KABUL, Afghanistan — Taliban Interior Minister Sirajuddin Haqqani attended a leadership meeting in Kandahar led by the Taliban’s leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
In a post on X on Thursday, March 27, Mujahid said the meeting was attended by Taliban’s senior security officials, including their Defense Minister Yaqoob Mujahid, Taliban intelligence chief Abdul Haq Wasiq, Taliban Deputy Defense Minister Abdul Qayyum Zakir, and Taliban Deputy Interior Minister Mohammad Nabi Omari.
Details about the timing and content of the meeting were not disclosed, and no official photos have been released. Mujahid said the session focused on reviewing proposals from security agencies and issuing directives related to operations, force readiness, and the overall security framework.
“In the meeting, necessary instructions were issued regarding implementation and strategic direction,” Mujahid wrote, adding that decisions were made to “improve order, equip forces, and enhance security capacity.”
This marks the first time the Taliban have publicly acknowledged Haqqani’s participation in a high-level security meeting chaired by Akhundzada.
Haqqani has been absent from public engagements for over two months and had not been seen at the Interior Ministry in Kabul during that time. His reappearance comes amid reports of escalating tensions between him and Akhundzada, and coincides with news that the United States recently removed a $10 million reward for his arrest from its official listings.
The meeting may signal a shift in internal Taliban dynamics as international pressure and scrutiny over the Taliban’s leadership and security apparatus continue to mount.
