Because the Taliban enters its sixth yr in energy, it stays extra highly effective than it was earlier than the Sept. 11 assaults. The Taliban’s flag flies in all of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. Whereas solely Russia has formally acknowledged the group because the nation’s authorities, China and the United Arab Emirates have formally accredited or accepted Taliban ambassadors and exchanged diplomatic employees, with Pakistan, Qatar, Iran, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, and Turkey establishing de facto working relationships with the Sunni Deobandi group. Even its archrival, the Islamic State in Afghanistan, has seen its assault exercise decline after years of counter-terrorism operations.
Nonetheless, beneath the floor and much from the highlight, the anti-Taliban resistance — a motley crew of over a dozen teams led by former leaders of the earlier authorities — has survived regardless of having neither a longtime cross-border army sanctuary nor an overt state sponsor, two key components for a profitable insurgency. Within the final two years, these teams have multiplied, and the tempo and geographical attain of their assaults have expanded.
Regardless of the anti-Taliban resistance’s modest features, Western governments ought to contemplate preliminary public engagements with resistance leaders if Pakistan’s outreach bears fruit and the teams acquire traction after unifying, whereas making future help contingent on their potential to grab and maintain territory. Sustaining these relationships, many courting again greater than 20 years, will protect the West’s choices ought to Pakistan’s relationship with the Taliban proceed to deteriorate or ought to the Taliban show unwilling or unable to constrain al-Qaeda’s exterior operations from its coaching camps in Afghanistan.
The Resistance Panorama
The anti-Taliban resistance started shortly after the autumn of the earlier authorities, when forces loyal to Ahmad Massoud, the son of the legendary Ahmad Shah Massoud, and former First Vice President Amrullah Saleh tried to carry out within the Panjshir Valley. Nonetheless, aided by not too long ago captured American weapons and gear, the Taliban routed the fledgling group lower than a month after the autumn of Kabul.
Massoud’s Nationwide Resistance Entrance was the primary group to emerge from the wreckage of the autumn of Kabul. The overwhelming majority of its assaults have targeted on his father’s Jamiat-e-Islami strongholds in Panjshir, Baghlan, Takhar, Badakhshan, and different northern provinces. Massoud stays probably the most internationally acknowledged resistance chief, commonly touring overseas to characterize the pursuits of these against Taliban rule.
Former Afghan Nationwide Military Chief of Common Employees Yasin Zia’s is the second-oldest and most established anti-Taliban resistance group. Zia, additionally a former governor of Takhar, has performed assaults not solely in his stronghold of northern Afghanistan but additionally in predominantly Pashtun areas, together with Nuristan, Kunar, and even Kandahar and Helmand, suggesting a wider operational attain than Massoud’s Nationwide Resistance Entrance.
Lt. Gen. Sami Sadat, the previous commander of the 215th Corps in Helmand, leads the Afghan United Entrance, a latest entry onto the battlefield that started fight operations on Aug. 1, 2026. Sadat’s group has hit the bottom working, claiming over 60 guerrilla assaults by way of September — consisting largely of ambushes and assassinations — with a major deal with southern Afghanistan. This underscores Sadat’s intention to problem the Taliban in its religious stronghold. Sadat, who testified earlier than Congress following the autumn of Kabul, maintains ties to the Republican Social gathering.
Apart from these three teams, which conduct the majority of assaults, there are Saleh’s Afghan Inexperienced Pattern, the Nationwide Mobilization Entrance, the Nationwide Independence Entrance, the Homeland Troopers Entrance, the Afghanistan Republican Entrance, the New Horizon Group, the Freedom and Justice Motion, the Afghan Liberation Motion, and plenty of extra.
Whereas these teams individually conduct a small share of the general assaults claimed by the resistance, in mixture, their assaults rival these of the large three. For instance, in early October, the Nationwide Mobilization Entrance — a small group that has been conducting assaults since 2023 — claimed duty for assassinating a senior Taliban official in Nangarhar.
The anti-Taliban resistance teams commonly declare assaults throughout Afghanistan. Nonetheless, many of those claims can’t be independently verified, regardless of the teams continuously posting footage of their assaults on social media. A tally of verified assaults and incidents documented in successive U.N. reviews establishes a minimal of 438 throughout reporting durations between November 2023 and July 2026.
