Taliban Operations in Baghlan Repelled, Says Afghanistan Freedom Front

The exact location of the cave, which the Taliban calls “Zhora”, is not known and the group hasn’t shared more information regarding it.

Mohammad Jalal added that this cave had been cleaned after "the end of American occupation".

In 2017, the Taliban had confirmed the death of Jalaluddin Haqqani. He was one of the famous anti-Soviet jihadi commanders and was the founder of the Haqqani network.

The Taliban, especially the Haqqani network, has taken responsibility for many deadly suicide attacks in various provinces, especially in the capital city Kabul, over the last two decades. During these attacks, thousands of civilians had been killed, and injured in Afghanistan.

Currently, Sirajuddin Haqqani, the son of Jalaluddin Haqqani, is the leader of the Haqqani network. He is also the acting Interior Minister of the Taliban government.

Over the past few months, he has often met with the relatives and families of Haqqani and Taliban suicide bombers and has also given them rewards.

Earlier, the Taliban had published pictures of a car being pulled out of the ground, which they say belonged to Mullah Omar, the former leader of the group.

It is said that Mullah Yaqoob, the Taliban Defense Minister returned to Kabul, but Qari Fasihuddin, the group’s Chief of Staff of Army, continues to be present in Doabi Bazar of Khost district and is leading the operation to suppress the National Resistance Front forces.

The sources added that two senior military officials of the Taliban asked NRF forces in the two districts of Khost and Andrab to "surrender" to the group, which was rejected by the resistance forces.

There are also reports of massive deployment of Taliban forces in Baghlan province. Sources have also reported clashes between Taliban fighters and the NRF forces in Dara-e Qasan of Andrab district.

Local sources added that Taliban fighters arrested civilians in two districts of Baghlan on Thursday. Amanullah, who had worked in the Ministry of Interior of Afghanistan during the Republic era, had too been arrested from his house in Bano-Andarab district.

The Taliban and the National Resistance Front have not yet officially expressed their views on the developments unfolding in Baghlan province.

A local shopkeeper told Afghanistan International that the dead included three brothers and another relative.

The shopkeeper added that the killed people were residents of Khushi district and were members of the Shiite community. It is said that these people had no personal enmity.

So far, no group or individual has taken responsibility for this killing, and Taliban officials have not commented on the murder.

Earlier, Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) had taken responsibility for attacks against Afghanistan’s Shia community members in various provinces, including the capital Kabul.

The letter sought world leaders, regional allies, and international organizations to take coordinated and bold action to uphold their commitments to support the rights of Afghan girls.

They said, "What we are asking for is more than a declaration of solidarity or a moment of silence to condemn the Taliban." The group has demanded immediate financial support for the educational system in Afghanistan, funding for human rights and civil society organizations, and the development of alternative mechanisms for the education of girls in Afghanistan.

After the takeover of Afghanistan on August 15, 2021, the Taliban stopped secondary education for girls in Afghanistan. It has been 300 days since secondary school for girls stopped operations across the country.

Despite the international community's pressures on the Taliban, the group has not responded positively to the reopening of girls' schools yet.

So far, no person or group has taken responsibility for the murder of Saqib. However, Salafist clerics, who are said to have similar religious views as that of Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS), have been mysteriously killed in the eastern provinces, especially Nangarhar.

Earlier, the Taliban had been blamed for being involved in the killing of Salafi clerics. However, Saqib had pledged allegiance to the Taliban leadership. Taliban officials in Nangarhar say that Saqib was killed by circles that want to create rifts between the Taliban and Salafi clerics.

Sardar Wali Saqib had gained fame as a religious scholar in the eastern provinces of Afghanistan.