Taliban leader warns against danger of infiltrators

The supreme leader of the Taliban, Haibatullah Akhunzada, has warned the group that there may be unknown entities among their ranks who are working against the will of the government.

The reclusive leader issued a rare written public statement asking Taliban commanders to purge their ranks.

“All those elders of their groups must look inside their ranks and see if there are any unknown entity working against the will of the government, which must be eradicated as soon as possible.

“Whatever wrong happens, the elder will be responsible for the consequences of the actions in this world and in the afterlife,” he warned.

The Taliban’s supreme leader has not been seen in public since the group seized power nearly three months ago, capturing the Afghan capital of Kabul on August 15 and declaring an Islamic emirate as US forces withdrew following a decades-long occupation.

Yaqoob, the son of Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar said, “Any rogue elements among the ranks would be dealt with.”

In recent months, the Taliban has expanded its recruitment as it seeks to fulfil a pledge to maintain security in the country. But the group has faced a series of deadly attacks from rivals, including the Islamic State in Khorasan Province, ISKP (ISIS-K) armed group, an ISIL-affiliate.

The Taliban also declared a nationwide amnesty and promised to allow private media companies to continue to operate freely and independently.

However, there have been continued reports of Taliban fighters forcing hundreds of families out of their homes in the central province of Daikondi.

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Kamila/Al-Jazeera