take heed of the conflict’s grim and chilling trajectory and its devastating impact on civilians,” said Deborah Lyons, the UN secretary general’s special representative for Afghanistan. “The report provides a clear warning that unprecedented numbers of Afghan civilians will perish and be maimed this year if the increasing violence is not stemmed.” 

The last week of July has also shown the speed at which a regional disaster is unfolding. Instability in Afghanistan first poured over into neighbouring Tajikistan at the beginning of July, when more than 1,000 Afghan troops had to retreat across the border after heavy clashes with the Taliban. Now, Dushanbe, along with Moscow, is preparing for a new threat. On Wednesday, Russia announced it was reinforcing its military base in Tajikistan, as well as its training of Tajik troops. This is not primarily in response to threats posed by the Taliban, which historically takes less of an interest in carrying out foreign terrorism even if its hosts terrorists, but ISIS, a group that could now find a home in chaotic Afghanistan. 

China, which shares a small border with the country, is another major power being drawn into the crisis. Also on Wednesday, a Taliban delegation was in Beijing to give assurances that the group would not allow Uighur separatists to shelter in its territories. The Taliban will use such meetings to claim international legitimacy, although US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has since said that China's increased engagement on Afghanistan could be "positive". 

And to the west, the unfolding disaster is aggravating older problems. Turkey, which already hosts millions of refugees in line with a fragile deal signed with the EU in 2016, has seen an influx of Afghan migrants recently, which is being attributed largely to the renewed violence. About 1,200 people are thought to be crossing each day. 

Sources / More: The Guardian, Thenationalnews.com

Pray:

Pray with us that the country will not fall back into the hands of the Taliban, either through NATO reversing their decision or through a miracle from God. 

Pray with us for protection of civilians, particularly those who are weak and helpless (Psalm 82:3-4)