Taliban Deploy Reinforcements as Internal Crisis Escalates in Badakhshan

DID Press: Reports from Badakhshan indicate a new phase of internal tensions within the Taliban, as the group deploys reserve forces and heavy equipment to the province while senior military officials attempt to contain rising factional disputes.

According to local sources, columns of Taliban military units and armored equipment have been moving toward Fayzabad, raising security concerns across several northern districts.

Witnesses described intensified military movement along key routes leading into the provincial capital, with growing instability reported in border districts.

Local sources say the latest tensions stem from competition between southern Taliban commanders and Badakhshan-based factions over control of gold mines in Nasi, Shaki, and the Darwaz areas. These mines have become a major source of revenue for local commanders in recent years.

Attempts by the Taliban leadership to transfer control of these resources to power centers in Kandahar have reportedly triggered widespread dissatisfaction among northern commanders.

Amid the escalating tensions, several local commanders—including associates of Jumma Khan Fateh, a Taliban deputy governor in Zabul—have been detained, further deepening internal divisions.

In response, Fasihuddin Fitrat traveled urgently to the Nasi district to hold talks with dissenting commanders. Sources say his visit reflects growing concern within the Taliban leadership over the possibility of armed clashes between internal factions.

Fitrat, a prominent figure from Badakhshan within the Taliban structure, is reportedly attempting to prevent ethnic and regional divisions from escalating further.

While Badakhshan has previously witnessed sporadic clashes between local communities and Taliban forces, the current crisis is largely internal, driven by competition over economic resources, local influence, and control of smuggling routes.

The simultaneous deployment of troops, arrests of local commanders, high-level military visits, and disputes over gold mining collectively suggest that Badakhshan is approaching a deeper internal crisis—one that could have wider implications for the Taliban’s control in northern Afghanistan.