KABUL, AFGHANISTAN – The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), an armed group fighting the Taliban, has claimed fresh clashes with Taliban forces in northeastern Afghanistan, saying it repelled a Taliban assault in Badakhshan and launched a rocket attack in neighboring Kunduz province.
In a post on X, the group said its fighters repelled a Taliban assault on defensive positions in Zebak district of Badakhshan. The fighting lasted about four hours, with both sides using light and heavy weapons before Taliban forces withdrew, the AFF said.
According to the AFF, five Taliban fighters were killed and 11 others wounded in the clash, while none of its own fighters were injured.
In a separate statement on Thursday, the AFF said it launched a rocket attack on a gathering of Taliban fighters at the military section of Kunduz Airfield on Wednesday night.
The group said the Taliban fighters had been preparing to deploy to neighboring Badakhshan province, where security operations have intensified in recent weeks.
The AFF said the number of Taliban casualties and the extent of the damage caused by the rocket attack remain unclear.
Taliban authorities have not yet commented on either claim.
The AFF is one of several armed groups that emerged after the Taliban returned to power in 2021 following the withdrawal of US-led foreign forces. The group has continued to carry out attacks against Taliban forces in different parts of Afghanistan, particularly in the northern provinces, as well as in Kabul and other major cities.
The reported attacks come amid a noticeable increase in armed opposition activity across northeastern Afghanistan, particularly in Badakhshan. Two weeks ago, the AFF claimed it had killed 21 Taliban members, including several commanders, and wounded 37 others in a coordinated attack in Zebak district.
Earlier this month, another anti-Taliban group, Sepahian-e Mihan (Soldiers of the Homeland), said it had briefly seized control of Yaftal-e Payen district in Badakhshan. The Taliban confirmed that fighting had taken place in the district, later deploying additional forces and expanding security operations in the area.
The Taliban generally downplays the activities of armed opposition groups and rarely provides detailed accounts of individual attacks. However, the United Nations Assistance Mission in Afghanistan continues to document security incidents involving anti-Taliban groups in its periodic reports to the U.N. Security Council.
