For families like that of Saera, a mother of nine, Eid this year passed in hunger and quiet despair.

Shortly after dawn, dozens of men and women gathered along major routes

Akhundzada called for obedience to leadership and claimed that foreign efforts were underway to destabilize the Taliban’s rule.

Akhundzada also called on Taliban members to remain united in pursuit of what he termed the implementation of “Sharia law”.