Emergence of Panjshir resistance and first anti-Taliban revolts Around 17 August 2021, remnants of the
Afghan National Army began massing in the Panjshir Valley at the urging of Massoud, Audiovisual reports of the events circulated on social media A source within the Panjshir resistance consequently confirmed their involvement in the operations in Baghlan Province, and stated that they planned on seizing a northern highway which could allow them to link up with Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. It was reported on 22 August 2021 that Taliban fighters had been sent to the Keshnabad area of Andarab in order to kidnap the children of anti-Taliban forces. On 22 August, the Russian Embassy in Afghanistan was reportedly asked by a Taliban representative to reach out to Panjshir-based leaders to possibly mediate. Meanwhile, resistance spokesman
Ali Nazary informed the
Agence France-Presse that Ahmad Massoud's group would prefer a peaceful resolution of the conflict, under the condition that a future government implemented a system of "decentralisation" and "equal rights" across the country. Simultaneously, the Taliban gave the opposition forces a four-hour ultimatum to surrender. In a statement to
Al Arabiya, Massoud rejected the ultimatum. It was reported on 23 August that talks between Taliban representatives and Panjshir leaders had broken down. Ali Maisam Nazary, spokesman for the resistance, said that the Taliban made demands for Massoud to accept no elections with a centralized government, which Massoud rejected as he wanted a future government to be decentralized, with respect for civil and semi-autonomy rights. It was reported that on 23 August, Taliban commander Qari Fashihuddin was tasked to lead offensive operations in Panjshir. The Taliban reported that several of their fighters were killed and others wounded in ambushes in Jabal Siraj. A Taliban district chief stationed in Andarab was reported to be killed in the fighting. On 24 August, Panjshir resistance fighters reportedly retook control of Banu and Dih Salah districts, while Puli Hisar remained under Taliban control. On the following day, Massoud's forces claimed to have ambushed a Taliban convoy in Andarab, destroying a critical bridge and inflicting heavy losses on the Islamists.
Ceasefire and sporadic clashes On 26 August 2021, a ceasefire was declared with the Taliban and the resistance entering into talks. Taliban spokesman
Zabihullah Mujahid said that he was "80 percent confident of a solution without war in the Panjshir Valley". On 29 August, Panjshir representatives stated that there were no Taliban fighters trying to enter Panjshir, refuting information from Anaamullah Samangani, who is a member of the Taliban's Cultural Commission. On 1 September, it was reported that ceasefire talks failed. On 26 August, fighting had broken out between anti-Taliban fighters in Panjshir Valley and the Taliban. It was reported that more than 200 Taliban fighters were driven out the Panjshir Valley, with some being captured by anti-Taliban forces. The National Resistance Front (NRF) was also able to capture Pol-e-Hesar, Deh Salah and Banu districts. On 28 August, Panjshir fighters engaged Taliban fighters in Sanjan, Kapisa and in Khost Wa Fereng, Baghlan in response to allegations of ceasefire violations conducted by Taliban fighters in the area. On 29 August, internet and telecommunication services throughout Panjshir province were shut down on orders from the Taliban. On 30 August, Panjshir fighters ambushed Taliban fighters attempting to break into Panjshir from Andarab.
Taliban offensive and revolts in central Afghanistan , the center of the anti-Taliban resistance, has been described as being extremely difficult to conquer. On 31 August 2021, Taliban fighters commenced an offensive against the National Resistance Front in the provinces of Baghlan, Panjshir, and Parwan. NRFA spokesperson Fahim Dashty said that the attack was likely done to test the area's defenses. He went on to say that Taliban has selected a native of the province as their desired governor. Despite the Taliban shutdown of Panjshir's internet, Fahim Dashti, the spokesperson for the Panjshir Resistance managed to conduct an interview with BBC Persian, in which he stated that the negotiations failed because of a fundamental difference of goals between the two sides. According to him, Panjshir resistance had the intention of extracting commitments and guarantees protecting freedoms and human and political rights of ethnic and religious minorities as well as women, but Taliban's goal in the negotiation was not to negotiate such guarantees, but to negotiate the extent of participation of the Panjshir opposition in a Taliban-led government that would satisfy the resistance. On 2 September, Panjshir sources claimed that 13 Taliban fighters were killed in an ambush in Chikrinow district. Even though the offensive had stalled by this point, Meanwhile, the Taliban claimed to have pushed into the Shotul district of Panjshir, but provided no firm proof for this claim. Analysts judged that the Taliban had probably advanced for a short time before being pushed back again. A minor Taliban attack on Anjuman Pass in northern Panjshir was reportedly easily repelled by Afghan commandos. In addition, local anti-Taliban forces from Andarab claimed to have retaken the crucial Khawak Pass. The Taliban had begun reaching out to the Hazara community in the months leading up to their takeover, promising to respect their rights and traditions. Local militias began to ambush Taliban troops. A NRF spokesperson stated that the situation was "difficult", but also that a Taliban push into the valley had resulted in the encirclement of a few hundred Taliban fighters. By the following day, heavy fighting was confirmed to be still continuing in the valley, with Paryan District reportedly being contested. An Italian medical aid organisation operating in the area confirmed that the Taliban had advanced up to Anaba; the Taliban claimed to have seized the districts of
