RASC News Agency: Following the appointment of Samiullah Hezbollah as the new Taliban governor of Takhar, the province has witnessed an intensification of restrictions and repression. Hezbollah, a close confidant of the Taliban’s leadership, has ordered the enforcement of unwavering obedience to the group’s governance, compelling the local population to comply with Taliban directives. A source informed RASC that, under his command, Taliban forces have initiated widespread house-to-house searches in the provincial capital, Taloqan an operation that remains ongoing.
On Thursday, March 6, the source reported that restrictions have escalated significantly since Hezbollah took office. The new measures include a strictly enforced nighttime curfew, arbitrary detentions, and the brutal torture of civilians accused of supporting resistance forces practices that have surged at an alarming rate over the past week. Another source voiced deep concerns over the Taliban’s expanding military activities in Takhar, which have led to the widespread persecution of civilians. The Taliban are actively working to establish total control over the province, compelling its residents to submit to their rule.
Takhar has historically been a bastion of resistance against the Taliban. During the group’s first regime, its forces failed to dismantle the province’s formidable defensive lines. Prominent Taliban commanders, including Mawlawi Muttaqi and Mullah Fazel, suffered humiliating defeats, with their forces forced to retreat from the Far-Khar battlefield after a failed offensive. Even in 2021, Takhar was one of the last provinces to fall, witnessing months of fierce resistance against the Taliban’s takeover. For three months, local fighters waged an intense battle, refusing to surrender until the very last moment.
Now, Takhar’s residents believe that the appointment of a hardline Taliban governor signals a calculated effort to consolidate power over the province. However, instead of securing control, these draconian measures have only fueled greater public outrage and strengthened the spirit of defiance among the people.
