Last night, the first clash between the forces of the Hazara commander Mawlavi Mahdi and the Taliban took place, in which two talibs were killed. According to reports, an agreement was reached between Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the Afghan National Resistance Front, and Mawlavi Mahdi to fight the Taliban jointly.
Source: Sputnik Tajikistan
Saidalim Kazemi, a close associate of Mawlavi Mahdi, told Sputnik Tajikistan that fierce fighting broke out between the Mahdi and the Taliban last night in the village of Balkhav in the Balkhab district of Saripul province, which borders the Darai Sufi Bolo district of Samangan province.
“This clash happened at night, the Taliban forces were repulsed and retreated. It is not known whether there were casualties on their side, but our forces were not affected. Now we have received information that the Taliban are also gathering forces in Herat and are planning an attack through Badghis and Balkh,” he said.
Meanwhile, a source in Faryab told Sputnik Tajikistan that two Taliban militants were brought from Saripul to the Qaisar district of the province last night and were buried today.
Mawlavi Mahdi was the only Hazara Taliban to hold an official post. After the fall of the republic in August 2021, he was appointed head of the administration of the Balkhab region. A month ago, the Taliban removed him under the pretext of giving him a new position and did not keep their promise. In addition, he was asked to surrender and lay down his arms.
Mawlavi Mahdi protested and took refuge in the Balkhab region, which is completely under his control. He sent a message to the Taliban that the Islamic Emirate must respect the rights of Afghan Hazaras and Shiites. He called on the Taliban to hand over power to the Hazaras, at least in Hazara provinces and districts.
The Taliban have not yet appointed a single Hazara in the government, courts, prosecutors, and other central bodies, they do not officially recognize the Shiite branch of Islam, which was official during the republic. This group also ignored the demands of Mawlavi Mahdi, brought in troops, and laid siege to Balkhab.
Meanwhile, the Afghan National Resistance Front also supports Mawlavi Mahdi, according to reliable information provided by Sputnik Tajikistan. A source familiar with the agreement said Resistance Front leader Ahmad Massoud personally spoke to Mawlavi Mahdi and ordered his forces in Saripul, Samangan, and Balkh provinces to cooperate with him.
“From the very beginning, the Front has stated that it will support any force that will stand up for the freedom and independence of Afghanistan against the Taliban,” he said.
According to Sputnik Tajikistan sources, the Taliban sent 300 fighters from the province of Sari Pul and 200 from the province of Samangan to neighboring areas of Balhab (another 200 Taliban fighters are in the Darai Sufi Bolo district of Samangan province, under the command of Jafar, another Hazara Taliban).
Mawlavi Mahdi's forces currently number about 400 fighters. At the same time, groups associated with the National Resistance Front, the Islamic Jamiat of Ustad Atamuhammad Nur, the Unity Party of Muhammad Mohaqiq, and the National Movement of Abdurshid Dostum operate in the areas around Balkhab.
Balkhab is practically under the control of Mawlavi Mahdi forces and will be the first area in Afghanistan to escape the Taliban's control. The emergence of resistance in areas of central Afghanistan, such as Panjshir and Andarab in the north and east, will be a big headache for the Taliban.
*The organization is under UN sanctions or banned due to terrorist activities.