Khenj and Unabah. The NRF countered by claiming that they had managed to encircle even more Taliban troops, now numbering thousands, at Khawak Pass and Dashte Rewak. On 5 September, both sides achieved some successes: The NRF was able to force hundreds of encircled Taliban fighters to surrender in the valley, with the NRF claiming to have captured up to 1,500. In turn, local journalists confirmed that the Taliban had taken both Rukha and Paryan Districts, while NRF spokesman Fahim Dashty was killed in combat. The Taliban also claimed to have advanced into Panjshir's capital
Bazarak. A
The Times reporter who accompanied the Taliban testified that much of the valley appeared to be under Islamist control at this point, although groups of NRF fighters continued to strike at the Taliban behind the frontlines. The Taliban leadership indeed rejected Massoud's negotiation offer, stating that it would only accept the NRF's surrender. The remaining NRF troops had reportedly retreated into the mountains, with the Taliban stating that many had fled the region. arguing that resistance fighters were still present in strategic positions in the valley, continuing their fight. By 7 September, many civilians from Panjshir Valley had fled into the mountains to escape the Taliban, while Massoud made defiant statements and called for a large-scale, nation-wide uprising. The Panjshir locals were also threatened by starvation, as local supply remained cut-off. The remaining NRF troops were reportedly still resisting the Taliban in some areas. The NRF also claimed that the Taliban had begun to massacre local civilians. As of 9 September,
OSINT evidence analyzed by
Bellingcat researchers shows that the Taliban continue to advance, and control territory at least into the valley. The Taliban has placed the valley under
siege, not allowing journalists or goods to enter, so the extent of their control is difficult to surmise. NRF spokesman Ali Nazary claimed that the Taliban had not conquered all of Panjshir, but only the main road, which allowed them to capture nearby Bazarak as well. He stated that the resistance forces had made a tactical withdrawal from the main road, while retaining 60–65% of the sub-valleys and strategic positions under their control.
Mohammad Zahir Aghbar, the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan's ambassador to Tajikistan, meanwhile stated that Massoud and Saleh were still in Afghanistan but for security reasons and had not fled to Tajikistan, contrary to earlier reports. By 10 September, the Taliban had captured the residence where Saleh had earlier been hiding and aired his latest video claiming he was still in Panjshir, with photos of a Taliban fighter posing at the same spot where Saleh had recorded the video, being posted on social media it was later claimed that Rohullah Saleh, Amrullah's brother, was killed while trying to escape the region. A three-day ceasefire was reported to be in effect, although not confirmed by any side.
National Congress Party leader
Abdul Latif Pedram meanwhile told
TOLO News that NRF forces were present in all mountains of Panjshir. NRF commander Saleh Rigistani vowed that their forces will continue fighting, and added that the province was facing a shortage of food and medicinal supplies. Taliban Cultural Commission member Anaamullah Samangani however claimed that the NRF had no "public presence" in Panjshir and were hiding in caves and valleys, with talks for their surrender ongoing. Residents meanwhile complained that roads in Panjshir were blocked, while electricity and telecommunications were shut. forces move past a destroyed vehicle in the
Panjshir Valley, 12 September 2021 A tribal elder meanwhile stated on 10 September that the Taliban was blocking food supplies and carrying out extrajudicial executions of civilians, adding that eight civilians were reportedly killed by them on 7 September.
Ahmad Wali Massoud also accused the Taliban of killing civilians and stated that the NRF still controlled "major areas" in Panjshir. Saleh's son Shuresh stated on 11 September that his father's brother Rohullah Azizi, who had been fighting for the resistance, had been executed alongside his driver on 9 September by the Taliban, after being stopped at a checkpoint in Khanez village of Panjshir. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid meanwhile denied the group had committed any human rights violation in the province.
Agence France-Presse reporters allowed into Panjshir on 15 September found many villages in the three districts they visited nearly empty. Residents interviewed by them accused the Taliban of executing 19 civilians between the village of Khenj and Bazarak, and preventing civilians from fleeing the province in order to use them as human shields against attacks by resistance fighters. A doctor in Panjshir meanwhile told
Al Jazeera that all hospitals in the province had been closed or were operating on limited supplies, except for an Italian-run emergency hospital. Journalists of
The New York Times allowed into Panjshir on 13 September reported that fighting had mostly ceased, as the Taliban controlled much of the valley and the NRF was apparently limited to the nearly inaccessible mountain areas. Some local forces had also left the NRF without surrendering to the Taliban, instead acting as autonomous self-defense groups and controlling parts of the valley. In late September, a
United States intelligence official, a
US Department of Defense consultant, and two former Afghan government officials confirmed that Massoud and Saleh had fled to Tajikistan shortly after the Taliban took control of most of the valley. Massoud was relocated to a
safe house in Dushanbe and Saleh to a nearby location. Regional experts argued that the reports of the exile of the NRF leadership were reliable and believable. Massoud, Saleh, Pedram, and others were reportedly attempting to organize further anti-Taliban resistance from Tajikistan. However, researchers judged their future prospects to be poor, as Tajikistan was supportive of them but probably unwilling to risk cross-border fighting, while the Taliban had managed to gain much international support, entrenching their position. Despite these reports, the NRF continued to claim that its leaders were still in Panjshir, and that the insurgency was continuing.
