The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has claimed that Taliban forces, allegedly acting in coordination with what the group described as “international terrorists,” launched an attack on its positions in Zibak district of Badakhshan province.
In a statement published on X, the Freedom Front said the attack took place on Monday, September 6. According to the group, Taliban forces and their alleged foreign allies launched what it described as an “all-out attack” against its positions in the district.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front said its forces successfully resisted the offensive and “decisively repelled” the Taliban attack. The group did not provide detailed information about casualties among Taliban forces or its own fighters.
The latest claim comes amid reports of continued clashes between Taliban forces and armed opposition groups in Badakhshan. Local sources have previously described fighting in Zibak district as intense, with Taliban fighters reportedly moving around areas near the clashes.
Badakhshan holds particular strategic importance because of its location in northeastern Afghanistan and its borders with several countries, including China and Tajikistan. Security developments in the province have therefore attracted attention beyond Afghanistan.
The Taliban has not provided an independent account of the reported attack or confirmed the Freedom Front’s claims regarding foreign militants.
The exact scale of the fighting, the number of casualties and the current security situation in Zibak remain unclear. The claims made by the Afghanistan Freedom Front could not be independently verified.
The reported confrontation highlights the continued presence of armed resistance against Taliban forces in parts of Afghanistan, despite the Taliban’s assertion that it has established nationwide security since returning to power in 2021.