The latest: Following the Taliban’s claims of the killing of Akmal Amir, a leading anti-Taliban commander, and at least six other Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) forces, the Front has now announced the confirmation of these deaths.
Go deeper:
- AFF issued a statement saying that Basir Andarabi, Fahim Salangi, Burhan Andrabi, Qorban Ali Bamiyani, Saboor Faryabi, and Hossein Samangani had been killed by the Taliban over the past two days’ battles in Salang – South.
- Basir and Akmal were members of the elite special forces of the former Afghan government and fought against the group after the Taliban took control of Parwan and Panjshir. They were commanders of the Freedom Front.
- The Freedom Front has claimed that there is fierce fighting ongoing over the past three days between the front’s forces and the Taliban in the southern Salang Heights, with more than 30 Taliban militants also been killed in the clashes.
- The front added that the images released related to the recent battles by the Taliban are fake.
Meanwhile, in a related development, sources said that the Taliban had surrounded Akmal Amir’s house since Tuesday noon in Kabul. Akmal’s sister currently is in the house.
- The Taliban have not yet commented on the incident. Sources said that Akmal was on his way from the mountains to Shotul District of Panjshir when he was ambushed by the Taliban.
- Kuklami Valley of Salang District is bordered by Shotul District of Panjshir Province. According to reports, the Forces of the National Resistance Front, and the Freedom Front, in some cases, also use this route.
Zoom out: The leader of the National Resistance Front (NRF) Ahmad Massoud in response to the killings of Akmal Amir and Basir Andarabi, two Freedom Front commanders, said that the incident once again highlighted the need for coordination and unity of action among all forces opposed to the Taliban.
- Massoud stated that he hopes to see a major umbrella for the cohesion and mobilization of all “anti-Taliban forces”.
- He stressed that the group will be defeated by unity, convergence, and coordination of all groups opposed to the Taliban.
- His emphasis on building unity comes amid speculation about divisions within the “Resistance Front.”
- Recently, Sibghatullah Ahmadi, the front’s spokesman, resigned from his post in a tweet criticizing what he called “monopolism”. Following Ahmadi’s resignation, Abdul Hafiz Mansour, a member of the Resistance Front, announced that “substantial changes” in the leadership and strategies of the front would be announced soon.