Humvee and
technical drive past defaced
Ahmad Shah Massoud placards after the fall of
Panjshir Valley. On 6 October, Abdul Latif Pedram claimed that guerilla warfare continues in Panjshir.
TASS reported heavy fighting at Zamankur, Anaba District. By early November 2021, Jacob Zenn argued in
Terrorism Monitor that there were no more militant forces loyal to Massoud operating in Afghanistan, while the NRF continued its efforts to reorganize an insurgency. The government of Tajikistan was still hosting and supporting the remnants of the anti-Taliban political opposition, although more so to improve its image abroad and domestically than to actually influence the situation in Afghanistan. At this point, the only substantial armed resistance to the Taliban government was offered by the
Islamic State's Khorasan Province (IS-KP). Zenn argued that IS-KP's
insurgency was growing and could potentially allow pro-republican forces to make a comeback as the Taliban and the Islamic State were focused on fighting each other. However, some NRF holdouts continued to be active in Panjshir. On 15 October, Russian news agency
Interfax reported NRF forces conducting a guerilla attack in Andarab, Baghlan, with Taliban losses being reported as six killed, four wounded, and two being captured by pro-NRF forces. At the same time, fighting was also reported in Balkh, with both sides suffering unknown casualties. Around late October, a visit by
Radio Télévision Suisse into Bazarak would report an armed confrontation between the Taliban and pro-NRF forces occurring in an undisclosed location in the mountains surrounding Bazarak. The latter reportedly gained the upper hand with unknown casualties on both sides, thus confirming that the NRF is still active near Bazarak and in Panjshir despite claims of inactivity by local Taliban officials.
Guerrilla campaign by the NRF and other groups On 12 November 2021, clashes between republicans and Taliban forces took place at Khoshudara, located in Baghlan Province's
Khost wa Fereng District. Both sides suffered several losses. A local informed
The Independent that the NRF still held settlements in Khost wa Fereng. On 29 November, a clash between Taliban and pro-NRF forces reportedly occurred in
Samangan Province, with reportedly two republican fighters killed and one wounded from the engagement.
The Independent reported that according to local sources a militia of 400 men took control of the mountainous area of Tondruk including 10 villages, located between the
Hazrati Sultan District and the provincial capital of
Aybak. The same source reported that in October, local Taliban officials attempted to take over the area, although the attack was called off due to the harsh terrain of the region and the military readiness of the local pro-NRF militia. The Samangan militia became known as the "Ahmad Khan Samangani Front", and consisted of several groups which were loyal to a commander named Hekmatullah Tour. The group was not part of the NRF, though aligned with it. Islamic World News had reported that according to local sources, NRF forces under the command of Hamed Seifi, General Kouhestani, General Hasibullah and General Munib Amiri, have been carrying out hit and run attacks against Taliban militants in the mountainous areas of Panjshir, Kapisa and Baghlan provinces. They also reported that an assassination of a Taliban member in the
Kalafgan District of
Takhar Province initially thought to have been carried out by ISKP, might have been perpetrated by the NRF, although the true perpetrators are yet to be confirmed. The spokesman also claimed on 17 December that the NRF had conducted attacks in 14 Afghan provinces (
Kabul,
Kapisa,
Samangan,
Takhar,
Parwan,
Badghis,
Laghman,
Balkh,
Faryab,
Ghazni,
Ghor,
Herat,
Nangarhar, and
Kunar provinces), killing 61 Taliban fighters within the last 8 days, while allegedly suffering 43 casualties with one dead and 42 wounded, alleging that more pro-NRF guerilla organizations will "soon announce their presence". On 26 December, hundreds of civilians from Anaba district, Panjshir went out to protest in response to the killing of Mohammad Agha by Taliban-affiliated militants. The victim was allegedly not associated with the National Resistance Front, however some reports stated that he served as a police officer in the previous Afghan government, who returned to his home believing in the promise of amnesty for those associated with the previous government given by the Taliban after the Fall of Kabul. Local Taliban officials confirmed the killing, claiming it was a misunderstanding, while promising to prosecute the perpetrators of the killing. In response to the killing, hundreds of civilians marched to the governor's office, chanting anti-Taliban slogans like "death to the Taliban" and "long live Ahmad Massoud". While the motives for the killing of Mohammad Agha have not been confirmed, the Taliban had been engaging in numerous summary executions and forced disappearances of former members of Afghan security forces, with the victim count being over 100 as of November, 2021, contrary to the promise of amnesty given to former government associates by the Taliban. The incident also allegedly occurred days after an attack conducted by the NRF in Panjshir against the Taliban. The deputy chief of security of Panjshir Abdul Hamid Khorasani was reported to have clashed with the protesters, although no casualties were reported.
