In the midst of tensions among the Taliban leadership, three senior Taliban security officials—Sirajuddin Haqqani, Yaqub Mujahid, and Abdulhaq Wasiq—met with the Taliban leader Hibatullah Akhundzada in Kandahar on Sunday.
Taliban spokesperson initially posted news of the meeting on X, but later deleted the announcement. However, the news was reposted on Monday morning.
Zabihullah Mujahid, Taliban’s chief spokesperson, stated that the purpose of the meeting was for the Taliban’s security, intelligence, and defense agencies to provide a report to the leader.
Some analysts said the meeting is linked to the growing rift between Haqqani, Mujahid and Akhundzada.
Previously, Haqqani visited the United Arab Emirates under the pretense of traveling to Saudi Arabia for the Hajj pilgrimage, during which he reportedly met with UAE hofficials.
Following this trip, Akhundzada, in a gathering in Kandahar, indirectly addressed the visit, suggesting that if Taliban officials wished to remove him from power, they should unite to do so.
This marks Haqqani’s first visit to Kandahar and meeting with Akhundzada since his trips to the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
It is worth noting that other Taliban officials, including Abbas Stanikzai, have previously criticized their leader implicitly, advocating for more consultative governance.
