Amid rising internal Taliban tensions and increased activity by opposition groups in north-eastern Afghanistan, the Taliban defence minister visited Ismaili-populated areas of Badakhshan.
Local elders reportedly rejected his appeal for young Ismailis to join the Taliban’s military.
Local sources said Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, Taliban defence minister, travelled to the border district of Ishkashim, an area with an Ismaili-majority population that borders Tajikistan and Pakistan. The district's Ismaili community is estimated at around 200,000 people.
According to the sources, the main purpose of the visit was to encourage young Ismailis to join the Taliban’s armed forces, but the proposal was rejected by local elders and residents.
The sources said Mujahid also urged Ismaili communities in Kuran wa Munjan, Yamgan, Jurm, Zebak and Ishkashim to enlist in the Taliban army. Taliban intelligence officials had previously made similar appeals during a series of meetings with Ismaili leaders.
The reports come after international organisations and human rights groups previously accused the Taliban of exerting religious pressure on Afghanistan’s Ismaili community. Over the past five years, the Taliban has reportedly sought to encourage Ismailis to adopt the Hanafi school of Islam.
On Tuesday morning, the Taliban defence minister also visited the 219th Military Division in Baharak district. Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid has been in Badakhshan for the past five days.
Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban army chief of staff, and Amanuddin, the Taliban governor of Helmand, both originally from Badakhshan, have also made repeated visits to the province.
Their visits have largely focused on internal disputes over mining, clashes with farmers over the destruction of poppy fields, and increased activity by anti-Taliban groups in Badakhshan.
Local Commander Disarmed As Internal Rifts Deepen
As the defence minister remained in Badakhshan, reports emerged of growing internal divisions within the Taliban in Faizabad, the provincial capital.
Local sources said a Taliban special unit disarmed the vehicles and bodyguards of Mullah Shamsullah Jurmi, a local Taliban commander, on Monday afternoon. After his weapons and equipment were confiscated, he reportedly left the area.
Jurmi had previously expressed support for Juma Khan Fateh, the dissident Taliban commander wanted by the group's leadership. He had also made controversial remarks, claiming: “If Taliban rule continues for another five years, southern Taliban will take away all the girls from this region.”
Taliban officials are known to have multiple wives. Recently, a Taliban media activist known as Mubeen reportedly married for a third time.
Taliban Concerns Extend Beyond Fateh
Although the repeated visits by senior Taliban officials to Badakhshan were initially seen as an effort to contain Juma Khan Fateh, informed sources said the group’s security concerns extend beyond him.
According to the sources, the Taliban is increasingly concerned about the growing influence of opposition groups, including the Afghanistan Freedom Front and the National Resistance Front, entering Ishkashim district through Pakistan.
Badakhshan is linked to Pakistan through the Chitral region and Afghanistan’s eastern provinces. Its mountainous terrain and difficult routes have long made it a strategically sensitive area for armed groups.
Some political observers believe that if the military balance in Afghanistan changes, Badakhshan could become one of the main centres of future developments.
According to the latest reports, the dispute between the Taliban leadership and Juma Khan Fateh remains unresolved. Taliban reinforcements are still stationed in Nusay district, although sources say Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid has ordered them to withdraw.
In response, Fateh has instructed his fighters to open fire if forces sent from Kabul enter the area without prior coordination.
Sources said his men have abandoned their main headquarters in Al-Fath township and lower checkpoints, retreating instead to the rugged mountain areas of Delwan, Khun and the highlands of Fughaz. According to the reports, Fateh is now based in his home village of Ghami with hundreds of armed supporters.
Taliban Shifts Focus To Badakhshan Mines
Taliban activity around Badakhshan’s mining sector has also intensified. Sources said the Taliban’s provincial mining chief arrived in Nusay district with three vehicles carrying armed personnel to begin inspections of local mines. Local workers have reportedly been ordered to suspend mining operations until the inspections are completed.
According to local sources, the Taliban has significantly reinforced its military presence in Badakhshan in recent days, deploying hundreds of additional fighters from Kabul and other north-eastern provinces. The Defence Ministry is reportedly planning to establish a new border brigade in Kuran wa Munjan.
Analysts believe that given the new deployment of opposition forces and the continued resistance of local commanders, the likelihood of increased military clashes in Badakhshan in the coming months remains high.
