KABUL: Afghanistan is facing a renewed and increasingly diverse armed resistance to Taliban rule, with several non-jihadist groups carrying out attacks against Taliban officials and security installations and, in some cases, attempting to seize and hold territory.
The groups differ in their organisation and military capabilities, but most oppose the Taliban’s restrictions on women, strict interpretation of Islamic law, public corporal punishments and rejection of an elected political system, reports BBC.
Many of their leaders say they concluded that the Taliban “only understand the language of force” after years of failed political efforts.
Resistance Tests Taliban Control
The military capabilities of the anti-Taliban groups remain limited with most operating independently and relying on hit-and-run attacks, ambushes, rocket or missile strikes and attacks on specific targets.
However, the brief capture of a district headquarters in Badakhshan and the killing of the mayor of Faizabad have added to growing speculation that the armed opposition may be developing the confidence to challenge Taliban forces more directly.
The attacks have also encouraged hopes among some Afghans, including sections of the Pashtun community, that the Taliban may not be as powerful as they initially appeared.
Several analysts have warned that the Taliban’s hardline and uncompromising policies over the past five years could create conditions for armed resistance to gain momentum.
Most resistance leaders are relatively young, while former soldiers and security personnel make up a significant part of several groups.
National Resistance Front
The National Resistance Front (NRF) is regarded as the oldest of the major armed groups opposing the Taliban.
It emerged in August 2021 after the Taliban seized power, when Ahmad Massoud organised resistance in the Panjshir Valley.
His father, Ahmad Shah Massoud, was the legendary commander of the Northern Alliance, which fought the Taliban and had earlier fought Soviet forces during the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. He was assassinated in a bomb attack on September 9, 2001.
After the Taliban established full control over Panjshir in late 2022, the NRF shifted towards guerrilla warfare.
Its fighters are primarily active in Panjshir and neighbouring northern and central provinces, although the group has also claimed attacks in Kabul and elsewhere.
The NRF includes former members of Afghanistan’s security forces, including personnel associated with special operations units.
Afghanistan Freedom Front
The Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF) emerged in early 2022 under General Yasin Zia, a former Afghan army chief and former deputy head of the National Directorate of Security.
The group is largely made up of former security personnel and some political figures and is considered one of the more organised non-jihadist armed movements opposing the Taliban.
Initially focused on northern Afghanistan, the AFF has gradually expanded its operations.
Its tactics include ambushes, surprise attacks, assaults on checkpoints and administrative centres, and attacks using rockets and light weapons.
The group increased its activity in Badakhshan and neighbouring eastern provinces in early 2026. In mid-July, it attacked the district of Zebak near the Pakistani border, with clashes reportedly continuing for several days.
The AFF subsequently announced a “new phase” in its campaign and has since claimed responsibility for several attacks across Afghanistan.
The group describes its campaign as a national liberation struggle against Taliban rule, citing restrictions on women, ethnic discrimination and what it describes as extremist governance.
Homeland Guardians Front
The Homeland Guardians Front (HGF), sometimes referred to as the Homeland Soldiers Front (HSF), is a relatively new and little-known Taliban opposition group.
It emerged in Badakhshan in July 2026.
On July 16 and 17, the group briefly captured the headquarters of Yaftal district.
The episode was significant because it was the first reported instance since the Taliban returned to power of an armed opposition group capturing a district centre.
The group is reportedly led by Qayum Malang, a former Afghan special forces and army commando officer who had previously been associated with the NRF.
Little is publicly known about the HGF’s organisational structure, strength or political objectives.
The capture challenged the perception that the Taliban had established an unbreakable grip over Afghanistan and suggested that some opposition groups may be willing to move beyond hit-and-run attacks and attempt to hold territory.
Afghanistan United Front
The Afghanistan United Front (AUF) was founded in late 2023 by former Afghan general and special forces commander Sami Sadat while he was in the United States.
The group says it seeks the restoration of democracy, women’s rights and freedom of expression, as well as the removal of international militant groups from Afghanistan.
Sadat previously held senior positions in Afghanistan’s military and security institutions and has strong links to the United States.
Some observers believe the AUF may have received US support or at least approval before launching its first armed operations in August 2026, although no independently verifiable evidence has emerged to support that claim.
The group began its operations on July 29. On August 9, it released an infographic claiming responsibility for 13 attacks, most of them in the southern provinces of Kandahar and Helmand.
Sadat says the campaign targets Taliban fighters, military installations and senior leaders. He has also called on former security personnel and other Afghans to join the movement.
