Afghanistan's Badakhshan District Briefly Captured by Anti‑Taliban Group

Armed members of the recently formed Sepahiyan‑e Mihan (Homeland Soldiers Front) seized the district headquarters of Yaftal‑e Payin in Afghanistan's Badakhshan province on Friday night. The fighters held the building for several hours, claimed to have seized weapons and equipment, and then withdrew as Taliban forces re‑established control. Taliban provincial spokesman Ehsanullah Kamgar said the attack took place while senior district officials were on leave and that security reinforcements restored order within hours, arresting several suspects.

Taliban army chief of staff Fasihuddin Fitrat visited Badakhshan after the incident, dismissing the operation as a publicity stunt by a small opposition group. Analysts noted the raid is symbolically significant as the first known temporary capture of a district administration since the Taliban took power in August 2021, and it may reflect internal dissent within the movement. The group, reportedly led by former special‑forces commander Abdul Qayum Malang, claims a strength of about 1,300‑1,400 former Afghan security personnel.