Uzbek group within Taliban warns their leadership over detention of their commander

Maymana: – The deputy chief of the Uzbek group in Taliban warned, ‘If the Taliban leadership does not release our leader, the Taliban flag will never be allowed to be unfurled in the Faryab province.’ The differences between the Taliban groups surfaced while the Taliban completed five months of taking over Kabul. Some of these groups have issued direct warnings to the leadership. It is evident that this internal conflict rocked the Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

Four days ago, the Pashtun group in Taliban arrested Makhdoom Alam, a Taliban commander from the Mazar-e-Sharif region. Taliban announced that this action was taken under orders from the deputy Defence Minister Mullah Fazel. Makhdoom Alam was the commander of the Taliban in the Faryab, Jawzan and Sar-e-pool provinces. Moreover, Makhdoom Alam is the highest commander and a religious leader of the Uzbek groups in the Taliban. The Uzbek groups from the Faryab province expressed annoyance over the arrest.

On the 12th of January, the Uzbek gang attacked Taliban headquarters in Maymana, the capital of the Faryab province and disarmed other Taliban members. After that, they demanded the release of Makhdoom Alam. Photographs and videos of the action taken by the Uzbek gang have been published in the local media. The Taliban leadership issued a warning to the supporters of Makhdoom Alam by imposing an emergency in the Faryab province. Within the next two days, the Taliban detained Kari Vakil, the high commander of the Tajik group from the Faryab province. Taliban took this action after calling Kari Vakil to Mazar-e-Sharif to discuss the release of Makhdoom Alam. Taliban has arrested the leaders of two groups from the Faryab province. Turk Oglu, the deputy chief of the Uzbek group, has threatened the Taliban leadership over the arrest of Makhdoom Alam.

A few days ago, reports had been received of intense differences surfacing between the Wardak and Laghman gangs. Leaders of both the gangs had threatened to eliminate each other. Both the leaders have indicated that they do not care for the Taliban leadership. Therefore, indications are that the Taliban leadership in Kabul is losing its grip over the groups.

Meanwhile, a few days ago, the Taliban had threatened Uzbekistan and Tajikistan, the neighbours of Afghanistan. Afghan pilots and engineers had fled in Afghan airplanes and helicopters to these neighbouring countries. While demanding that Uzbekistan and Tajikistan return these aircraft to Afghanistan, the Taliban warned of dire consequences to these neighbouring countries.