2022 On 2 January 2022,
The Independent reported that in the preceding few days, the Ahmad Khan Samangani Front clashed in the village of Kichi Manghar in the Hazrati Sultan district of Samangan, killing at least two members of the Taliban including a commander, while one of the militia's commanders was killed by the Taliban in the engagement. According to the source, a few hours after the end of the clash, Taliban forces attacked the village of Kichi Mungar and killed two of Abdul Halim's relatives who were not associated with the militia. There were also reports of fighting between the NRF and the Taliban in the
Ishkamish District, Takhar Province, with one Taliban and one NRF member being killed in the village of Elich during the clashes. The Taliban has so far refused to comment on the attack. In the same month, photos of NRF fighters were shown having Russian PG-7VR tandem warheads for their RPG-7s, suggesting that they have outside sources that helped them provide said warheads. Talks between NRF and Taliban representatives were held in
Tehran, Iran on 8 and 9 January, but were ultimately unproductive. On 12 January, Taliban security forces arrested Makhdum Alem, a long-time Uzbek Taliban commander. This sparked protests and a short-lived revolt at
Maymana, as his supporters temporarily seized the city. After four days of negotiations, the uprising ended and the locals reaccepted Taliban rule, although Alem remained under arrest. Observers believed the short-lived revolt was a sign of the remaining tensions between the northern ethnic groups and the Pashtun-dominated Taliban, with even Uzbek as well as Tajik Taliban suspicious of the government. On 21 January, the Taliban leadership announced that its security forces had killed eight resistance fighters in a clash in Balkh Province, and seized their munitions. Three days later, a battle between the NRF and Taliban erupted in Baghlan's Khost wa Fereng District. Both sides lost several fighters, with the Taliban reportedly trying to arrest suspected pro-NRF civilians and besieging the village of Kazar. By the end of January, local media claimed that NRF guerrillas were still operating and occasionally attacking Taliban groups in the provinces of Baghlan, Balkh, Badakhshan, and Faryab. In contrast, combat was no longer reported in Panjshir at the time. On 16 February, the Afghanistan Islamic National & Liberation movement announced its existence, which is believed to be the only Pashtun-led anti-Taliban insurgent group so far. It is led by former Afghan Army special forces commander Abdul Mateen Sulaimankhail. On 22 April, two people including the nephew of
Atta Muhammad Nur were killed in a firefight in Balkh against local Taliban forces. This incident was possibly connected to the emergence of the
High Council of National Resistance, a rebel group which was reportedly led by Nur, On 30 April, NRF forces led by Khari Mohammad Andarabi carried out attacks against Taliban bases in the villages of Taghanak and Paskundi in the Pul-e-Hesar district, in the Andharab region of Baghlan. Casualties were reported on both sides, with 11 Taliban fighters and one NRF commander, Sabzali Andarabi, killed in the fighting, according to
Hasht-e Subh Daily. Over the preceding weeks, the NRF had carried out attacks across the northern provinces. In May 2022, the NRF announced a new offensive against the Taliban in Panjshir. On September 15, 2022, a video circulated online showed captured individuals executed for supposedly being with the NRF.
Rebellion in Balkhab and expanded NRF operations On 6 May 2022, the NRF launched an offensive, reportedly capturing three districts in Panjshir Province. The NRF spokesman Ali Nazary stated that the NRF had taken control of the three district's roads, villages, and outposts, after which they besieged the local Taliban offices. He also stated that "Many Taliban fighters have asked for time to surrender. The enemy has suffered heavy casualties." Taliban officials denied any fighting in the area. Local Panjshir residents reported heavy fighting during the night. The NRF also stated that the group would continue their presence across 12 provinces, mostly in the north. On 9 May, the NRF ambushed a Taliban vehicle in Qala-e-Olang and killed an unknown number of Taliban fighters, which they responded by firing on civilians in Qasan village as retaliation for the ambush. Approximately 30 Taliban fighters had been killed in the NRF offensive as of 12 May. The Taliban subsequently sent reinforcements from other provinces to bolster their garrisons in Panjshir. Fighting was concentrated at Abdullah Khel which the NRF temporarily seized before retreating. On 17 May, the first meeting of the Supreme Council of National Resistance took place in Ankara, Turkey with Abdul Rashid Dostum being involved. On 31 May, four NRF fighters were executed by the Taliban in the
Tagab District, Badakhshan, while destroying an NRF hideout in the district according to Taliban security officials. By early June, NRF guerrilla attacks in Panjshir were taking place "regular[ly]" or "nearly daily". Despite the growing number of losses on both sides, the Taliban still claimed that there was no more resistance in the valley, On 11 June 2022, a Hazara Taliban commander,
Mehdi Mujahid, rebelled against the Islamic Emirate, citing anti-Hazara policies by the Taliban. As Mehdi Mujahid's forces controlled
Balkhab District, the entire district consequently passed under insurgent control. Pro-republican forces, including the NRF, voiced support for Mehdi Mujahid's forces. In the following weeks, Taliban forces repeatedly attempted to retake Balkhab, but were repelled. On 16 June 2022, the NRF shot down a Taliban
Mil Mi-17 in the Arezoo valley. During the shootdown of the helicopter, NRF fighters killed two Taliban fighters and captured four more. By 25 June, according to anti-Taliban sources, Mehdi Mujahid's forces had surrounded "hundreds of Taliban fighters" in the Bakhlab district, with dozens of Taliban fighters killed or wounded during the preceding days. By the end of June, NRF attacks were confirmed in Badakhshan, Kabul, Panjshir, Kapisa, and Takhar Provinces. The Taliban imposed a blockade on
