KABUL: Veteran Afghan military figure Saleh Mohammad Rigistani has returned to Afghanistan and has been appointed commander of the National Resistance Front’s (NRF) military operations headquarters, according to the opposition group.
Rigistani, a former close associate of Ahmad Shah Massoud, appeared in a video wearing a military uniform and said he was back in Afghanistan after five years. The video showed him in the Hindu Kush mountains.
The NRF subsequently announced his appointment and called on its officials and field commanders to coordinate with him. The move comes as the group seeks greater coordination among its military structures operating inside Afghanistan.
In his video message, Rigistani called for continued armed resistance against the Taliban and said coordination among anti-Taliban fronts was necessary. He also accused the Taliban authorities of oppression and other abuses and predicted that the current administration would eventually collapse.
NRF leader Ahmad Massoud also announced Rigistani’s appointment. Rigistani has a long history with Massoud’s forces, having served alongside Ahmad Shah Massoud during the wars against the Soviet-backed government and the Taliban. He later served as Massoud’s representative in Tajikistan and on a mission in Russia.
The appointment follows the killing of senior NRF commander Haseeb Panjshiri in a clash with Taliban forces in Salang. However, Rigistani has not been described as Panjshiri’s direct successor and instead takes responsibility for the front’s military operations headquarters.
Rigistani’s reported return has also drawn attention because Taliban officials have previously said that senior NRF commanders were outside Afghanistan. The latest development indicates that at least the NRF claims to have senior leadership operating inside the country.