The Sepahiyan-e Mihan Front has claimed responsibility for the attack on Yaftal-e Payin district in Badakhshan Province, announcing that it had taken the district out of Taliban control. Meanwhile, the Taliban’s spokesperson for Badakhshan has also confirmed that the attack took place and that the district briefly fell under the control of the attackers, but said the militants withdrew after Taliban reinforcements arrived.
In a statement released on Friday, the Sepahiyan-e Mihan Front said its forces had carried out a “coordinated, large-scale offensive operation” in the districts of Kishm, Yaawan, Ragh, and Yaftal-e Payin. The group claimed that, as a result of the operation, Yaftal-e Payin district was completely removed from Taliban control.
The statement further claimed that several Taliban fighters were captured and that weapons, ammunition, and military equipment were seized by the group’s forces. These claims have not been independently verified.
The Sepahiyan-e Mihan Front, which describes itself as a newly established armed group, formally announced its existence through the statement. The group said it emerged from “the fundamental needs of society” and identified its objectives as fighting for “freedom, justice, equality, and the preservation of human dignity.”
The group also called on the people of Afghanistan, including men and women, as well as other opposition groups opposed to the Taliban, to support and join its cause.
Meanwhile, Ehsanullah Kamgar, the Taliban’s spokesperson for Badakhshan, confirmed the attack by armed opponents on Yaftal-e Payin district. He said the assault occurred while senior district officials were on leave. According to him, Taliban reinforcements pushed back the attackers, and several of them were arrested. However, he did not provide details about the number of detainees or casualties on either side.
Local sources previously told Afghanistan International that around 20 to 25 armed individuals attacked the Yaftal-e Payin district headquarters early Friday morning. According to these sources, the attackers held control of the district building for several hours, raised their flag, and left the area after taking some weapons, military equipment, and government vehicles.
Following the incident, the Taliban deployed reinforcements from Faizabad city to Yaftal-e Payin district and launched house-to-house search operations in the area. Local sources said that a number of residents, as well as some local Taliban personnel, were detained during the operations.
Amid these developments, Fasiuddin Fetrat, the Taliban’s Chief of Army Staff, traveled from Kabul to Yaftal-e Payin district. The Taliban have not yet released further details about the purpose of the visit or the findings of any investigations conducted.
Yaftal-e Payin is the first district whose temporary fall has been officially acknowledged by the Taliban. In previous years, there were also reports of several districts briefly slipping out of Taliban control, including Mandol district in Nuristan Province and Dara district in Panjshir Province. However, differing accounts have been presented regarding those incidents.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
