KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Republic Front has claimed responsibility for an attack targeting the Taliban’s intelligence chief in Kabul’s 18th security district.
The group said the attack took place on Monday evening, August 10, on Shahid Mazari Road in the Tank-e-Til area of Dasht-e-Barchi, western Kabul.
According to the Republic Front, its fighters targeted a vehicle carrying the Taliban intelligence chief of the 18th security district. The group claimed that two Taliban personnel were killed and three others wounded in the attack.
The group said it had not yet been able to confirm the identities of those killed.
Local reports said an explosion was heard in Dasht-e-Barchi hours after reports of the alleged attack emerged. However, independent sources have not yet confirmed the nature of the explosion or the reported casualties. Taliban authorities have not commented on the incident.
The Afghanistan Republic Front, led by former Bamyan governor Tahir Zuhair, announced its formation three months ago and has claimed responsibility for attacks against Taliban targets. The group says it is engaged in an armed struggle against the Taliban, although claims about casualties in its attacks are often difficult to independently verify.
The latest attack comes amid a reported increase in activity by anti-Taliban groups across Afghanistan in recent months. The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), Afghanistan United Front (AUF), Afghanistan National Independence Front (NIF) and the newly formed Sepahiyan-e Maihan (Soldiers of the Homeland) have claimed attacks and clashes with Taliban forces in several provinces, particularly in the northeast.
Recently, The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) and the Afghanistan National Independence Front (NIF) have claimed responsibility for an attack on the military section of Kabul Airport on Thursday August 6, while The Afghanistan United Front claimed its forces carried out attacks against the Taliban in five provinces on Friday, claiming that 19 Taliban members were killed or wounded in the clashes.
In a statement published Friday night (August 7), the group said the attacks took place in Kandahar, Helmand, Ghor, Baghlan and Badakhshan provinces.
Earlier this month, the newly formed anti-Taliban group Sepahian-e Mihan (Soldiers of the Homeland) claimed it had briefly taken control of Yaftal-e Payen district in Badakhshan. The incident was the first reported seizure of a district by an anti-Taliban group since the Taliban returned to power nearly five years ago. The Taliban confirmed the incident and responded by deploying additional forces and expanding security operations in the area.
