KABUL: An alleged attack struck the convoy of Taliban Deputy Defense Minister Mullah Hamidullah Akhundzada in Afghanistan’s eastern Paktia province, with the anti-Taliban armed group Afghan Freedom Front (AFF) claiming responsibility, according to multiple reports.
Unconfirmed accounts indicate that Sher Zaman, also known as Mukhlis Yar — the head of the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP)’s media wing, Omar Media — was also traveling within the same convoy at the time of the incident. However, details regarding casualties, damage, or the precise location and timing of the attack remain unclear, and official confirmation from Taliban authorities is still awaited.
The AFF, one of several resistance factions operating against the Taliban regime, has asserted responsibility for the operation, though it has not yet released further evidence or specifics on the outcome. Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the event as of this writing.
The presence of a senior TTP figure alongside a Taliban government official, if confirmed, would underscore the close operational ties between the two Islamist groups, which have long been accused of harboring each other’s militants. The incident comes amid heightened insecurity in eastern Afghanistan, where anti-Taliban insurgent activity has sporadically flared.
Efforts to reach Taliban spokespersons for verification were unsuccessful. This story is developing.
