Badakhshan governor claims Taliban has ties with foreign fighters

KABUL (TOLO News): Badakhshan governor Zakaria Sawda on Friday claimed that Taliban have joined foreign fighters in recent clashes against the government forces in parts of the northeastern province.

He also claimed that the leadership of the conflicts in Badakhshan is owned by foreign fighters and that Uighur, Chechens, Uzbek and Tajik nationals have been identified in recent clashes which often occur in Yumgan, Wardooj and Baharak districts.

“They are motivating the Taliban for their fight,” the governor said. “We have witnessed their bodies on the battlefield.”

Based on the US-Taliban agreement signed in February, Taliban should cut their ties with other terrorist groups fighting in Afghanistan, particularly with al-Qaeda.

“Chechens are there, Uighurs are there, Uzbeks are there, Tajiks are there. They have had further intensified clashes against the security forces which resulted in the fall of Yumgan (district) to their hand,” said Ahmad Jawed Mujaddedi, member of Badakhshan Provincial Council.

The Presidential Palace said the Taliban’s relations with foreign fighters in Afghanistan is questioning.

“Various questions are rising in this respect. The Afghan government is expecting the Taliban to quit violence,” said Latif Mahmoud, a presidential spokesman. “Their (Taliban’) relation with Paksitan and other groups is still questionable.”

Taliban has not commented on this report.