Afghanistan Peace Campaign
The Taliban’s information and culture minister, Sher Ahmad Haqqani, discussed the group’s recent clashes with opposition forces in Badakhshan during a meeting with media officials in Kabul.
Referring to recent developments in Badakhshan, Haqqani said every war should be examined from five perspectives.
He said it was first necessary to identify the attackers and their financiers, determine who was providing them with shelter, establish their objectives and assess how much local support they had in the areas where they were fighting.
The Taliban’s information and culture minister said an examination of these factors showed that “in reality, nothing has happened”.
Haqqani claimed the Taliban administration could prove to the public, “even to opponents and foreigners”, that conditions in Afghanistan were better than before and that “the people are happy and satisfied”.
Speaking on Monday, 27 July, following opposition attacks in Badakhshan, Haqqani described the situation in Taliban-controlled Afghanistan as good and unprecedented.
He also claimed that the public was cooperating with the Taliban administration.
In his speech, Haqqani referred to Taliban opponents as “murderers, highway robbers and oppressors” and claimed they had no public support.
His remarks come as political and military groups opposed to the Taliban have carried out offensive operations in north-eastern Afghanistan, particularly in Badakhshan, in recent days.
The attacks began last week when the newly formed Sepah-e Mihan Front briefly seized Yaftal district for several hours.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front has also continued attacks against Taliban forces in Zebak district of Badakhshan.
The front says it has carried out continuous attacks over the past four days and destroyed two Taliban drones.
On Sunday, the Afghanistan Freedom Front claimed that its forces had advanced five kilometres towards the centre of Zebak district and captured two more Taliban posts.