Amu: Pakistan’s defense minister said internal divisions within the Taliban have contributed to Pakistan’s deteriorating security situation and regional instability, adding that the Taliban have failed to provide Islamabad with concrete assurances on curbing militancy. Khawaja Muhammad Asif said the Taliban were split into rival factions based in Kabul and Kandahar, with differing approaches to
Amu: Details of the meeting have not been made public, but the visit came days after Haqqani sharply criticised the Taliban’s style of governance in a speech in the eastern province of Khost on December 12. Following his trip to Kandahar, the Taliban’s traditional power centre, Haqqani struck a markedly different tone, publicly stressing obedience
Afghanistan International: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has urged members of the group to “recognise their limits and authority” after assuming office, warning against discord, negligence and arbitrary conduct. His remarks follow comments by Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, who recently said the group governs through humiliation, violence, fear and intimidation. Click here to read
8am: The Taliban started replacing their Tajik-origin fighters with Pashtun-origin ones after militants from the group killed five Chinese citizens in Tajikistan. Sources reveal that the group decided to transfer and disarm some Tajik-origin fighters. At the same time, they stripped local Taliban members of duties like collecting mine revenues and distributing land for extraction.
Afghanistan International: Local sources reported renewed clashes early Wednesday in the Shahr-e-Buzurg district between Taliban units and fighters loyal to Abdul Rahman Ammar, the group’s former provincial head of mining. The clashes, which have continued for several days, pit Ammar’s forces against those of Shafiqullah Hafizi, the Taliban’s current head of mining in Badakhshan, in
8am: According to the sources, the arrest took place after recent tensions and clashes between Pashtun and Uzbek Taliban fighters in the district. They added that Karimi was detained for allegedly mocking Tajik members of the Taliban. Ethnic and factional disputes among Taliban fighters in Badakhshan have intensified in recent months and, in some cases,
Afghanistan International: Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada is reportedly angry with Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar for meeting a US delegation without his approval and without the presence of his trusted aides, sources told Afghanistan International. The sources said Akhundzada insists that his loyal representatives must attend all meetings between Taliban officials and foreign envoys.
Afghanistan International: Informed sources told Afghanistan International on Friday that the detainees include Gul Ahmad Shahin, the Taliban-appointed police chief of Khash; Qari Nawid, head of criminal investigations; and Qari Wajid, another local commander. The three men were reportedly arrested for refusing to suppress protesters and allegedly siding with local residents. Click here to read
Amu: Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, acknowledged on Friday that internal rifts and financial difficulties have delayed infrastructure projects across eastern Afghanistan, including in Paktia Province. Speaking at a public gathering in Paktia, Haqqani said that some development projects had been personally funded by him, but their implementation had been slowed or halted due
Amu: The remarks come amid reported tension within the Taliban’s leadership, particularly concerning what some view as the consolidation of power by Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. Taliban insiders have told Amu that Haqqani has grown increasingly vocal in recent months about his dissatisfaction with this centralization. Political analyst Hatef Mokhtar said the comments signal deeper