In my conversations with these teams’ leaders, they’re fast to say these numbers are undercounted as a result of they can not disclose all their assaults for operational safety causes or as a result of the strategies of the U.N. Help Mission in Afghanistan are too restrictive. Regardless, these verified assaults display that the resistance’s operations should not merely social media innovations.
Total, assault claims have elevated in 2026, with at the very least 4 new teams serving to bolster the anti-Taliban resistance’s numbers and the tempo of its assaults. Nonetheless, these assaults have but to translate into an existential problem to Taliban management, and the teams haven’t secured lasting management over any district. Earlier than these teams can evolve right into a extra vital problem, they might want to unify and focus their operations on a coherent technique.
The Limits of Fragmentation
Anti-Taliban resistance teams are numerous, led by Pashtuns, Tajiks, and Hazaras. Their leaders are both former Afghan authorities officers or army leaders from the earlier authorities. A lot of the teams’ charters describe their purpose as restoring democracy and human rights to Afghanistan. Regardless of these similarities, they continue to be impartial actors combating with out an overarching technique to perform a purpose all of them share: the overthrow of the Taliban.
Whereas the anti-Taliban resistance is just not a unified entity, Massoud, Zia, and Sadat have all welcomed one another’s presence on the battlefield as brothers in arms. The Nationwide Resistance Entrance underscored this sentiment not too long ago by releasing a press assertion praising the Afghanistan Freedom Entrance’s latest combating. The Afghanistan Freedom Entrance and Nationwide Resistance Entrance additionally not too long ago launched an announcement warning the United Nations of pending assaults. Nationwide Resistance Entrance and Afghanistan Freedom Entrance officers have attended conferences of the Vienna Course of for a Democratic Afghanistan, which search to foster democracy and the rule of regulation in Afghanistan.
Nonetheless, this fragmentation prevents the teams from pooling assets and manpower, that are at a premium with out official state sponsorship or sanctuaries.
Extra importantly, the dearth of unity harkens again to the earlier authorities’s best weak point. Whereas the Taliban grew stronger and started to encircle varied provincial capitals, ministers fought petty turf battles. There have been even gun battles throughout political conferences.
A lot ink has been spilled concerning the supposed factions inside the Taliban, with Inside Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani versus Taliban Supreme Chief Hibatullah Akhunzada being the newest manifestation of a long-told story. But for all of the supposed infighting contained in the Taliban, they’ve remained a unified entrance in opposition to its enemies, one thing the anti-Taliban resistance ought to bear in mind.
Whereas having former Afghan common officers and leaders prepared to subordinate themselves to a different’s command could be a bridge too far, the resistance may at the very least comply with in its forefathers’ footsteps and type an umbrella group, just like the Islamic Unity of Afghanistan Mujahideen, also referred to as the Peshawar Seven. Through the Soviet battle in Afghanistan, the Peshawar Seven was an alliance of seven Sunni Afghan mujahedeen political and guerrilla events primarily based in Peshawar, Pakistan.
The alliance performed a key function within the diplomatic area, presenting a unified entrance on the worldwide stage and offering an umbrella for the distribution of overseas help. Its constituent events obtained much-needed weapons and gear by way of Pakistan’s Inter-Providers Intelligence, supported by the U.S. Operation Cyclone and Saudi help.
Though the Peshawar Seven allowed the resistance to current a standard entrance to the skin world and obtain important monetary and materials help, it didn’t get rid of competitors for energy, which regularly turned bloody. Pakistan’s highly effective intelligence service favored Gulbuddin Hekmatyar’s social gathering, strengthening a extra fundamentalist Islamist group on the expense of different teams. In July 1989, after Soviet forces had withdrawn, Hekmatyar’s forces ambushed and killed 30 members of Ahmad Shah Massoud’s Shura-ye Nazar, Jamiat-e-Islami’s army wing, in Takhar province, foreshadowing the bloody civil battle that might comply with the autumn of the Soviet-backed authorities of Mohammad Najibullah. Furthermore, the Afghan Interim Authorities — fashioned by the seven events in 1989 as a substitute for the Najibullah regime — excluded necessary constituencies, together with supporters of former King Zahir Shah and Iran-based Shiite events, undermining its legitimacy. Totally different overseas patrons additionally backed rival factions, with Pakistan favoring Hekmatyar, Saudi Arabia supporting Abdul Rabb al Rasul Sayyaf’s Ittihad-e-Islami Bara-yi Azadi Afghanistan, and Iran backing Shiite events outdoors the Peshawar Seven.
