Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada traveled to Herat early Tuesday, according to local sources. Akhundzada reportedly delivered a speech at a “jihadi madrasa” in the city later in the afternoon, although the Taliban has not officially commented on the visit.
No images or audio recordings of the Taliban leader’s travels or speeches have been released, a consistent pattern in his rare public appearances.
During his visits, Akhundzada has reportedly emphasized the implementation of the Taliban’s new laws and urged adherence to his authority.
In the past two weeks, Akhundzada has toured several northern and western provinces, including Samangan, Badakhshan, Jowzjan, Faryab, Balkh, and Badghis.
His visit comes as the Taliban announced that on Wednesday, a ceremony will be held in Herat to mark the official start of the TAPI (Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India) gas pipeline project. The project was first inaugurated in 2017 by Afghanistan’s former president.