Kohistan District, Kapisa, as the NRF had launched an offensive there. Besides Mehdi Mujahid's rebellion, clashes between different Taliban factions were also reported in Baghlan, Bamyan, and Faryab Provinces. Between 16 and 17 June, the Taliban carried out multiple operations against NRF bases in Rokha, Anaba, and Shotul districts. In the Chamalwarda area of Rokha district alone, 51 Taliban fighters were killed or wounded, while two NRF fighters were killed and another wounded. On 22 June, an audio tape was published in which the Taliban acting minister of defence
Mullah Yaqoob mentioned that several Taliban outposts in the Khavash valley in the
Khost wa Fereng District were evacuated and capture by NRF forces, while complaining about the Taliban's purported lack of obedience and organization. On 8 July, NRF fighters engaged Taliban forces in the Khost district, Baghlan and took control of several areas. On 10 July, NRF forces attacked a Taliban outpost in Baghlan, killing two Taliban fighters and destroying a military vehicle. Sometime around early July, the Taliban captured Golwarz village near Bakhlab as part of a general campaign against the Bakhlab insurgents. Several war crimes were reportedly committed by the Taliban against the mostly Hazara population throughout the campaign, causing refugees to flee to neighboring provinces. Starting on 13 July, the Taliban and the NRF clashed in the
Khenj and
Shotul Districts of Panjshir. On 16 July, a planned offensive by the Taliban in the Arzoo valley of the Shotul district was met with an NRF counterattack led by Haseeb Qowai Markaz, which resulted in 12 Taliban dead and 9 wounded. This came after the Taliban had reportedly launched several attacks on NRF positions in the valley, only to be repelled by NRF forces. On 16 July, fighting flared up in the Qasan valley of Andarab as part of a series of clashes in Baghlan province. By the next day, the Taliban reportedly lost 17 fighters with 10 more injured, while NRF casualties were not reported besides three being injured. Fighting would continue up to 21 July, during which Taliban fighters committed war crimes including beheading a 17-year-old boy despite no confirmed affiliation with any resistance group. On 19 July, an armed clash between Taliban forces and NRF in Shutal district of Panjshir province left Qari Abdurrahman Omari, a commander of Taliban's Red Corps, and his four comrades dead. On 23 July, according to Iranian state-owned news
Pars Today, the Taliban discovered and confiscated an ammunition warehouse in Varsaj District, Takhar province. On 25 July, NRF forces based in Kapisa province attacked Taliban positions in the
Kohistan District, reportedly killing three Taliban fighters and wounding two. On 27 July, a senior NRF member had announced that it had carried out an offensive against a Taliban base in the Kalahan village, Kapisa on the night of 26 July. According to the NRF, five Taliban members were killed and one was wounded in the attack. On 10 August, fighting flared up in Panjshir between the NRF and Taliban, with the latter reportedly losing 25 fighters, while no casualties were reported for the NRF side. On 15 August, the one year anniversary since the fall of Afghanistan, the NRF launched an offensive in Panjshir, reportedly capturing seven villages in the Bazarak, Dara, Annaba, Shotul, Paryan, and Khenj districts, while surrounding Taliban fighters in several positions. Up to 40 Taliban fighters were captured in the Dara district, a statement which was backed by former Vice President Amrullah Saleh. By 16 August, 58 Taliban fighters were reportedly killed, with another 12 wounded, while casualty figures for the NRF were not reported. At the same time, the Taliban launched an operation in the
Ishkashim District, Takhar, only to be besieged by the NRF in the village of Anjiristan on 15 August. On the next day, clashes occurred in the Ishkashim and
Chal Districts, with the Taliban reportedly suffering heavy casualties according to the NRF. In the previous two weeks, the NRF had reportedly carried out several offensive attacks in the
Farkhar District. On 17 August, the Hazara anti-Taliban rebel Mehdi Mujahid was captured and executed by the Taliban in the
Kohsan District of
Herat Province, who was reportedly attempting to travel to Iran prior to his execution. On 18 August, the NRF and Taliban clashed in the Taghanak village of Pul-e-Hesar district in Baghlan, resulting in 10 Taliban fighters killed and 8 wounded. At the same time, more NRF-Taliban clashes reportedly occurred in the Qeshlaq village of the
Rustaq District of Takhar province, in which a local member of the Taliban intelligence was killed. Simultaneously, a fight broke out in the
Raghistan District of Badakhshan, with the Taliban claiming three NRF killed. On 19 August, the NRF reportedly attacked a Taliban checkpoint in the
Darah District of Panjshir, resulting in 10 Taliban fighters killed according to the NRF. On 21 August,
Abdul Qayyum Zakir was appointed as the military commander of
Panjshir province.
Long War Journal notes that Zakir appointment to lead the fight against
National Resistance Front (NRF) in Panjshir and the district of
Andarab is a clear indication that the NRF is challenging the Taliban's primacy in central and northern Afghanistan. At the same time, several local sources had reported that the Taliban had converted 32 schools across Panjshir into military bases, likely as a result of the increased clashes in Panjshir. On the same day, the NRF claimed that 7 Taliban members were killed and 5 others wounded as a result of a Taliban convoy hitting a roadside mine in the Rukha district of Panjshir. On 6 September 2022, the Taliban mobilized 500 fighters from Herat to be deployed in Panjshir. Young people in Jowzjan were paid by the Taliban to fight against the NRF. On 10 September, there were gunfights between NRF and Taliban forces in Hesarak, Parian, Abshar, Dara and Hessa I districts. Taliban forces in Paryan have told villagers to leave. On 14 September, the Taliban claimed to have killed 40 rebels during an anti-insurgency operation in the province. In mid-September, a video was released by Taliban militants showing the execution of at least 27 men, allegedly captured rebels somewhere in Panjshir.
