The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has claimed responsibility for an attack on a Taliban base in Taleqan, the capital of Takhar province, that reportedly left two Taliban members dead and two others wounded on Saturday evening. In a statement, the group said its fighters targeted Taliban personnel stationed in the city’s first security district. It added that two members of the Taliban were killed instantly, while two others sustained injuries. The AFF also released a video purporting to show its fighters carrying out the assault.
Residents of Taleqan confirmed that they heard an explosion at the time of the attack, with several reporting heightened movement of Taliban fighters in the area immediately afterward.
The Taliban authorities, who generally avoid commenting on attacks claimed by armed opposition groups, have so far remained silent on the incident. The silence is consistent with the group’s broader policy of downplaying opposition operations, even as such attacks have gradually increased in frequency across parts of northern Afghanistan.
The AFF, which emerged as one of the key anti-Taliban resistance outfits following the Taliban’s takeover in August 2021, has frequently claimed responsibility for targeted assaults against Taliban fighters and installations. The group positions itself as part of a growing resistance front opposed to Taliban rule, and has sought to demonstrate operational capacity through guerrilla-style attacks in urban centers such as Kabul, as well as provincial capitals including Takhar.
Analysts note that Takhar and other provinces in the northeast have witnessed a series of low-intensity attacks over recent months, underscoring simmering discontent and the persistence of armed opposition despite the Taliban’s claims of nationwide control. While the Taliban continues to face internal security challenges from the Islamic State Khorasan Province (ISKP), groups like the AFF represent a separate strand of resistance rooted in opposition to Taliban governance and ideology.
Security experts warn that such operations, though small in scale, serve as symbolic reminders of the Taliban’s inability to fully consolidate control across Afghanistan. The release of videos by the AFF following attacks is seen as part of its broader propaganda strategy aimed at projecting resilience and undermining the Taliban’s narrative of stability.
The attack in Taleqan comes amid heightened regional concern over Afghanistan’s fragile security environment, with neighboring countries and international observers closely monitoring the activities of both ISKP and anti-Taliban factions.
