Former CIA officer Sarah Adams has claimed that the killing of Hasib Panjshiri, a field commander of Afghanistan’s National Resistance Front (NRF), was the result of a complex and pre-planned Taliban intelligence operation.
According to Adams, Taliban intelligence, working alongside special forces from the group’s Ministry of Defense, allegedly relied on infiltration networks operating within the resistance movement to obtain information about Panjshiri’s movements.
She claimed that intelligence gathered through these networks enabled Taliban forces to identify Panjshiri’s route through northern Salang and position their personnel along the expected path before he arrived. Adams further alleged that a network linked to Mullah Juma Fatih played a central role in the operation.
Panjshiri was a prominent commander associated with the NRF, an anti-Taliban armed resistance group led by Ahmad Massoud. Recent reports have confirmed his death, while details surrounding the circumstances have varied.
The allegations, if accurate, would highlight the extent to which intelligence penetration and informant networks can influence Taliban operations against armed opposition groups.
However, the specific details of Adams’ account, including the alleged role of the infiltration network and Mullah Juma Fatih, could not be independently verified from the sources reviewed. The claims should therefore be treated as allegations rather than established facts.