KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Freedom Front says that its commando (operational) units are present and active in Badakhshan and are defending their positions and bases.
In a statement published on Saturday night (May 16), the group said that its forces’ “spring operations” in Badakhshan have begun.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front added that over the past two months, its forces have engaged in “several” armed clashes and confrontations with the Taliban in different parts of Badakhshan province.
The group said that during the past month, at least four Taliban attacks, ambushes, and movements against the front’s positions and bases in the Khostak Valley of Jurm district, Badakhshan, were repelled and neutralized, and that the “enemy was forced to retreat with heavy casualties.”
The Afghanistan Freedom Front also released a video showing 11 armed men in military uniforms standing in front of the camera.
The spokesperson for these armed men said that the group’s forces are present in the mountains of Badakhshan and are resisting the Taliban. “The active presence of the Freedom Front’s guerrillas in various parts of Badakhshan has sent tremors through the enemy and heralds the dawn of Afghanistan’s liberation from the sinister and usurpatious domination of the Taliban group.”
The Taliban have consistently denied the presence of armed resistance forces. However, United Nations reports indicate that both the Afghanistan National Resistance Front and the Afghanistan Freedom Front maintain “active” military forces in different parts of the country and have carried out attacks against Taliban positions.
In his latest report on Afghanistan’s security situation, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres stated that from November 1, 2025, to January 31, 2026, the Afghanistan Freedom Front and the Afghanistan National Resistance Front claimed responsibility for 36 attacks against the Taliban, 14 of which were confirmed by the organization.
Following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan, many opposition armed groups were formed, with two still actively fighting the Taliban in various provinces. The NRF and AFF, largely composed of former ANDSF members, have been particularly active in Kabul city and the northern regions of the country.
In addition, the AFF was formed in the aftermath of the Taliban’s return to power in 2021 and is led by General Yasin Zia, the former Chief of Staff of the Afghan National Defense and Security Forces (ANDSF). Composed largely of former ANDSF personnel, the group has been active in launching attacks against the Taliban, particularly in Panjshir, Kabul, Balkh, and surrounding areas
The reported activity of resistance forces in Badakhshan highlights the continued presence of armed opposition to Taliban rule, particularly in remote and mountainous regions where anti-Taliban groups have historically maintained strategic positions. These developments also suggest that despite Taliban claims of nationwide stability, localized insurgent activity remains an ongoing challenge to the group’s control.
