KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), an armed anti-Taliban group, claims that its “freedom fighters” have killed five Taliban members and injured four others in separate attacks in northern Afghanistan.
In a post on X, the AFF said its fighters carried out a guerrilla-style attack on a Taliban reserve unit near the Taliban governor’s office in Faizabad, the capital of Badakhshan province, on Saturday evening.
The group said the attack resulted in the deaths of three Taliban members and injuries to one other. The AFF described the targeted unit as a “repressive force” that the Taliban have repeatedly deployed to suppress public protests, instill fear, and strengthen their control in the region.
In another post, the AFF said its fighters attacked the Taliban recruitment center in Kunduz city, the provincial capital of Kunduz province, on Friday. The attack reportedly killed two Taliban members, including a commander named Qari Obaida, and injured three others. The group added that none of its own fighters were harmed in either attack.
Taliban authorities have not commented on the attacks.
Since the Taliban returned to power in August 2021, several armed opposition groups have emerged in Afghanistan. Among them, AFF and the National Resistance Front (NRF) have been particularly active, especially in the northern provinces and around Kabul. Both groups, composed largely of former Afghan security forces and local fighters, continue to carry out attacks on Taliban forces, increasingly relying on guerrilla tactics to target Taliban positions and infrastructure.
The UN Secretary-General António Guterres, in his latest report, noted that while these opposition groups have not posed a major threat to Taliban rule, they continue to engage in armed operations. Over the past three months, the AFF and similar groups have claimed responsibility for 41 attacks, with 19 incidents verified by the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).