Afghan Witness (AW) - an open-source project based in the
United Kingdom opened an investigation into the mass execution. On 21 September, a Taliban attack on an anti-Taliban base in Yakawlang district of Bamyan and Balkhab was repulsed by fighters under Mohammad Tahir Zahir with reports of four Taliban fighters wounded. On 13 December, the NRF reported three commanders were captured by Taliban fighters due to one of their own fighters having links with the Taliban government. On 26 December, NRF forces in Andarab repelled attacks from Taliban in Taghanak, Khej and Bagh Dara villages, with unconfirmed reports of casualties on both sides, which included NRF commander Khair Mohammad Andrabi. The NRF released statements to condemn Andarabi's death, who was killed while holding off a Taliban advance.
2023 On 25 January 2023, NRF forces attacked a Taliban camp in Kapisa, killing three fighters and wounding two with no casualties from the NRF. On 30 January, a
SIGAR quarterly report noted the presence of NRF-Taliban clashes in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Kapisa, Kunduz, Nangarhar, Nuristan, Panjshir, Parwan, Sar-e Pul, and Takhar, stating that the NRF had expanded their operations outside of the eastern and north-eastern regions, but the most significant clashes occurring in Panjshir, according to
UNAMA. They also noted other anti-Taliban groups clashing with the Taliban, including the Afghanistan Liberation Movement in Kandahar, the Afghanistan Freedom Front in Kandahar and Zabul, and Watandost Front in Ghazni. They also state that according to UNAMA, 22 anti-Taliban groups claimed to operate in Afghanistan, but none control significant territory. As of yet, no anti-Taliban group are considered an existential threat to the Taliban. On 23 February, a Taliban commander named Mullah Samiullah Mewand was killed in a mine explosion in the Sartepe Karte No district of Kabul. The Independent Persian reports that the mine was planted by NRF guerillas, and that Mewand was a senior commander who had arrested members of the NRF in Kabul. On 28 February, the NRF raided Taliban headquarters in Takhar's Dashti Qala District. On 15 March, locals in Baghlan reported 8 Taliban fighters killed by the NRF. On 29 March, Sibghatullah Ahmadi announced that a new season is starting with fresh raids on Taliban forces. On the same day, Admadi also claimed that an attack was carried out by the NRF against a Taliban educational centre in the Pol-e Chakri area of Kabul, resulting in significant Special Taliban Unit casualties, although no concrete number was given. On 10 April, armed clashes in the southern part of the
Salang Valley in
Parwan province left at least eight Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) members and between 5 and 30 Taliban fighters dead. Those killed included AFF commanders Akmal Amir, Nasir Ahmad Andarabi, and Fahim Salangi. Several members of AFF were also taken as prisoners by the Taliban forces. According to reports, the fighting began after the Taliban launched a major military operation against AFF and National Resistance Front (NRF) positions in the village of Henroh-Bala, in the Koklamy Valley of Salang District, Parwan Province. AFF Spokesperson said that the Taliban forces had tortured and disrespected bodies of some AFF members. The clashes began in the evening and continued into the early hours of 11 April. In response to the clashes, on 14 April, the Taliban detained 100 individuals in the district for suspected collaboration with anti-Taliban groups. On 1 May, the NRF claimed its fighters killed two Taliban soldiers in an assault on a Taliban outpost in Parwan Province. The attack came two days after insurgents from the AFF killed two Taliban fighters and wounded another in an attack on a police station in Kabul. On 7 May, the NRF claimed that its fighters had killed 8 Taliban fighters and injured 15 losing 4 NRF fighters in
Khost district of Baghlan Province. The clashes came after the Taliban conducted house to house searches in the Jangalak village causing a skirmish to break out between NRF and Taliban forces lasting up to 10 hours. The NRF also confirmed that the Taliban were using heavy weapons and barrel bombs during the attacks. On 4 June, the AFF conducted an attack in Baglan province, resulting in two Taliban deaths and four injuries. On 4 July, the AFF announced the killing of a Taliban member and the injuring of three other members in
Kapisa Province. On 28 July, the NRF attacked Taliban positions in Kapisa province, resulting in three Taliban deaths caused by snipers, with unknown casualties due to rocket fire. The NRF had also announced it carried out attacks in Takhar, Badakhshan, Kapisa, Parwan, and Kabul provinces. This series of attacks represented a shift in strategy in the NRF and AFF from frontal attacks to guerilla attacks, including the use of weapons equipped with night-vision cameras to attack the Taliban. On 31 July, the NRF conducted another attack in the same area, resulting in further two Taliban deaths, with unknown NRF casualties. On 5 August, the NRF claimed an attack on Taliban intelligence agents, killing four in Kabul and wounding one. In Takhar province, NRF fighters killed two Taliban fighters, including a local commander. On 14 August, NRF forces in Badakhshan province attacked a Taliban base at Sina village,
Jurm district with three Taliban fighters killed and seizing their weapons and ammo. On 16 August, NRF fighters in Takhar province killed two Taliban fighters and wounded two. On 17 August, locals in Badakhshan province reported the deaths of four NRF fighters, including a commander, during a gunfight with Taliban forces. On 2 September, the NRF reported killing two Taliban fighters in Baghlan and Kapisa provinces. On 5 September, the NRF reported the death of Qamaruddin Andarabi, a senior commander in Andarab district, Baghlan by an alleged mole working for the Taliban. On 20 September, the AFF claimed to have killed a senior Taliban commander in
Puli Khumri, along with four other Taliban members. On 17 October, Munib Amiri survived an assassination attempt in
Dushanbe, the capital of
Tajikistan. An NRF member accompanying Amiri was injured in the attack. Additionally, former Afghan military officials opened the office of Afghanistan United Front in the United States and
Sami Sadat, a former Afghan general, asked for U.S. help during a hearing with the U.S. House of Representatives. On 12 December, the Afghanistan Freedom Front claimed to have killed three Taliban fighters and wounded two others by attacking a Taliban outpost in Aybak city of Samangan province. The AFF had been increasing their attacks across Afghanistan in recent weeks. As of December 2023, NRF leader Ahmad Massoud claimed that the NRF was conducting attacks against the Taliban in 20 out of Afghanistan's 34 provinces.
