RASC News Agency: Sources inform RASC News that the Taliban have commenced a weapons collection campaign in Afghanistan’s southern provinces of Helmand, Kandahar, Uruzgan, Zabul, and Nimroz. However, sources indicate that the real objective is not to target the south or southeast but rather the northern regions of Afghanistan, especially the northeast and Badakhshan. According to reports from November 13, a delegation from the Taliban’s Ministry of Interior met with governors of these southern provinces to initiate the disarmament process. The plan, sources state, is to move quickly through the south and then extend operations into the northern and northeastern areas.
The Taliban’s tribal, political, and intelligence advisors have reportedly warned the leadership that beginning disarmament directly in the north or northeast could provoke resistance. They advised that the campaign should appear to start neutrally in the south, allowing it to move northward in stages. This strategy, they argue, would reduce the likelihood of public dissent once disarmament efforts reach the northern and northeastern provinces.
Sources add that all collected weapons will be stored under the oversight of individuals with close ties to Taliban leadership, ensuring that only Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, retains authority over their distribution. While the Taliban have yet to officially comment on this campaign, Akhundzada recently issued an eight-point decree centralizing the authority to distribute military equipment exclusively under his leadership, effectively removing these powers from the Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Interior, and intelligence directorate.
It’s notable that factions of the southern Taliban reportedly still view Badakhshan as insufficiently “secured.” Their dissatisfaction stems from a belief that true control will only be achieved when the province is entirely managed by Pashtuns at all levels, from leadership to grassroots.
