RASC News Agency: In a significant power move, forces loyal to Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban’s supreme leader, have been strategically deployed across key areas of Kabul, particularly in Bala Hissar and Kabul International Airport territories previously controlled by the Haqqani Network, sources revealed on Tuesday, February 4. This development comes as Sirajuddin Haqqani, the Taliban’s interior minister and head of the Haqqani Network, embarks on Hajj after a 13-day stay in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). Haqqani has been among the most outspoken critics of Mullah Hibatullah in recent months, and just days ago, Abbas Stanikzai, a senior Taliban figure, publicly censured Hibatullah at Haqqani’s directive.
The rift within the Taliban leadership has reached new heights, with Hibatullah moving swiftly to consolidate his hold over Kabul in Haqqani’s absence. A well-placed source confirmed that Hibatullah’s forces have systematically occupied key locations, previously under Haqqani’s command, in a calculated effort to weaken his rival’s influence. “Hibatullah’s forces have taken full control of Kabul International Airport and Bala Hissar, which were previously under the Haqqani Network’s jurisdiction,” the source said. “They are expanding their presence across the city, though their precise objectives remain undisclosed. What is evident, however, is that Hibatullah has systematically confiscated all U.S.-supplied weaponry, leaving Taliban fighters armed only with Kalashnikovs.”
Meanwhile, Sirajuddin Haqqani remains in Saudi Arabia, following his stay in the UAE, with no confirmed date for his return to Afghanistan. Political analysts warn that the Taliban’s deepening internal divisions, coupled with the non-payment of government salaries and increased restrictions on the currency market, are stoking widespread public unrest. Uncertainty looms over Kabul as tensions within the Taliban leadership continue to escalate, raising concerns about potential instability in the Afghanistan’s capital.