2024 On 11 January 2024, the Afghanistan Freedom Front claimed responsibility for an attack on a Taliban intelligence forces' convoy in Kabul's Khairkhana area, killing three Taliban and wounding another two. The Taliban convoy was allegedly targeting girls and detaining them in the Panjsad Family neighbourhood, something which the AFF condemned as the AFF pledged to stand up for women's rights in Afghanistan. It was reported on 26 February that NRF fighters targeted Kabul International Airport, killing four Taliban fighters and wounding three others. On 9 March, the NRF reported carrying out attacks against Taliban fighters in Parwan and Herat with four Taliban fighters killed, including the chief of staff of Bagram division. On 5 April, the NRF claimed responsibility for an assault on a Taliban base in Takhar, which killed one Taliban fighter. On 13 April, the AFF reported their fighters killed two Taliban fighters in Kabul. On 17 April, it was reported that the
Afghanistan Freedom Front had resumed guerrilla attacks on Taliban targets. The NRF also claimed responsibility for an attack on a vehicle in Kabul's fourth police district which killed three Taliban fighters. On 27 April, the NRF reported that they killed two Taliban fighters in Herat. On 18 May, the AFF attempted to assassinate
Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Supreme Leader of Afghanistan, which failed to kill the Supreme Leader but did succeed in killing three members of the Taliban's special security guard unit and injuring another. On 24 May, the NRF launched an attack in Herat, killing two Taliban fighters and injuring another. On 8 June, more than 50 Shia figures from Afghanistan gathered in Europe and said that the Shia community must, if necessary, stand against the oppression of the Taliban, even through armed resistance. On 21 June, the
U.N. Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA) published documentation of a surge in anti-Taliban attacks in Afghanistan, stating that NRF and AAF forces carried out 29 attacks, including 20 in Kabul, in the preceding three months. UNAMA stated that the attack count was a lower limit, since Taliban repression of the media made verification difficult. UNAMA judged that the attacks "did not pose a serious challenge" to Taliban rule. NRF spokesperson Ali Maisam Nazary stated that the NRF had carried out 160 "successful operations" in 2024. Massoud claimed that the Republican insurgency was a "fight for the soul and future of our nation, and we are determined to win, no matter the odds." On 6 September, the NRF claimed that 13 Taliban fighters were killed with six wounded in operations conducted in Herat and Takhar. On 12 September, the AFF claimed killing six Taliban fighters in Kabul and Balkh. On 13 October, the AFF claimed killing three Taliban members in Kabul, including one intelligence official. On 4 November, the
Asia Times reported that the AFF had conducted 16 attacks across 7 provinces in a fortnight, and had even gone as far as attacking the Taliban's interior ministry in Kabul on October 18, killing four fighters. The Asia Times reported that the confidence of these anti-Taliban groups is rising. The AFF used the third anniversary of the Taliban’s return to call for better “unity, cohesion, and alignment” among all anti-Taliban groups, while veteran warlord Abdul Rashid Dostum has recently called a government in exile to overthrow the Taliban with the backing of the international community. On 22 November, the ''FDD's Long War Journal'' reported that General Yasin Zia and the Afghan Freedom Front had been taking a more prominent role in anti-Taliban resistance. General Zia told the FDD in an interview that "“In 2025, we plan to place more political and military pressure on the Taliban...We’re fighting for equality, justice, and to return the power to the Afghan people.” Daoud Naji, head of the AFF's Political Committee, told LWJ "In the beginning, most of our attacks were on small checkpoints, but our operations are becoming more sophisticated because we’re attracting more former Afghan Security Force members.” This came just after Pakistan
launched airstrikes into Afghanistan, targeting the
Pakistani Taliban (TTP), in retaliation for an attack in
South Waziristan in Pakistan's
Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province which reportedly killed 16 Pakistani soldiers. The airstrike led to a
large escalation in the already violent
Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes. This led some to believe that Pakistan was supporting the NRF and other Afghan resistance groups as payback for the Afghan Taliban's support for the
