By Shumaila Aslam
Bureau Chief, Pakistan
Scandinavian News Agency, Finland
The Afghanistan Freedom Front Zebak clashes with Taliban forces continued into a second week on Monday, after the anti-Taliban group said it repelled multiple Taliban assaults in Zebak district, Badakhshan province, on the night of July 27.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), an armed opposition group, said its fighters blocked Taliban advances and launched counterattacks from two directions, forcing Taliban forces to withdraw.
According to the group’s own statement, five Taliban fighters were killed and four wounded, with no AFF casualties. These figures come from the AFF alone and have not been independently verified.
Fighting Enters Second Week in Badakhshan
Zebak has become a flashpoint since fighting first broke out there around July 23. Local sources and Taliban-linked contacts told Afghanistan International that clashes were ongoing as of Monday, marking one of the most sustained runs of armed resistance against the Taliban since it returned to power in 2021.
Earlier in the same offensive, the AFF said it killed at least 21 Taliban fighters and wounded 37 others in coordinated attacks on Taliban positions around the Zebak Border Battalion on July 23.
The group also says it shot down two Taliban surveillance drones over Zebak on July 25 and struck a Taliban reinforcement convoy in neighboring Baghlan province the same day, claiming seven Taliban fighters killed. None of these tolls have been independently confirmed by outside observers.
Taliban Response and Disputed Figures
Taliban officials have offered a different account. Information Minister Shir Ahmad Haqqani has dismissed reports of the clashes as rumors meant to mislead the public, while spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid has acknowledged fighting occurred but said its scale was exaggerated for propaganda purposes. Separately, Taliban officials cited by Afghanistan International said at least five opposition fighters, not Taliban personnel, were killed in an earlier round of the fighting underscoring how casualty claims from both sides remain contested and unverified by independent sources.
The Taliban’s 219th Omar-e-Salis Division has confirmed that fighting is ongoing in the area, even as officials downplay its significance.
Fasihuddin Fitrat, the Taliban’s chief of army staff, has traveled to Zebak as the confrontation continues, and additional Taliban reinforcements have reportedly been sent to the province.
Key Facts
- Afghanistan Freedom Front says it repelled Taliban assaults in Zebak, Badakhshan, on the night of July 27, 2026.
- AFF claims five Taliban fighters killed, four wounded, with no AFF losses figures unverified independently.
- Fighting in Zebak has continued for over a week, following a July 23 clash AFF says killed 21 Taliban fighters.
- Taliban officials call reports exaggerated; a separate Taliban source claims five AFF fighters were killed.
- Taliban army chief Fasihuddin Fitrat has traveled to Zebak as reinforcements are deployed.
- Afghanistan Freedom
FAQs:
What is the Afghanistan Freedom Front?
The AFF is an armed group opposed to Taliban rule that has claimed responsibility for attacks on Taliban forces since 2022.
Where is Zebak district?
Zebak is a district in Badakhshan province, in northeastern Afghanistan, known for mountainous terrain.
Are the casualty figures confirmed?
No. Both the Afghanistan Freedom and the Taliban’s casualty claims come from the two sides themselves and have not been independently verified.
Is this the first clash in the area?
No, fighting in Zebak has been ongoing since around July 23, 2026, making it one of the most sustained anti-Taliban campaigns since 2021.
How has the Taliban responded?
Taliban officials have confirmed fighting is occurring but describe reports of AFF gains as exaggerated, while deploying additional forces to the district.
Wider Instability in Badakhshan
The Zebak fighting is unfolding alongside broader unrest in Badakhshan. A separate group, Sepahian-e Mihan (Patriotic Soldiers Front), briefly seized the district center of Yaftal Sufla earlier in July before withdrawing.
The province has also seen tension between the Taliban and dissident local commander Juma Khan Fateh over control of gold mines and other resources.
Residents in Zebak describe heightened military activity turning parts of the district into a militarized zone.
Security analysts say the fighting shows anti-Taliban groups retain the capacity for coordinated operations in parts of Badakhshan, though it remains unclear whether the unrest could spread to Afghanistan Freedom urban centers.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front has said its operations in Zebak district remain ongoing, and no ceasefire or resolution has been announced by either side.
The Afghanistan Freedom campaign in Badakhshan has drawn comparisons to earlier resistance movements, with analysts watching Zebak as a test of whether localized Taliban opposition can sustain itself over time.
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