RASC News Agency: Close associates of Rahmdel Hanifi, a former elite commander under Ahmad Shah Massoud, have revealed that he took his own life after the Taliban arrested his wife. Reports indicate that on Tuesday night, December 17, the Taliban’s Second Police District in Kabul detained Hanifi’s wife under the pretext of a complaint filed against her. A source disclosed that the Taliban were actively seeking to apprehend Hanifi himself. Another insider informed RASC News that Hanifi had been in a constant state of flight, moving from one location to another to evade Taliban forces.
Rahmdel Hanifi, a former special forces member under Ahmad Shah Massoud’s leadership, later served as a bodyguard for Qasim Fahim, Afghanistan’s former Vice President. During Ashraf Ghani’s presidency, Hanifi held a position within the Presidential Palace. After the Taliban’s resurgence in Afghanistan, Hanifi fled to Iran. However, due to an ongoing legal dispute and following assurances of safety from Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s Minister of Commerce, Hanifi decided to return to Afghanistan. Despite these guarantees, he soon became a target of Taliban surveillance and pressure.
According to sources, Hanifi hanged himself in the Qol-e-Abchakan area of Kabul after his family’s efforts to secure his wife’s release from Taliban custody proved unsuccessful. Hanifi hailed from Parandi in Panjshir province and was renowned for his service in Ahmad Shah Massoud’s special forces. The Taliban have a history of targeting returnees, subjecting them to relentless persecution, arrests, and torture, despite any guarantees of safety offered prior to their return.