A up to date umbrella group would wish settlement on a political course of designed to maintain these teams from combating one another, whereas together with Afghanistan’s broader ethnic and non secular communities. A management shura led by a revered elder may assist head off potential battle and set up guidelines for energy sharing. Overseas patrons must also assemble a standard mechanism for distributing help as an alternative of favoring their most popular faction. These preparations would present the Afghan populace that these new teams are devoted to avoiding their predecessors’ bloody footsteps. An umbrella group may additionally deal with making a authorities in exile that might assist appeal to worldwide help and focus these disparate teams’ efforts on securing a foothold in Badakhshan.
All Eyes on Badakhshan
For 5 years, the anti-Taliban resistance has targeted overwhelmingly on guerrilla assaults. Regardless of the obvious success of many of those assaults, the resistance has not but secured a portion of Afghanistan underneath its rule.
During the last three months, the Afghanistan Freedom Entrance, Nationwide Resistance Entrance, and Afghan United Entrance have all performed guerrilla assaults in Badakhshan. The Nationwide Resistance Entrance claimed duty for the Aug. 13 assassination of the mayor of Faizabad, whereas the Afghanistan Freedom Entrance has performed sustained engagements for months in Zibak district. Even smaller teams have notched necessary victories. On July 17, 2026, the Homeland Troopers Entrance — led by a former Afghan Nationwide Military commander — briefly captured the Yaftali Sufla district heart in Badakhshan, marking a uncommon reported momentary lack of a district heart for the reason that Taliban consolidated management in 2021.
Badakhshan gives the anti-Taliban resistance a beautiful location to wrest management of a district from the Taliban. First, its terrain may present sanctuary for anti-Taliban resistance teams. One among Afghanistan’s most distant provinces, Badakhshan incorporates huge mountain ranges and remoted valleys the place restricted roads make it tough for any central authorities to train constant management.
Badakhshan additionally has an extended resistance custom and loads of native grievances that present fertile floor for recruitment. The Northern Alliance used bases in Badakhshan, in addition to in Panjshir and Takhar provinces, to withstand Taliban rule following the Taliban’s seize of Kabul. The Taliban has additionally alienated native miners by limiting their livelihoods whereas permitting linked operators to revenue. Even after the Taliban detained dissident Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh following his Aug. 17 give up, after practically every week of clashes amid a dispute that included entry to gold mines, Taliban factions proceed to conflict over the mines.
Though the Taliban was capable of rout the fledgling anti-Taliban resistance in Panjshir following the autumn of Kabul and mass forces in opposition to Fateh, it would have a a lot more durable time replicating these successes in opposition to resistance teams in Badakhshan. First, the anti-Taliban resistance has 5 years of operational expertise underneath its belt. Second, in 2021, the Taliban was driving the wave of its latest victory over the USA and NATO, giving it a psychological benefit over its enemies. Lastly, whereas Fateh rapidly surrendered because the Taliban massed forces, the Taliban has been unable to compel the Afghanistan Freedom Entrance or the Homeland Troopers Entrance to do the identical, regardless of massing forces and interesting to the Homeland Troopers Entrance commander to give up.
Badakhshan’s neighbors additionally make it a beautiful location. It borders Tajikistan, which arguably has the frostiest relations with the Taliban within the area and powerful ties to Afghanistan’s Tajik inhabitants, the nation’s largest ethnic minority. Pakistan additionally borders the province, offering one other potential ally as relations between Islamabad and the Taliban proceed to deteriorate. Badakhshan’s Wakhan Hall offers the province a border with China, whose pragmatic relationship with the Taliban may change ought to the group proceed to ignore Beijing’s requests to behave in opposition to terrorist teams. These embody the East Turkestan Islamic Motion, which operates in Badakhshan and has lengthy eyed operations in China’s Xinjiang area.
