Afghan study centre pundit claims split within Taliban movement PHOTO

An internal split has emerged within the Taliban movement, with a senior commander allegedly breaking away to form a new resistance group in Afghanistan’s northeastern Badakhshan province, near the border with Tajikistan, according to an Afghanistan-focused analyst.

Andrei Serenko, an expert at the Centre for the Study of Modern Afghanistan (CSMA), wrote on Telegram that Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh, described as a Tajik fighter, has announced his withdrawal from the movement and the creation of a new armed group in Badakhshan, Caliber.Az reports.

Serenko said that, in response, Taliban leadership under Emir Haibatullah Akhundzada has ordered the mobilisation of forces from multiple districts of Badakhshan to confront the breakaway commander. He also claimed that reinforcements have been deployed from Kabul and Kandahar, including what he described as Pashtun-led units.

“The rebellious Taliban commander in Badakhshan himself is said to be organising a popular uprising,” Serenko wrote, adding that the situation could escalate further if the reported faction gains additional local support.

According to the CSMA analyst, Juma Khan Fateh is 34 years old and commands at least 3,000 fighters. He also suggested that the breakaway group could align with other anti-Taliban resistance factions active in the region.

“If this happens, the Taliban will face the threat of losing control over Afghanistan’s first province—Badakhshan—for the first time,” Serenko’s statement reads.

The Centre for the Study of Modern Afghanistan (CSMA) is a Russian-based independent organisation that analyses political, economic, and social developments in Afghanistan.

By Sabina Mammadli