Anti-Taliban factions have expanded their campaign in Afghanistan’s remote regions, with Badakhshan emerging as a new front challenging the Taliban’s grip on power
News Desk
KABUL: A series of armed attacks by groups opposed to the Taliban had raised new questions over the movement’s claim that it maintained complete control across Afghanistan, with reports of growing resistance activity and signs of internal challenges within its ranks.
The latest incidents were reported from Badakhshan province, where anti-Taliban groups had intensified their operations in recent weeks. According to the US-based think tank Long War Journal, resistance forces had carried out several attacks against Taliban positions, indicating that opposition groups remained active despite the Taliban’s efforts to project an image of stability and authority.
The report said that on July 17, the anti-Taliban group Sepahian-e Mihan had launched an attack on the district center of Yaftal-e Sofla in Badakhshan. The group had reportedly taken control of parts of the area for several hours before withdrawing. The incident was seen as a rare challenge to Taliban forces in a region where the group had attempted to strengthen its administrative and security presence.
The situation had further escalated on July 23, when the Afghan Freedom Front (AFF) carried out what it described as targeted operations against Taliban units in Zebak district. The group claimed that its activities had moved beyond traditional guerrilla tactics and had entered a phase of direct confrontation with Taliban forces.
Daoud Naji, the head of the Afghan Freedom Front’s political committee, told the Long War Journal that the group was now engaging Taliban forces in open combat rather than relying only on limited attacks from hidden positions. His comments reflected a broader effort by anti-Taliban factions to present themselves as an organized military challenge to the ruling authorities.
On the same day, the National Resistance Front (NRF) also claimed responsibility for an attack on a Taliban checkpoint in Kuran wa Munjan district. The group said that one Taliban fighter had been killed and two others injured during the operation.
Afghan journalist Abu Muslim Shirzad was quoted as saying that maintaining control over Badakhshan had become increasingly difficult for the Taliban and its supporters. He suggested that the continued activity of armed opposition groups had exposed weaknesses in the Taliban’s ability to impose complete authority in some areas.
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