Commander of the anti-Taliban armed group “Sepah-e Mihan,” Qayum Malang, has released an audio message for the first time, five days after the attack on Yaftal-e Payin district in Badakhshan Province, saying that he and all of his fighters are safe. He also rejected Taliban claims that several members of the group had been captured.
In his audio message on Wednesday, 31 Saratan, Qayum Malang said: “I am in complete health. Do not pay attention to the enemy’s propaganda. We are all safe and unharmed.”
He added that the “Sepah-e Mihan” front has its own specific objectives and plans, and that its members value freedom above everything else.
The remarks come after fighters from “Sepah-e Mihan” carried out a surprise attack on the centre of Yaftal-e Payin district in Badakhshan several days earlier. According to reports, the attackers took control of district buildings for several hours, entered some government facilities, removed military equipment, and raised their group’s flags on several buildings.
Following the attack, the Taliban announced that they had arrested a number of members of the “Sepah-e Mihan” front. However, Qayum Malang rejected these claims and urged his supporters not to believe Taliban statements.
Meanwhile, Taliban Army Chief of Staff Fasihuddin Fitrat travelled to Badakhshan after the attack and claimed that the Taliban had thwarted the attackers’ plans and prevented them from achieving their objectives.
He said that before the attack took place, they had received intelligence information about the militants’ plans and, based on that information, travelled to Badakhshan and ordered their forces to take action.
In addition, Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, deputy spokesman of the Taliban’s Ministry of Information and Culture, wrote on the social media platform X that Taliban security forces are prepared to confront any threat. He warned that, in his words, those who obstruct Afghanistan’s economic development “deserve no mercy.”
The temporary loss of Taliban control over Yaftal-e Payin district for several hours is considered one of the significant recent security developments in Badakhshan, and political and security discussions regarding the attack are still ongoing.
Writer:Saeed Sameer
