A Taliban split in Badakhshan, Afghanistan, has been claimed after analyst Andrei Serenko said commander Juma Khan Fateh broke away to form a new armed group.
Serenko, an expert at the Centre for the Study of Modern Afghanistan, made the claim on Telegram. He described Fateh as a Tajik Taliban commander based near Afghanistan’s border with Tajikistan.
The analyst said Taliban leadership under Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada had ordered forces from several Badakhshan districts to confront Fateh.
Serenko also claimed reinforcements had moved from Kabul and Kandahar. He described some of the units as Pashtun-led.
“The rebellious Taliban commander in Badakhshan himself is said to be organising a popular uprising,” Serenko wrote.
According to Serenko, Fateh is 34 and commands at least 3,000 fighters. Serenko said the reported faction could align with other anti-Taliban resistance groups active in the region. He said such an alliance could threaten Taliban control of Badakhshan.
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If confirmed, the reported loss of Badakhshan would mark the Taliban’s first loss of an Afghan province, according to Serenko.
The Centre for the Study of Modern Afghanistan is a Russia-based independent organisation that tracks political, economic and social developments in Afghanistan.