Assist Wished
Regardless of its persistence within the face of daunting odds, the anti-Taliban resistance lacks recognition as a reputable various to the Taliban. Though the Taliban has made strides within the worldwide area, solely Russia has formally acknowledged it. Afghanistan’s regional neighbors provide potential allies that the West ought to monitor.
Tajikistan is a believable candidate for tacit help to the resistance. Dushanbe is already sheltering Afghan opposition figures and has confronted border violence involving militants focusing on overseas employees in southern Tajikistan. Dushanbe would acquire an Afghan associate dedicated to stopping cross-border militancy and a substitute for dependence on Taliban assurances. Nonetheless, with Russia’s engagement with the Taliban deepening, Dushanbe is unlikely to supply greater than passive help to those teams.
Whereas a future stronghold in Badakhshan would provide much less direct leverage with Iran, Massoud’s invitation to attend former Iranian Supreme Chief Ali Khamenei’s funeral and the reported presentation of his delegation as “the Afghan Opposition” recommend attainable diplomatic openings with Tehran. The resistance may play on Tehran’s considerations over water rights alongside its jap border and the Taliban’s persecution of Shiites in Afghanistan.
Pakistan has an extended historical past of supporting Afghan armed teams. Its help proved pivotal within the defeat of the Soviet Union in Afghanistan, the rise of the Taliban within the Nineteen Nineties, and the group’s eventual victory over the USA and NATO 5 years in the past.
Nonetheless, for the reason that fall of Kabul, Pakistan’s relations with its former ally have deteriorated as a result of Afghan Taliban’s help for its fellow Taliban motion in Pakistan in addition to Ittihad al-Mujahideen Pakistan. These teams proceed to conduct brazen assaults on Pakistani forces, contributing to Pakistan’s declaration of “open battle” on the Taliban.
The Taliban already accuses Islamabad of sheltering and supporting opposition teams, accusations more likely to acquire additional traction after the New York Occasions reported that Pakistani army and intelligence officers have held conferences with leaders of anti-Taliban resistance teams to debate potential help. Anti-Taliban resistance teams are hesitant to debate this burgeoning relationship with their former enemy — although, off the file, they admit it stays their solely tangible possibility to realize traction inside Afghanistan.
The West ought to provide tacit help for Pakistan’s present engagement with the teams as a means of preserving its choices open and exerting stress on the Taliban. This is able to price the West little or no and protect alternate options ought to the Taliban’s and the West’s short-term pursuits not align. Though the West is banking on the Taliban to maintain its partnership with al-Qaeda from affecting Western safety, historical past means that potential is just not indefinite. Ought to Pakistan’s relations with these teams mature, a lot as they did with the Peshawar Seven, the USA ought to contemplate providing public help and attainable assets to teams whose fighters as soon as fought alongside American personnel in Afghanistan.
Supporting the anti-Taliban resistance is just not with out its drawbacks. Navy help may renew bloodshed in a rustic that has suffered by way of 5 many years of battle and worsen civilian struggling. Nonetheless, the Taliban’s remedy of ladies over the previous 5 years and the Worldwide Prison Court docket’s latest indictments for crimes in opposition to humanity underscore the extreme struggling underneath Taliban rule. Additional, conducting diplomacy and backing Pakistan’s tentative engagement don’t essentially equate to renewed bloodshed. In the long run, it might be incumbent on these teams to garner the general public help essential to succeed.
Conclusion
The anti-Taliban resistance has made actual strides in its 5 years on the battlefield: The variety of teams and the tempo of their claimed assaults have elevated, regardless of missing an overt state sponsor or a longtime cross-border army sanctuary. Nonetheless, the resistance ought to unify and focus its mixed efforts on securing a foothold in distant provinces like Badakhshan to supply itself as a viable governing various to the Taliban. Western governments ought to protect their relations with resistance leaders by way of preliminary public engagement, whereas making future help contingent on better unity and a capability to grab and maintain territory. These contacts would protect choices with out committing the West to army sponsorship.
Will Selber is a retired Air Pressure officer who served as a U.S. Central Command overseas space officer. He spent three years in Afghanistan.
Picture: Khwahan through Wikimedia Commons
