Commander of ‘Sepahi Mihan’ Denies Arrest of His Forces in Badakhshan
Qayum Malang, the commander of the ‘Sepahi Mihan’ front, five days after his group’s attack on the Yaftal Payan district in Badakhshan province, issued an audio message stating that he and his forces are safe and denied the Taliban administration’s claims of the arrest of members of this front.
On Wednesday, July 22, Malang said, “I am in perfect health. Do not believe the enemy’s propaganda. We are all well and healthy.” Malang emphasized that this front is pursuing its specific plans and that, according to him, its members “prefer freedom above all else.”
The newly established ‘Sepahi Mihan’ front recently took control of the Yaftal Payan district for several hours in a surprise attack. The district is near Fayzabad city, the capital of Badakhshan. The attackers entered some government buildings, took military equipment with them, and raised the front’s flag atop several buildings.
Following this event, the Taliban administration announced that several individuals affiliated with this front had been arrested. However, Malang refuted this claim in his first audio message and urged his supporters not to believe the Taliban’s statements.
In response to this attack, the Taliban administration dispatched Fasihuddin Fetrat, chief of their army staff, to Badakhshan. Fetrat claimed that Taliban forces were able to contain the attack and prevent the attackers from achieving their objectives. He stated that he had been aware of the attack plan and traveled from Kabul to Badakhshan upon receiving the reports.
Additionally, Hayatullah Muhajir Farahi, Deputy Minister of Information and Culture for the Taliban administration, wrote in a message on the social media platform X that security forces of the administration are vigilant against threats and that those who, as he claims, obstruct Afghanistan’s economic progress “deserve no mercy.”
Yaftal Payan district is considered one of the important areas in Badakhshan province, and its brief seizure by an anti-Taliban group stands as one of the most notable recent security events in the province.
