Marking the fourth anniversary of Herat’s fall to the Taliban, veteran Afghan leader Ismail Khan has declared that the group’s conduct over the past four years has validated the legitimacy of resistance against them.
In a statement issued on August 12, Khan attributed the fall of Herat to “complex conspiracies and political deal-making,” which he said triggered a domino effect, leading to the swift collapse of Afghanistan’s other major provinces. He noted that prior to the city’s takeover, the “Southwest People’s Resistance Movement” had been formed and had taken part in Herat’s defence.
Reflecting on the broader consequences, Khan described the fall of Kabul as the “end of a multi-layered intelligence project,” and paid tribute to those who lost their lives during that period. He concluded his message by calling for efforts to establish a justice-based order through all possible means.
Herat, one of Afghanistan’s most strategic cities, fell to the Taliban on August 12, 2021. Ismail Khan, who played a prominent role in its defence, was eventually captured and later released by the Taliban under undisclosed conditions.
