In message to Taliban commanders, Akhundzada warns against infiltrators

Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada has warned against infiltrators, saying they could be working against the Afghanistan government.

Akhundzada has been the spiritual chief of the Islamist movement since 2016 but has remained a reclusive figure, even after his group seized power in Afghanistan in August.

In a rare written public statement, Akhundzada has urged Taliban commanders to purge their ranks.

“All those elders of their groups must look inside their ranks and see if there is any unknown entity working against the will of the government, which must be eradicated as soon as possible,” Akhundzada said in the statement tweeted out by multiple Taliban accounts.

“Whatever wrong happens, the elder will be responsible for the consequences of the actions in this world and in the afterlife,” he further warned in the statement.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in August (completed their military campaign by capturing the presidential tower in Kabul on August 15) just days before American troops left the country as agreed in a peace deal.

Since taking over, the Taliban have issued multiple diktats reminding of their old rule when the group ruled with iron fist and suppressed any voice of resistance.

As the Taliban government formed, the group was forced to recruit former foes, allied Islamist militants and young madrassa students.

Now that it is the government, the movement faces attacks in its turn from hardline factions like the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K).

The terror group claimed responsibility for an attak on a military hospital in Kabul last week in which 19 people were killed. Then there are instances where members of the Taliban have been blamed for killings, denting the group’s promise of re-establishing “stability and security” in the war-torn country.

In his statement, Akhundzada said Taliban unit commanders must take the time to sit down with their recruits to “try to work on their manners and behaviour so that these mujahideen can work better for his leader.”

Akhundzada maintains a low-profile and often gives spiritual message to the members of the group. Last month, there were rumours about his death in a clash between two factions of the Taliban. But, a few days later, Akhundzada made a public appearance in Kadahar.