Blast Targets Taliban Intelligence Chief’s Vehicle in Kabul’s Dasht-e Barchi

DID Press: Afghanistan’s Republican Front said Monday evening that it had targeted a vehicle carrying a Taliban intelligence official in Kabul’s Dasht-e Barchi area, claiming that two Taliban members were killed in the attack. Local sources confirmed that an explosion occurred, but the reported casualty figures could not be independently verified.

The blast occurred near a fuel station in Dasht-e Barchi on Monday evening, 19 Asad, according to local sources. The Republican Front claimed responsibility, saying the target was a Ranger vehicle carrying the Taliban’s intelligence chief in the area.

The group claimed that two Taliban members were killed in the attack. However, independent sources have not confirmed the reported casualties, and the Taliban has not released an official account of the incident.

The Republican Front, led by former Bamyan governor Tahir Zuhair, announced its formation about three months ago. Zuhair fought against the Taliban for a period following the fall of the former Afghan government before surrendering in Samangan in 2023.

In its statement, the group accused the Taliban of pursuing a policy of “elimination and hostility” and said it had left armed resistance as the only option.

In recent weeks, several anti-Taliban groups, including the National Resistance Front, United Front, Freedom Front and Sepah-e Mihan, have claimed responsibility for similar attacks in Kabul and other provinces.

The latest incident highlights continuing security vulnerabilities in Kabul and the reported expansion of armed anti-Taliban activity in the capital, although the claims regarding the identities and casualties of those targeted remain unverified.