Key Points
- A magnetic device reportedly attached to his vehicle caused the explosion.
- The National Resistance Front claimed responsibility for the attack.
- Taliban information chief Zabihullah Amiri was killed on July 28.
- Clashes have reportedly reached areas near Nusay district centre.
- Taliban and anti-Taliban forces are also clashing in Zebak.
- Growing factionalism is deepening Badakhshan’s security crisis.
FAIZABAD, Afghanistan — The mayor of Faizabad, capital of Afghanistan’s northern Badakhshan province, was killed Thursday when an explosive device attached to his vehicle detonated, adding to a growing wave of violence and internal conflict in the strategically important province.
Abdul Rahman Mansoor was killed when what local reports described as a magnetic “sticky bomb” attached to his car exploded. Another colleague travelling with him was wounded in the blast.
The National Resistance Front (NRF), an anti-Taliban armed group, has claimed responsibility for the attack.
At the world’s second-highest peak, K2, Pakistan’s 79th Independence Day is being celebrated amid sub-zero temperatures.
Pakistan Army soldiers chants “Allahu Akbar! Pakistan Zindabad! Pak Army Paindabad!” 🇵🇰🏔️#Pakistan #IndependenceDay #K2 #PakistanArmy #karakoram pic.twitter.com/7dfVtIIMxM
— Sajjad Tarakzai (@SajjadTarakzai) August 14, 2026
The killing comes as Badakhshan faces mounting security challenges on several fronts, including attacks by anti-Taliban groups, targeted killings of Taliban officials and an increasingly serious confrontation between rival Taliban factions.
The province has seen a series of attacks against Taliban officials since the group returned to power in 2021. On July 28, Zabihullah Amiri, the Taliban’s director of information and culture in Badakhshan, was shot dead while travelling towards Faizabad.
The killing of Amiri followed other major attacks in the province. In June 2023, Nisar Ahmad Ahmedi, the Taliban’s deputy governor of Badakhshan, was killed along with his driver in a vehicle bombing in Faizabad. The Islamic State’s regional affiliate claimed responsibility. A subsequent attack on a memorial ceremony also caused further casualties.
Taliban factional fighting intensifies
The latest violence comes against the backdrop of a growing dispute between the Taliban leadership and forces loyal to Juma Khan Fateh, a powerful commander with influence in Badakhshan’s Nusay district.
Fateh had been at odds with the Taliban leadership for months over his influence in the province, the deployment of his loyalists and disputes surrounding mining operations. Taliban leaders had previously attempted to resolve the confrontation through negotiations and sought to move Fateh to Kabul.
Those efforts have failed to prevent renewed fighting.
Clashes between Taliban forces and fighters loyal to Fateh have intensified in Nusay, with local sources reporting that fighting has moved closer to the district centre. Reports indicate that Fateh’s forces have seized several Taliban outposts in surrounding areas while the Taliban continues to hold the district centre.
The fighting has reportedly involved Taliban helicopters and drones, while communications have been disrupted in parts of the district. Casualty figures remain disputed, but reports citing Taliban sources have put the number of Taliban fighters killed at five and wounded at 16, with several others reportedly missing.
Wider unrest across Badakhshan
Nusay is not the only part of Badakhshan experiencing heightened violence.
The Afghanistan Freedom Front has also been engaged in clashes with Taliban forces in Zebak district. The group has claimed attacks on Taliban positions and reported inflicting casualties, while local reporting has described Taliban efforts to reinforce positions in the area.
Earlier this month, anti-Taliban forces also reported attacks on Taliban positions elsewhere in Badakhshan, adding to concerns that the province is becoming an increasingly active theatre for armed opposition.
The internal dispute involving Fateh has further complicated the security picture. Earlier reports said hundreds of fighters linked to him had moved into mountainous areas after tensions escalated with the Taliban over control of territory, armed forces and valuable mineral resources.
The developments have transformed Badakhshan into one of the most volatile areas facing the Taliban, with the authorities confronting threats from anti-Taliban armed groups while simultaneously trying to contain divisions within their own ranks.
The killing of Faizabad’s mayor therefore comes at a particularly sensitive moment, raising fresh questions over the Taliban’s ability to maintain security in a province where rival armed actors and internal factions are increasingly challenging its authority.
