According to a document, a copy of which has been obtained, the Taliban’s Office of the Prime Minister has allocated 50 million Afghanis for what it describes as “preventing any threats in Badakhshan.” The document states that the Taliban’s Ministry of Defense has been tasked with designing and carrying out a special operation to establish full control across the province and counter security threats.
According to the document, Mullah Yaqoob Mujahid, the Taliban’s acting Minister of Defense, requested in Jawza of the current year that Mullah Hassan Akhund, the group’s Prime Minister, allocate 50 million Afghanis to fund the operation.
Mullah Hassan Akhund approved the request and instructed the Taliban’s Ministry of Finance to disburse the funds from the Ministry of Defense’s approved budget for the 1405 fiscal year through a designated trusted account as a final allocation.
The document emphasizes that the funds are intended to support security operations in Badakhshan Province. However, Taliban officials have not publicly commented on the details of the document or the specific objectives of the planned operation.
The allocation comes amid reports of growing tensions and internal divisions within the Taliban in Badakhshan in recent weeks. According to multiple reports, a number of local Taliban commanders and ethnic Tajik members of the group have refused to comply with certain directives issued by the Taliban’s central leadership.
The reported rift is said to have intensified following the arrest of several individuals affiliated with Juma Fatah, a local Taliban commander in Badakhshan, on accusations related to mining activities. Local sources say Juma Fatah has mobilized his forces in preparation for a possible military confrontation with the Taliban, raising concerns about the potential for armed clashes.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s supreme leader last week appointed a delegation to address the dispute and hold talks with the opposing sides. However, local sources say the negotiations have so far failed to produce any tangible results.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
