The anti-Taliban armed group Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) has claimed that five Taliban fighters were killed and 10 injured in clashes with Taliban government forces in Kunar and Nuristan provinces, which border Pakistan.
According to reports from Afghanistan’s eastern Nuristan province, early on Saturday the Taliban government clashed with an opposing group in the Gordesh area of Kamdesh district when fighters tried to target Taliban government border guards as they passed along a mountain route.
The area lies near the Pakistan-Afghanistan border and adjoins Chitral. In clashes between Taliban forces and the AFF on various occasions this year, both sides have claimed to have inflicted heavy losses on each other.
A Taliban government source told the BBC: “This group of opponents has been crushed severely; several have been killed and some arrested.”
The source told the BBC: “In the Sharpet and Landi Pet areas near the Durand Line in Kamdesh district, Nuristan, special forces clashed with Pakistani militias, Daesh and a mischief-making group. More than 10 fighters of these groups were killed, while six others were captured alive.”
Videos received by the BBC show several people being questioned by Taliban government forces; one gave his home province as Ghor and another as Parwan.
It appears that the group included people from various parts of Afghanistan.
The clashes between the Taliban and the opposing faction come at a time when there have also recently been clashes between Pakistani forces and the Afghan Taliban.
A statement issued on X by the Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) claimed that the Taliban attacked strong AFF commando positions in Kamdesh with ground forces and drones, but Taliban forces were forced to retreat after suffering heavy casualties.
The AFF claimed it had freed some areas of Kamdesh district in Nuristan and Nari district in Kunar province from Taliban control.
According to the AFF, large quantities of weapons, equipment, drones and military positions also fell into the hands of AFF commandos during the clashes.
According to the AFF, before this, on Thursday, a police district office in Sar-e Pul was targeted, killing three Taliban fighters.
A resident of the area said: “It was midnight when these people attacked, and government soldiers were also killed.”
However, the Taliban government has so far not commented on its own casualties.
The “Freedom Front” also claimed its fighters used drones as well as ground attacks against Taliban forces.
Taliban government security agencies have previously alleged that Pakistan is sheltering their opponents in areas under its control and that they have training centres in Chitral.
Pakistan’s government and army have denied these allegations by the Taliban government and accuse armed groups active in Afghanistan of crossing the border to carry out attacks in Pakistan.
