KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban’s army chief, Fasihuddin Fitrat, warned that anyone seeking to “reoccupy” Afghanistan would be met with resistance, vowing that the Taliban would continue fighting “for thousands of years if necessary.”
Speaking at a gathering in Kabul marking the 33rd anniversary of the Mujahideen’s victory over the Soviet-backed government — commemorated as the 8th of Saur — Fitrat said that following the Taliban’s return to power, many Afghans had fled the country. He warned that some groups or countries might attempt to support opposition forces against the Taliban.
“We fought for four and a half decades, and we will continue fighting for thousands of years more if necessary,” Fitrat said, adding that the Taliban would not remain passive in the face of threats.
At the same event, Noorullah Noori, the Taliban’s minister of borders and tribal affairs, declared that Afghans had achieved the objectives of jihad and now lived under “unified leadership.”
Fitrat’s comments come as anti-Taliban resistance groups have increased their attacks on Taliban positions in recent months, particularly in northern provinces.
Meanwhile, discontent within Afghanistan is reportedly growing, fueled by the Taliban’s increasingly harsh restrictions on citizens’ rights, particularly women’s rights.
Earlier, sources told Amu TV that Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister, warned Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada during a meeting in Kandahar that his hardline decisions were deepening the divide between the Taliban and the Afghan population. According to the sources, Haqqani cautioned that continued dissatisfaction could eventually lead to fractures within the Taliban leadership.
