BADAKHSHAN: At least 21 Taliban fighters, including a local commander, were reportedly killed during intense fighting between Taliban forces and anti-Taliban resistance fighters in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, according to local sources and a resistance group.
Local sources identified the slain commander as Faridullah Wahdat, who was in charge of a Taliban border outpost in Badakhshan.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) said it launched coordinated attacks on multiple Taliban checkpoints and military positions in Zebak district. The group claimed the operation inflicted heavy casualties on Taliban forces and damaged several military installations.
Afghanistan International English, citing the AFF, also reported that fierce fighting erupted between the two sides. The report said several senior Taliban commanders were among those killed.
The Taliban authorities have not issued any official statement confirming or denying the reported casualties.
Local sources said the latest fighting differs from previous skirmishes. They described it as a multi-front confrontation involving direct engagements across several positions.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front is one of several armed resistance groups that have opposed Taliban rule since the movement returned to power in August 2021. The group has carried out attacks in northern and northeastern Afghanistan, particularly in Badakhshan, Panjshir, Takhar, and Baghlan provinces.
The casualty claims could not be independently verified. If confirmed, the operation would rank among the most significant reported attacks against Taliban forces in recent months.
The clashes come days after the newly formed anti-Taliban group Sepahiyan-e-Mihan (Patriotic Soldiers Front) claimed it briefly seized the district center of Yaftal-e Sofla in Badakhshan.
The group said it captured the district governor’s office, police headquarters, and a Taliban intelligence office on July 17. It also claimed to have raised its flag over the district administration building before withdrawing following a Taliban counteroffensive.
Analysts say the increase in anti-Taliban operations in Badakhshan points to growing resistance activity in northern Afghanistan. They warn that the trend could further complicate the country’s security landscape.
