Taliban Recruitment in Panjshir Reaches 1,100 with 200 New Local Fighters

DID Press: Taliban government has announced that the recruitment of 200 new young recruits from Panjshir for the group’s military and security forces has been completed. With this addition, the number of local Taliban fighters in Panjshir has reached about 1,100, following a significant number of individuals who have recently joined the army and police.

According to the Taliban’s media office in Panjshir, the new recruits have been organized in various sectors, with some undergoing training while others are working in executive and security positions. The Taliban government confirmed that more than 1,000 of these recruits are currently serving in the police force in the province.

However, earlier reports indicate that the Taliban has also been implementing a program to identify former security forces, with newly recruited individuals, especially non-Pashtuns, required to purchase weapons at their own expense. This measure is purported to help identify arms trafficking routes. In some areas, recruits who couldn’t afford weapons have been dismissed from service.

Local sources report that after the recruits purchased weapons, the sellers were arrested, even if they had no connection to former security personnel. Additionally, many of the newly recruited fighters have not received any salary over the past two months and are financially unable to meet their needs.

Independent sources have emphasized that since the Taliban’s return to power, hundreds of former security personnel have been arrested or killed. The Taliban government, however, has denied these reports, stressing its commitment to “general amnesty.”