Green Trend Of Afghanistan
The Green Trend of Afghanistan, also known as the Afghanistan Green Trend (AGT), is led by former vice-president and former National Directorate of Security chief Amrullah Saleh.
Unlike many of the newer armed groups, the movement began as a political organisation rather than an armed force.
Founded in 2011, it became known for pro-democracy campaigns, anti-corruption initiatives and information activities.
After the Taliban returned to power, it developed into an opposition platform operating largely from exile.
Its armed wing, known as the Green Battalion, has claimed responsibility for several small-scale attacks in 2026.
The group’s political programme calls for democracy, constitutional rule, free elections, gender equality and girls’ education.
Freedom And Justice Movement
The Freedom and Justice Movement (FJM) was established in April 2026 under Hamid Saifi, a former Afghan army officer and senior NRF commander.
The group has claimed responsibility for operations in Parwan, Kapisa and Zabul.
At its launch, the group said Afghanistan’s future could only be secured through freedom, equality and respect for the dignity of all citizens regardless of gender, ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.
Afghanistan Republican Front
The Afghanistan Republican Front (ARF) emerged in late 2025 as an armed group seeking to restore Afghanistan’s former republican political system and constitution.
It advocates national unity, civil rights and democratic elections.
The relatively little-known group has claimed responsibility for more than a dozen attacks, most involving ambushes against Taliban positions in central Afghanistan.
Very little public information is available about its leadership, organisational structure or manpower, and its claims cannot be independently verified.
Can The Groups Work Together?
There is little clear evidence of sustained coordination between the various armed groups.
Their activities remain largely clandestine and guerrilla in nature, while their leaders generally operate independently.
Several groups have nevertheless called for greater cooperation and unity.
Ahmad Massoud recently said opposition groups were close to agreeing on a roadmap for Afghanistan’s future.
Sami Sadat told Military.com: “At this time our objective is one, and that is to liberate our people from Taliban oppression.”
Hamid Saifi told Afghanistan International that the clandestine nature of the current operations makes coordination difficult, but warned that cooperation would become essential if the groups moved towards conventional warfare.
Their broadly similar political objectives, opposition to Taliban rule and significant involvement of former military and security personnel could provide the basis for greater cooperation if the resistance expands.
Do They Pose A Serious Threat?
Many analysts believe the latest violence, particularly in Badakhshan, is testing the Taliban’s claim of uncontested control.
The Taliban’s rigid policies, restrictions on women, treatment of ethnic groups and deteriorating economic conditions are among the factors cited as contributing to growing opposition.
Former Afghan intelligence chief Ahmad Zia Saraj has nevertheless described the recent escalation as “the beginning of the end of the Taliban’s second government”.
Habib Rahman Hekmatyar, the son of former militant commander and Hizb-e-Islami leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, has also questioned how the Taliban could maintain power if large numbers of Afghans took up arms.
His comments have fuelled speculation that his father could eventually play a role in Afghanistan’s political or security landscape.
Taliban And Regional Response
Since returning to power in 2021, the Taliban have generally denied the existence of any significant armed resistance.
But the recent escalation, particularly in Badakhshan, has prompted a more visible response.
Several senior Taliban leaders have visited the province amid fears that instability could spread to other parts of the country.
Reports also suggest that the Taliban have tightened surveillance of former security personnel in several provinces, including Kandahar and Kunar, amid concerns that they could join opposition groups.
Other Armed Groups
Several smaller, little-known non-jihadist Afghan groups have also claimed armed operations against the Taliban. Their claims are difficult to independently verify, and little is known about their leadership, manpower or organisational structures.
These groups include the National Mobilisation Front (NMF), People’s Sovereignty Front (PSF), National Battle Front of Afghanistan and Islamic Council of Resistance Unity.
If active, their size and organisational capacity appear to be considerably smaller than those of the major resistance groups.
Is Wider Resistance Possible?
The increase in attacks since the spring of 2026 and the emergence of several new armed groups suggest that resistance could spread further.
The expansion of attacks into new provinces, particularly areas dominated by Uzbek and Hazara communities, could encourage local commanders to establish their own movements.
The central question is whether these groups can overcome their divisions and develop the organisational capacity needed to sustain a prolonged campaign and, eventually, seize and hold territory.
For now, the Taliban remain firmly in power. But the emergence of multiple armed fronts, particularly the recent challenge in Badakhshan, has exposed cracks in the image of total control that Kabul has sought to project.
