According to Iraf, the tensions — rooted in disputes over control of gold mines as well as ethnic rivalries between Pashtun and Tajik Taliban commanders — have raised serious concerns over the possibility of an internal armed confrontation.
Pashtun Governor Deploys Forces to Darwaz
According to local reports, Ismail Ghaznawi, the Pashtun governor of the Taliban administration in Badakhshan, has deployed hundreds of armed fighters to the Darwaz region of Badakhshan Province. The stated objective of the operation is to seize control of the gold mines located in the Darwaz area.
Local sources confirm that, under Ghaznawi’s direct orders, several gold-processing facilities belonging to Tajik Taliban factions in the five districts of Darwaz have been shut down and destroyed.
Arrest of Commanders; Strong Reaction from Juma Khan Fateh
Taliban intelligence forces recently arrested Musa Kaka, the local commander of Shikai District and a close associate of Juma Khan Fateh, along with four others, including Islamuddin, and transferred them to Faizabad.
Sources say that Musa Kaka, who had recently been appointed as a Taliban border commander in Jawzjan Province, refused to report to his assigned post. He is accused of extorting money from mining extraction workshops in Shikai District.
Juma Khan Fateh, who previously served as the Taliban deputy governor in Zabul Province, reportedly returned to Nusay District following the arrest of his key commanders and has begun preparing for an assault on Pashtun Taliban positions in the Darwaz region.
Local sources report that Juma Khan Fateh dispatched 20 elders from Nusay District to meet with the Taliban governor in Badakhshan, warning that unless Musa Kaka is released and mining projects in the Darwaz districts are resumed, forces loyal to him would “bring down the Taliban by force of arms.”
Deployment of a 1,000-Member Special Force from Kandahar
Meanwhile, a 1,000-member Taliban special unit affiliated with Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader, has arrived in Badakhshan. In its first move, the force reportedly began destroying tunnels and equipment used in gold mining operations.
Videos circulated by local sources show the destruction of one of the gold-processing facilities by these forces — a move that, according to local observers, could further inflame the risk of internal conflict between Pashtun and Tajik Taliban commanders.
Field sources emphasize that direct clashes between the two Taliban factions could erupt at any moment.
