AFF Claims Responsibility For Attack On Taliban In Takhar
On Sunday, 2 February, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) announced that its fighters had attacked the entrance gate of the Taliban police headquarters in Takhar the previous evening.
On Sunday, 2 February, the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) announced that its fighters had attacked the entrance gate of the Taliban police headquarters in Takhar the previous evening.
According to the group, five Taliban members were killed, and three others were injured in the attack.
Earlier, local sources informed Afghanistan International about an explosion outside the Taliban police headquarters in Taloqan, the capital of Takhar province.
According to these sources, the explosion occurred around 6:00 PM on Saturday.
The AFF stated that its attack targeted a group of Taliban members who were preparing to travel to Baharak district to arrest several religious scholars critical of Taliban policies.
Taliban local officials have yet to comment on the incident.
Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s Interior Minister, has yet to return to Afghanistan, 12 days after his unexpected visit to the United Arab Emirates.
On 21 January, the Taliban announced that Haqqani, accompanied by Abdul Haq Wasiq, the group’s intelligence chief, had travelled to the UAE. A reliable source within the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior has confirmed that Haqqani remains abroad.
During his visit, Haqqani reportedly met with UAE President Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan in Abu Dhabi. However, details of their discussions remain undisclosed. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated that the meeting focused on "topics of mutual interest, mutual stability, strengthening Afghanistan’s economy, and other important matters."
Despite nearly two weeks passing since his departure, Taliban sources have provided no updates on Haqqani’s return. Meanwhile, Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, has also fled to the UAE, reportedly fearing arrest.
Following his departure from Kabul, leaked audio recordings revealed Stanekzai’s sharp criticism of Taliban Supreme Leader Hibatullah Akhundzada.
The reasons behind Haqqani’s prolonged stay remain unclear, and Taliban officials have yet to provide any explanations regarding his extended absence.
However, Anas Haqqani, a key figure in the Haqqani network, recently posted a Quranic verse on social media referencing the "divine promise" of the "caliphate and victory of righteous believers." While he did not elaborate further, some analysts have linked the post to growing tensions between the Haqqani network and the Taliban leader.
Abbas Stanekzai, the Taliban’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Political Affairs, has urged officials within the group not to follow their leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, in a manner that accords him a "prophetic or divine status."
In a newly released audio recording, Stanekzai called on Taliban members to refrain from "worshipping" their leader. The exact timing of the remarks remains unclear, but in the recording, he encourages Taliban officials to reject orders that contradict Islamic teachings. Addressing Akhundzada directly, he stated: "We cannot destroy our country for your sake."
The senior Taliban official urged members of the group to disobey directives that could lead to Afghanistan’s ruin. He further asserted: "You are my leader and Amir al-Mu’minin only as long as you remain on the path of God. If you deviate even one step from God's path, you are no longer my leader, and I do not recognise you."
Stanekzai emphasised that the Afghan people have not placed their faith in Akhundzada, remarking that "hundreds like him have come and gone in Afghanistan’s history, and others will replace him in the future."
Discussing Taliban leadership, he expressed hope that Afghanistan would be led by individuals who "work in the path of God and His Prophet and for the national interests of the country." He also prayed for Afghanistan to be saved from "these calamities and hardships."
Stanekzai, who has been vocal about the need to reopen girls’ schools, recently issued unprecedented criticism against Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada. On 19 January, during a graduation ceremony at a religious school in Khost province, he accused the Taliban of "acting against Islamic teachings" and ignoring the rights of 20 million Afghan women.
Following the widespread circulation of his remarks, credible sources told Afghanistan International that Akhundzada ordered Stanekzai’s arrest. However, with the assistance of Mullah Yaqub Mujahid, the group’s Defence Minister, he managed to leave Afghanistan for the United Arab Emirates.
Shortly thereafter, in an audio recording obtained by Afghanistan International, Stanekzai denied any disputes with Akhundzada, claiming he had left the country for rest and recovery. He asserted that he had contracted an "illness similar to COVID-19" but did not acknowledge that his departure was motivated by fear of arrest.
On Sunday, the Taliban’s Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation announced that 141 Afghan migrants, including women and children, were recently returned from Pakistan to Afghanistan.
According to the ministry, these migrants had been detained in Islamabad for two to five days.
A statement from the ministry, citing information from the Torkham Border Authority in Nangarhar province, indicated that these individuals were arrested in Islamabad due to a lack of legal documents. They were held for two to five days in Haji Camp prison before being deported to Afghanistan.
The Pakistani government, led by Shehbaz Sharif, is preparing to implement a new wave of mass deportations of Afghan refugees and migrants.
According to a document obtained by Afghanistan International, Pakistan’s cabinet, in a meeting chaired by Shehbaz Sharif on Wednesday, approved this plan.
In recent months, Pakistan has not only expelled undocumented Afghan migrants but has also arrested a significant number of them.
The actions of Pakistani authorities against Afghan migrants have raised concerns among refugee advocacy organisations.
Sediqeh Torabi, Deputy Head of Iran’s Environmental Protection Organisation, has announced that the organisation has proposed joint environmental projects to the Taliban administration.
She stated that one of the main objectives of this proposal is to mitigate the effects of dust storms and revive the Hamoun Wetland.
According to a report by the Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) published on Saturday, Torabi mentioned that their assessments indicate the Taliban administration lacks an environmental department. Therefore, Iran has put forward specific proposals.
She emphasised the need to discuss water resource management for the Hamoun Wetland and noted that the Taliban has expressed willingness to cooperate on this matter.
The Hamoun Wetland is located in northern Sistan and Baluchestan Province, in Zabol County, along the Iran-Afghanistan border.
Regarding the timeline and likelihood of the Taliban fulfilling Iran’s water rights for Hamoun, Torabi stated: “The construction of the Kamal Khan diversion dam has altered the flow of water resources, particularly floodwaters.”
Previously, IRNA reported that the Kamal Khan Dam had effectively drained the life out of Hamoun.
Torabi also mentioned that during his recent visit to Kabul, Iran’s Foreign Minister, Abbas Araghchi, stressed the importance of restoring the Hamoun Wetland in his discussions with Taliban officials.
Earlier, the Jomhouri-e Eslami newspaper strongly criticised Araghchi’s trip to Kabul, warning: “Undoubtedly, the Taliban’s water policies will lead to severe drought in eastern Iran.”
Iran’s Interior Minister, Eskandar Momeni, has announced that since the beginning of this year, approximately 1.1 million Afghan migrants have been deported to Afghanistan.
He added that estimates indicate 50 percent of these individuals have since returned to Iran.
On Saturday, Momeni stated in an interview with Iran’s state television that the country no longer has the capacity to host Afghan migrants and is implementing various measures, including border closures, to prevent the entry of unauthorised migrants.
He reported that at least six million foreign nationals reside in Iran, with at least two million of them being undocumented. Stressing the necessity of deporting undocumented migrants, he asserted that there is no alternative to their expulsion.
Iran’s Interior Minister further highlighted that foreign aid for refugee support has significantly decreased and claimed that many job opportunities for Iranians have been taken by migrants.
In addition to accelerating the deportation of Afghan migrants, the Islamic Republic has banned their presence in several Iranian cities and has criminalised the employment of undocumented migrants.