Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has been frequently shifting his residences in Kandahar and this week cancelled his regular meeting with the Council of Ulema, sources told Afghanistan International.
According to the sources, Akhundzada has been staying between three locations, Mandigak, the home of Abdul Raziq Achakzai in Aino Mina, and the former Kandahar Army Corps headquarters. His whereabouts in the past three days remain unknown.
They noted that Akhundzada’s residence had previously been well known, and he routinely met the Council of Ulema once a week. That meeting did not take place this week.
The developments come as US President Donald Trump has escalated his rhetoric against the Taliban in recent days. On 18 September, during a trip to the United Kingdom, Trump said the US was seeking to regain control of Bagram air base, citing its proximity to Chinese nuclear facilities.
On 21 September, Trump warned in a post on Truth Social that “bad things” would happen if the base was not handed back to Washington.
In response, the Taliban issued a statement reminding Washington that under the 2020 Doha Agreement, the US committed not to use force or threats against Afghanistan’s territorial integrity and political independence.
