Former Afghan parliamentarian Fawzia Koofi has condemned the detention of civilians, including children, in Yaftal district of Badakhshan province, describing the arrests as evidence of the Taliban’s continuing policy of repression.
In a post on X on Friday, Koofi shared a video that she said showed Taliban forces detaining local residents after the district briefly fell out of Taliban control. She wrote that “the more the Taliban suppress the people, the stronger their desire and determination for freedom will become.”
Koofi argued that detaining ordinary civilians and using them as leverage is a strategy that has failed in the past and will not prevent growing public dissatisfaction.
Earlier, the Taliban released a video claiming that a number of individuals involved in Friday morning’s attack on Yaftal district had been arrested. Children can be seen among those in custody in the footage, but Taliban authorities did not provide details about the identities, ages or alleged roles of those detained.
The Taliban’s claims, as well as the identities and involvement of those shown in the video, have not been independently verified.
Meanwhile, Zahir Aghbar, Afghanistan’s ambassador to Tajikistan, also commented on the developments, praising what he described as local resistance against the Taliban and calling the events in Yaftal the beginning of a new phase for Badakhshan and Afghanistan.
The developments come amid heightened tensions in Badakhshan following recent clashes between Taliban forces and the newly formed Homeland Soldiers Front.
