Taliban: Security Threats Are Under Control Amid Rising Clashes

DID Press: Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has sought to reassure the public following recent clashes in northeastern Afghanistan, saying Taliban forces are capable of containing security threats and that residents should not be concerned.

Speaking on Tuesday during the second day of the online “Government Through the Lens of the Media” forum held from Kandahar, Mujahid said Taliban forces remain deployed along border areas and are taking measures to prevent what he described as suspicious activities.

Without naming any specific group, he acknowledged that attacks occasionally occur in border regions but said such incidents would be brought under control. He added that similar security incidents also occur in many developed countries and that Taliban forces are prepared to respond whenever necessary.

Mujahid further claimed that several recent security incidents had been contained within 24 hours and that those responsible had been eliminated.

His remarks come amid a series of reported clashes over the past week between Taliban forces and the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) in Zebak district of Badakhshan Province. The Freedom Front has claimed to have captured several Taliban outposts, while the Taliban says it has repelled the group’s attacks.

Separately, Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban’s director of information and culture in Badakhshan, was killed in an armed attack on Tuesday. Taliban authorities confirmed his death but have not identified the attackers or disclosed a motive. No group has claimed responsibility.

The Afghanistan Freedom Front also said on Tuesday that it had repelled Taliban assaults in Zebak and maintained its positions, alleging that Taliban forces suffered casualties and withdrew from some locations. These claims have not been independently verified.

Military analysts say the Taliban’s repeated assertions that the security situation in Badakhshan is under control, alongside reports of additional troop deployments and the presence of the Taliban army’s chief of staff in the province, may reflect growing concern within the group’s leadership over the evolving security situation in northeastern Afghanistan.