The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has claimed that its fighters engaged Taliban forces in intense clashes across several areas of Kamdesh district in Nuristan province, with the confrontation continuing for several hours.
According to the AFF, Taliban forces launched a drone strike against positions held by the Front during the early hours of Saturday. The organization stated that its commandos responded by targeting several Taliban drones and subsequently launched a counter-operation against Taliban positions in the area.
The AFF further claimed that its fighters captured several Taliban check posts during the ensuing fighting. According to the Front, Taliban personnel withdrew from the Arandu area and parts of Kamdesh toward Nari district in neighboring Kunar province.
Residents in the area also confirmed hearing sustained gunfire and sounds of heavy fighting during the confrontation, indicating that armed clashes took place across parts of Kamdesh.
A Taliban-affiliated media outlet, Hijaz Farsi, also acknowledged fighting in Kamdesh. The outlet claimed that an operation by an unidentified armed group had been thwarted and stated that dozens of individuals involved in the fighting were killed, wounded, or detained.
The accounts from the two sides differ significantly regarding the course and outcome of the confrontation. The AFF maintains that its fighters seized several Taliban positions and forced Taliban personnel to withdraw from certain areas, while the Taliban-affiliated account maintains that the armed operation was unsuccessful and that a significant number of attackers were killed, wounded, or detained.
The Taliban authorities have not issued an official statement addressing the clashes or confirming the claims concerning territorial control, casualties, or the alleged capture of check posts.
The developments in Kamdesh highlight continuing security tensions in parts of northern and northeastern Afghanistan, where armed confrontations and competing claims regarding battlefield developments remain difficult to independently verify.
