On the orders of Taliban leader Mullah Hibatullah Akhund, an operation was launched to weaken the positions of the Haqqani Network and the Kandahar Group.
KANDAHAR, January 29 - Sangar, Mirwais Sherzai. This operation, launched in Kabul under the pretext of "cleansing the ranks", is supposed to be extended to all cities and provinces of Afghanistan.
A source close to the Taliban leader in Kandahar told Sangar that Mullah Hibatullah appointed Sadr Ibrahim, one of the senior Taliban commanders, as the curator of the security forces, or head of the Taliban Security Council, and the three most loyal and powerful commanders - Mullah Shirin, Mullah Fazil Mazlum and Mullah Qayyum Zakir - as members of this council.
“These three swore allegiance to Sadr Ibrahim in the presence of Sheikh Hibatullah. Interestingly, before the swearing-in ceremony, the governor of Kandahar, Mohammad Yusuf Wafa, was ordered to leave the place of assembly," the source said.
According to the source, at the discretion of the Taliban leader, Mullah Yaqub, Akhund is deprived of all the powers of the Minister of Defense, and Mullah Fazil will actually command the armed forces.
“At a meeting at the Afghan Interior Ministry, one of the well-known Taliban commanders of Sadr Ibrahim (I will not name him), insulted Sirajuddin Haqqani, the interior minister, who, in response, remained silent and covered his mouth with a handkerchief. Now Haqqani is also disqualified, he will obey the Council of Sadr Ibrahim," the source said.
Earlier Sangar sources from Kabul reported that Mulla Yaqub wrote his resignation letter three times, but Mullah Hibatullah did not accept it. According to the source, the Taliban defense minister told his loved ones that he was deprived of all powers and saw no point in being in this chair.
The source added that Abdulhaq Wasiq, the head of the Taliban's intelligence, was also assigned the role of decorative chairman, and his powers were also transferred to Sadr Ibrahim's group.
“The plan is to clear the ranks using hard and soft power. The cleansing of the ranks began with the disarmament of the newly armed Taliban. This will break the back of the Haqqani Network and Wasiq group and both of them will be automatically weakened," the source said.
On the other hand, according to the source, another goal of the operation called "cleansing the ranks" is to keep the old Taliban guard in power and the new Taliban can join the ranks after the approval of Sadr Ibrahim and three other members of his council.
The new Taliban were recruited by the Haqqani network and Mullah Yaqub to bolster their power and ranks with money and public funds, the source said.
“Sadr Ibrahim told both of them not to interfere with him and his people. If they do, they will be accused of rebellion or collaborating with ISIS and suppressed. Apparently, Haqqani and Yakub will obey the command of Mulla Hibatullah and put an end to their ambitions, since they cannot violate the “bayat” - the oath of allegiance to their “amirulmuminin,” the source said.
Earlier, Mullah Hibatullah removed Abdulmannan Omari, Mullah Yaqub's uncle and brother of Taliban founder Mullah Omar, from his post as Minister of Public Works and appointed him to a lower and less profitable position - Minister of Labor and Social Protection.
Higher Education Minister Nidamuhammad Nadeem, who is considered the man of the Haqqani network, has also softened on the opening of women's universities, the source said.
“The fact that the Taliban sometimes put pressure on Hamid Khorasani, another member of the Haqqani network, is also linked to these purges,” he said.
The source says recent events have also shaken Mohammad Yusuf Wafa, the influential governor of Kandahar, who fears he will be removed from his post and now believes the sheikh is not listening to him.
“Last night, Hafiz Hamdullah, a member of the Pakistani Parliament, was a guest of Haji Mulladad Nurzai in Spinbuldak. Haji Mulladad is one of the richest men in southern Afghanistan. Both advised Sheikh Hibatullah to dismiss the governor of Kandahar. Haji Mulladad has helped the Taliban a lot in the past and the Taliban leaders appreciate and respect him,” the source said.
Hibatullah Akhund's "soft coup" poses a threat to the survival and power of other Taliban leaders. In fact, he is the “amirulmuminin” of the Taliban, who has absolute power and does whatever he wants.
But after the capture of Kabul by the Taliban, practical power ended up in the hands of two groups - the Kandaharis represented by Mullah Baradar and Mullah Yakub, and the Haqqani Network led by Sirajuddin Haqqani. The two groups shared power in Kabul and the provinces.
To maintain his power, Mullah Hibatullah established the Supreme Council of Scholars, with its center in Kandahar, whose departments and departments exist in each province and they have the full right to oversee all state institutions.
Meanwhile, another Taliban source in Kandahar told Sangar that a few days ago, an unmanned aerial vehicle fired at Spinboldak, whose location and whether it was an American or Pakistani UAV, could not be established. But immediately after that, Mullah Haibatullah instructed Sadr Ibrahim to start operations in Kabul and other provinces. According to him, this operation will either be the beginning of an operation against ISIS, or an internal war will begin between the Taliban themselves.