2022 Taliban dissension

Taliban inner conflict between Pashtun and non-Pashtun members

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2022 Taliban dissension

Part of Afghanistan conflict (1978–present), Republican insurgency in Afghanistan
| Date| Maymana: 13 January 2022[1] – 17 January 2022[2] (4 days)
Qadis District: 14 January 2022[3] – 18 January 2022[4] (4 days)
Ab Kamari District: 14 January 2022[3] – 14 February 2022[5] (1 month)

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Location|

Maymana, Faryab Province, Afghanistan
Badghis Province, Afghanistan

Result|

Maymana: Taliban victory

* Revolt suppressed[2]

Ab Kamari & Qadis districts: Unclear

* Ethnic Tajik rebels take over Ab Kamari & Qadis districts[3]
* Taliban by February retake both the districts.

Belligerents
Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan|

Maymana:
Uzbek Taliban

* * *

Ab Kamari & Qadis districts:
Tajik Taliban
Commanders and leaders
Hibatullah Akhundzada|

Maymana:
unknown

* * *

Ab Kamari & Qadis districts:[1]
Noor Agha
Saleh Mohammad Pardel
Strength
unknown|  unknown
Casualties and losses
unknown|  unknown

The 2022 Taliban dissension began in January 2022, the Taliban arrested 2 of its commanders, Makhdoom Alem, an ethnic Uzbek, and Qari Wakil, an ethnic Tajik. The arrests led to clashes between Pashtun and non-Pashtun Taliban.[6]

## Background

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See also: Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (1996–2001) § Early history and ethnic conflict

When the Taliban rose to power in 1996, initially it enjoyed enormous good will from Afghans weary of the corruption, brutality, and the incessant fighting of Mujahideen warlords. However, reactions and resistance would vary and increase among non-Pashtun people. The Taliban considered many of Afghanistan's other ethnic groups as foreigners, as Pashtuns comprised the vast majority of the Taliban. As the Taliban expanded from their southern and south-eastern strongholds, they encountered more resistance as their brand of Deobandi Islam incorporated with the Pashtunwali tribal code was viewed as foreign and oppressive by the other ethnic groups of Afghanistan, and the Battles of Mazar-i-Sharif from 1997 to 1998 illustrated this ethnic tension. However, during the course of the Taliban insurgency, the Taliban attempted to gain support from other ethnicities, and they recruited Tajiks, Uzbeks, and Hazaras into their ranks, although many, most notably Mehdi Mujahid, later left and said that the Taliban was only using them to grow their influence.[citation needed]

## Clashes

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In Maymana, Uzbek Taliban units revolted and forcibly disarmed local Pashtun Taliban units and briefly seizing control of Maymana on January 13. The local Taliban leadership, including the governor and police chief, fled the city. The revolt happened shortly after the Taliban Deputy Defense Minister Mullah Fazel Mazloom arrested Makhdoom Alem, a senior Uzbek Taliban commander in Mazar-i-Sharif on January 12. The Taliban central leadership responded quickly to the revolt in Maymana, deploying additional reinforcements on the 14–16 January ending the revolt with Makdoom Alem remaining in Taliban custody. On January 14 the Taliban also arrested Qari Wakil, a senior Tajik Taliban commander, in Mazar-i-Sharif after he traveled there to negotiate the release of Makhdoom Alem. The arrest of Qari Wakil eventually resulted in two Tajik Taliban commanders in Badghis province, Noor Agha in Ab Kamari District and Saleh Mohammad Pardel in Qadis District revolting and saying they would no longer obey the Taliban provincial leadership in Badghis province[6] and soon their forces would capture the districts of Ab Kamari & Qadis.[3] However 4 days later, an article published by the BBC indicated Qadis District was in Taliban control, and a month later in February an article by Rahapress indicated the same in Ab Kamari District.[4][5]

## References

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1. ^ a b "Afghanistan in Review January 3 – January 25, 2022 | Institute for the Study of War". Understandingwar.org. Retrieved 5 July 2022.
2. ^ a b "Taliban stage show of strength with parade after protests - Times of India". The Times of India. 17 January 2022.
3. ^ a b c d Soroush, Tajuden [@TajudenSoroush] (14 January 2022). "اطلاعات تازه از بادغیس؛ نورآغا فرمانده تاجیک‌تبار طالبان در ولسوالی آب کمری و صالح محمد پردل، فرمانده تاجیک‌تبار طالبان در ولسوالی قادس، اعلام کردند دیگر از دستور رهبری طالبان در مرکز و والی این ولایت اطاعت نمیکنند" [New information from Badghis; Noor Agha, the Tajik commander of the Taliban in Ab Kemari district and Saleh Mohammad Pardal, the Tajik commander of the Taliban in the Qads district, announced that they no longer obey the orders of the Taliban leadership in the center and the governor of this province.] (Tweet) (in Persian). Archived from the original on 8 October 2022. Retrieved 26 December 2022 - via Twitter.
4. ^ a b "Afghanistan twin quakes kill at least 22 in poorest areas". BBC News. 18 January 2022.
5. ^ a b "یک فرمانده محلی طالبان در ولسوالی آبکمری بادغیس کشته شد". 4 February 2022.
6. ^ a b "Institute for the Study of War". Institute for the Study of War. Archived from the original on 25 March 2022. Retrieved 28 June 2022.