Pakistan Taliban. By the end of year 2024, Institute for Conflict Management state that NRF had killed 444 Taliban fighters while losing 6 of its own fighters. During the same duration, AFF had killed 230 Taliban fighters while losing 3 of its own fighters. On 24 February, Ahmad Massoud stated in an interview with the Hudson Institute that he wished for closer cooperation with the United States and Donald Trump to enable a free and democratic Afghanistan. On 10 May, the AFF reportedly killed and wounded Taliban fighters in Kunduz and Panjshir. On 17 May, the NRF said that they had killed 13 Taliban fighters and wounded four during an attack on a Taliban base in Dara district, which was confirmed by local residents. Following the attack, Taliban forces had detained at least twenty resident of Panjshir province. Taliban authorities did not comment publicly on the incident or the subsequent detentions, while the arrests raised concerns about collective punishment in the region. On 16 August, the AFF reported that they killed 225 Taliban fighters after they carried out a total of 88 attacks since the beginning of 2025. They also reportedly carried out raids in Takhar and Kunduz provinces, killing and wounding seven Taliban fighters. The NRF carried out its own operation, raiding a Taliban checkpoint in Kunduz, killing two and wounding two Taliban fighters. On 22 September, NRF ambushed a Taliban's rapid reaction unit in Baghlan-e-Markazi district of Baghlan province killing commander of unit, Mullah Hebat Khan, and his three comrades. The NRF itself conducted an attack on 15 October, assassinating Qari Bashir, the deputy head of the Taliban's
Propagation of Virtue and the Prevention of Vice in
Kunduz. On 29 November, Afghanistan Freedom Front said that its fighters had carried out attack on Taliban forces in Kunduz province, killing two Taliban members. On 18 December, the
United Nations Security Council (UNSC) stated in its report that, between January and July 2025, the National Resistance Front (NRF) carried out 73 attacks in Afghanistan, while the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) carried out 43. The report said that the violence remained sporadic and did not pose a serious threat to Taliban rule. It also noted a sharp decline compared with 2024, when the AFF took responsibility for 83 attacks and the NRF for 261 attacks. On 30 November, the
Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) claimed that its fighters killed three Taliban members and wounded two more in a rocket attack in
Badakhshan Province,
Afghanistan. The NRF claimed an attack on the Taliban's check post in Panjshir on 7 December 2025, killing 17 members of the group.
2026 On 3 January, the Afghanistan Freedom Front stated that two Taliban fighters were killed and two others were injured in an attack in Kunduz province. The group also said that it had set fire to the vehicle carrying the Taliban fighters. On 6 February, Afghanistan Freedom Front stated that they carried out attacks on Taliban military positions in Parwan and Kunduz provinces killing four Taliban fighters and injuring five others. On 22 February, National Resistance Front stated that its fighters had ambushed a military vehicle belonging to Taliban forces near
Kunduz Airport, killing three Taliban members and wounding two others. On 14 February, Afghanistan Freedom Front said that two Taliban members were killed in an attack on a watchtower at the entrance to the border brigade of the Taliban’s 219th division stationed in
Baharak district, Badakhshan province. Local sources confirmed that an explosion had occurred in the area and the Taliban forces had blocked roads leading to their base following the incident. The group later released a video of the attack and said that three Taliban fighters had also been injured in this attack. On 11 March, National Resistance Front said that its fighters had carried out an attack in Kabul’s 15th police district, killing four Taliban fighters. On 18 March, the National Resistance Front (NRF) announced that it had carried out 2,000 attacks against Taliban forces in Afghanistan over the past five years. The group also said that, during the same period, hundreds of its members had been detained by Taliban forces and that resistance to Taliban rule would continue. In mid-March, Taliban authorities deployed
Amanuddin Mansur, the governor of
Helmand province, to
Badakhshan province. Mansur, a Taliban commander from Badakhshan, was appointed amid reports of opposition activity in northern Afghanistan. According to an Afghan media outlet, the deployment reflected Taliban concerns about the presence of opposition forces in the north and the possibility of increased regional or international support for them. On 3 April, Afghanistan Freedom Front announced that they attacked a security checkpoint in the Sarai Shamali area of Kabul, killing 3 Taliban members and injuring 2 others. On 9 April, National Resistance Front (NRF) said that they had carried out a rocket attack on Taliban governor’s office in Faizabad, Badakhshan killing 2 Taliban members and injuring one other. On 12 April, Afghanistan Freedom Front said that they attacked a military vehicle of Taliban forces in Alokhail area of Kabul, killing 2 Taliban members and injuring 2 others. The Freedom Front later released video of their attack and said that the attack was carried out on the third anniversary of the killing of its forces in Southern part of Salang valley, Parwan province. On 13 April, Afghanistan Freedom Front stated that they attacked a government building belonging to Taliban authorities in
Tala wa Barfak district of
Baghlan province, killing 4 Taliban members and injuring 2 others. Yasin Zia, the leader of the Afghanistan Freedom Front, said that they will continue their attacks against the Taliban at any cost. On 21 April, Afghanistan Freedom Front said that they attacked a security checkpoint belonging to Taliban forces in
Pul-e-Alam,
Logar province, killing 2 Taliban fighters and injuring 2 others. Afghanistan Freedom Front added that this marks the first operation carried out by its fighters in Logar province. An Afghan media outlet noted that Afghanistan Freedom Front has stepped up operations in recent months. == Foreign involvement ==