KABUL – Fighting between Afghan Taliban forces and armed opposition group has been intensified in Afghanistan’s eastern provinces of Nuristan and Kunar, close to the Pakistan border and the Chitral region.
Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), a Taliban-opposition armed faction, claimed that five Taliban fighters were killed and nearly a dozen suffered injuries during recent clashes. The group also said its fighters captured weapons, military equipment and drones after forcing Taliban units to withdraw from some positions.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front says that since this morning, Saturday , intense clashes have erupted between the forces of this front and the Taliban in Kamdesh district of Nuristan province, and the fighting continues unabated.
In a released report, the front stated that Taliban… pic.twitter.com/YnRIkCdiQn
— Kabul International کابل انٹرنیشنل (@Kabulintlnews) September 26, 2026
The latest fighting reportedly took place in Gurdish area of Kamdesh district in Nuristan. Taliban border personnel came under attack while moving through a mountainous route near the Pakistan-Afghanistan frontier. Kamdesh is situated close to the Durand Line and has previously witnessed clashes between Taliban forces and armed groups opposed to the Taliban administration.
Taliban government tried downplaying the resistance, saying their forces decisively pushed back opposing fighters and that several members of the group were killed, while others were taken into custody. The source claimed the fighting occurred in Sharpeet and Landi Peet areas of Kamdesh, involving Taliban special forces and what it described as Pakistani militias, Daesh and another armed faction. According to the Taliban source, more than 10 fighters were killed and six were captured.
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Clips doing rounds online show several detained men being questioned by Taliban personnel. During the interrogation, one man reportedly identified Ghor as his home province, while another said he was from Parwan, suggesting that the fighters may have come from different parts of Afghanistan. Taliban administration has not independently confirmed the number of casualties suffered by its forces.
Afghan Freedom Front shared different account of the clashes, saying Taliban forces launched assault on AFF positions in Kamdesh using both ground troops and drones. The group claimed its fighters resisted the offensive and forced the Taliban units to retreat after inflicting significant losses.
AFF further claimed that it had taken control of several areas in Kamdesh district of Nuristan and Nari district of Kunar that had previously been held by Taliban forces. The group said its fighters also captured weapons, military supplies, drones and fortified positions during the fighting.
AFF separately claimed responsibility for an attack on a police district office in Sar-e-Pul on Thursday, alleging that three Taliban fighters were killed. AFF also claimed that drones are being used alongside conventional ground operations in its attacks against Taliban positions.
The latest clashes have been reported amid tensions between Pakistan and the Afghan Taliban regime, including recent clashes between Pakistani forces and Afghan Taliban units.
Pakistani authorities and military officials accused armed groups based in Afghanistan of crossing the border and launching attacks inside Pakistan. Lately, Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said Afghan authorities must prevent their territory from being used as a base for attacks against Pakistan or other countries.
Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) is an armed opposition movement that emerged after the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan. Its ranks are reported to include a significant number of former members of the Afghan security forces who served under the previous government. The group is led by General Yasin Zia, who previously served as chief of staff of Afghanistan’s armed forces.
AFF took responsibility for attacks on Taliban positions in several parts of Afghanistan and has continued to carry out operations against Taliban forces. The group and Taliban forces have also reported clashes in July and August.
