A growing number of armed resistance groups are quietly but steadily challenging the Taliban’s grip on Afghanistan, signaling the potential rise of a fragmented yet determined insurgency. While still in its early stages, at least 13 anti-Taliban armed groups have surfaced since 2021, launching sporadic operations across key regions of the country.
These groups, representing various ethnicities and former military factions, are concentrated mainly in the northern, central, and eastern provinces. Among the most prominent is the National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Ahmad Masoud, son of the legendary commander Ahmad Shah Masoud. The NRF, operating in Panjshir, Andarab, and Kapisa, has survived Taliban offensives and continues to conduct guerrilla operations from mountain strongholds.
Another significant actor is the National Freedom Front (NFF), led by former Afghan army chief General Mohammad Yasin Zia, who claims to have consolidated around 70% of former Afghan security personnel through virtual coordination networks. The NFF conducts operations in northern provinces like Takhar, Kunduz, and Badakhshan, aiming for long-term resistance planning.
Other emerging groups include:
Resistance Movement for Justice (RMJ), predominantly Hazara, active in Ghazni and Bamiyan.
Free Tigers of Turkistan (FTT), an Uzbek group led by Yar Mohammad Dostom.
National Islamic Freedom Movement, with a strong Pashtun base in eastern and southern provinces.
Smaller fronts such as the Freedom Uprising, Wolf Unit, and Supreme Resistance Council, each representing ethnic, regional, or ideological factions.
These groups remain limited in scale and coordination but reflect rising dissatisfaction with the Taliban’s rule—particularly among ethnic minorities and former members of Afghanistan’s dissolved military and intelligence infrastructure.
Analysts caution that Afghanistan may be entering a new cycle of insurgency, echoing Mao Zedong’s three-stage model of rebellion: political mobilization, guerrilla warfare, and eventually, conventional combat. Most of the current resistance groups are believed to be in the early political and guerrilla phases, focusing on recruitment, resource gathering, and establishing operational bases.
There is concern that if the Taliban continues its exclusionary policies, suppresses dissent, and fails to form an inclusive governance structure, these resistance movements may expand and unify. Given Afghanistan’s complex ethnic and political landscape, the risk of a prolonged, fragmented insurgency looms large—one that could destabilize not only the country but the wider region.
“All the ingredients for a serious resistance are in place,” said a regional security analyst. “It’s only a matter of time before that potential materializes into something more organized and widespread.”
As Afghanistan drifts further from international engagement and internal reconciliation, the seeds of armed resistance appear to be taking root once again—quietly, but persistently.
