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Infiltrators could be working against the Afghan government, according to Taliban supreme leader Haibatullah Akhundzada. Akhundzada, the Islamist movement’s spiritual leader since 2016, has remained a reclusive figure even after his party swept to power in Afghanistan in August.
Akhundzada called on Taliban commanders to purify their ranks in a rare written public declaration.
“All those senior members of their organisations must investigate within their ranks to determine whether there is any unknown entity working against the government’s wishes, which must be removed as quickly as possible,” Akhundzada said in a statement distributed by many Taliban accounts.
“Whatever goes wrong, the elder will be held accountable for the consequences of his or her conduct in this world and in the afterlife,” he added in the statement.
In August, the Taliban seized power in Afghanistan (finishing their military campaign by capturing the presidential tower in Kabul on August 15), just days before American soldiers were scheduled to leave the nation as part of a peace agreement.
The Taliban have issued a number of diktats since taking power, harkening back to their previous regime, when they controlled with an iron fist and suppressed any kind of opposition.
Former rivals, allied Islamist fighters, and young madrassa students were forced to join the Taliban government as it was founded.
Now that it is in power, the movement is being targeted by hardline groups like as the Islamic State of Khorasan (IS-K).
An attack on a military hospital in Kabul last week claimed the lives of 19 individuals, according to the terror group. There have also been occasions where Taliban militants have been implicated for killings, putting the group’s vow of restoring “stability and security” in the war-torn country to the test.
Taliban unit commanders should “try to focus on their manners and behaviour so that these mujahideen can work better for his master,” according to a statement from Akhundzada.
Akhundzada has a low profile and frequently sends spiritual messages to the group’s followers. There were rumours last month that he was killed in a Taliban clash between two factions. Akhundzada, on the other hand, made a public appearance in Kadahar a few days later.