Local sources have reported that Musa Kaka, a dissatisfied Taliban commander and a close associate of Juma Khan Fateh in Badakhshan province, was released from Taliban custody on Sunday, 13 July, after spending nearly two months in detention.
The Taliban arrested Musa Kaka on 18 May, along with four other individuals, in Shikai district. The arrests took place during a Taliban operation aimed at consolidating control over the gold mines in the districts of Shikai, Nesi, and Shighnan.
Musa Kaka’s release came one day after Juma Khan Fateh returned to Nesi district. Following several weeks of tensions with the Taliban leadership, Fateh traveled to Faizabad under security guarantees provided by Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban’s Chief of Army Staff. After holding talks with senior Taliban officials, he returned to Nesi district.
In recent weeks, tensions between Juma Khan Fateh and the Taliban leadership had intensified over the appointment of local officials, efforts to disarm forces loyal to him, and the curtailment of his control over Badakhshan’s gold mines.
Amid these disputes, the Taliban deployed a significant number of reinforcements from outside Badakhshan to the province. At the same time, a high-level Taliban delegation traveled to Badakhshan to manage and resolve the internal disagreements.
It remains unclear whether Musa Kaka’s release was part of the recent understandings reached during the talks between Juma Khan Fateh and the Taliban delegation, or whether it was an independent decision unrelated to the negotiations.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
