Asia Times: In the first years after the takeover, the National Resistance Front and the Afghanistan Freedom Front dominated anti-Taliban armed activity, concentrating their operations in Panjshir, Badakhshan, Takhar, Baghlan and other northern and northeastern provinces. That geography let the Taliban portray the resistance as a narrow remnant of the former republic, rooted mainly among ethnic Tajiks. By 2026, however, the argument has weakened. The most consequential shift is seemingly in the country’s south. Sami Sadat, a former lieutenant general in the Afghan National Army, leads the Afghanistan United Front, which began its armed campaign in August this year. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: Taliban police say they arrested four men in Kabul who allegedly planned to attack UNAMA’s office and staff, claiming they belonged to the National Resistance Front. The NRF rejected the allegation as intelligence propaganda. The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan rejected the allegations. In a statement on Wednesday, the group said those shown in the Taliban video identifying themselves as NRF members were Taliban intelligence operatives and described the footage as part of a conspiratorial strategy of defamation and intelligence propaganda. The NRF said the purpose of releasing the video was to create distrust between the group and the international community. 
8am: Families in Zabul province say the Taliban are interfering extensively in the distribution of humanitarian aid and channeling it to their own relatives and affiliates. According to residents of Qalat, the capital of Zabul, the people responsible for distributing aid are forced to coordinate with the group out of fear of the Taliban, and they end up delivering aid to ineligible people instead of those in need. Sher Mohammad Zabuli, a resident of Qalat city, says the aid that arrives in the province in the name of needy people is not distributed properly. He says that from senior Taliban members to lower-level individuals, many are involved in the distribution process and arrange for themselves and their affiliates to receive humanitarian assistance. 
Ariana: Arman FC defeated Istiqlal Kabul 3–2 in a high-scoring match in the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan in Kabul on Thursday. The matches of the sixth season of Afghanistan Champions League Roshan are being broadcast live on Ariana Television. 
Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front claimed responsibility for Wednesday’s blast in Faizabad, saying a targeted attack on a vehicle carrying Taliban members killed four people, including a Taliban commander. The group said the Taliban commander had been under surveillance by its forces for some time. It did not identify the commander by name. 
Amu: The International Criminal Court prosecutor’s office said arrest warrants for Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada and three other senior Taliban officials represent a step toward accountability for the persecution of Afghan women and girls. 
Ariana: The UK Ministry of Defence identified material suggesting that British service personnel may have committed “serious offences” in Afghanistan, including possible murder, manslaughter and grievous bodily harm, a High Court hearing in London was told. 