KABUL: In a speech to members of Afghanistan’s security forces, the country’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, warned Taliban fighters against carrying out attacks abroad, emphasizing that such actions would not be considered “jihad” but rather acts of war. The message comes in the wake of recent claims by Pakistan that Afghans were involved in a series of suicide attacks on its soil.
The defense minister of Afghanistan, Mohammad Yaqoob Mujahid, broadcasted Akhundzada’s speech on state television on Saturday. In his address, the supreme leader clarified that engaging in armed conflicts outside Afghanistan would not be religiously sanctioned “jihad,” which has always been a sensitive and complex term in Islam.
“If anyone goes outside of Afghanistan for the goal of jihad, it won’t be called jihad,” Akhundzada stated, emphasizing his stance on maintaining peace and avoiding involvement in conflicts beyond Afghanistan’s borders. He added that should any mujahideen (fighters) defy the order to refrain from foreign battles, their actions would be considered acts of war, not religiously justified warfare.
Militants’ Sanctuaries in Afghanistan
The warning comes in response to Pakistan’s claims that militants behind a recent spate of suicide attacks in the country were receiving assistance from “Afghan citizens” across the border. While Pakistan’s Prime Minister, Shehbaz Sharif, did not directly accuse Afghanistan’s Taliban government of facilitating these attacks, he did assert that Pakistani militants were operating from “sanctuaries” within Afghanistan.
Since the Taliban regained power in Afghanistan two years ago, Pakistan has experienced a surge in militant attacks along its western border, perpetrated by both the Afghan Taliban’s ally, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), and rival extremist group Daesh.
The TTP, originally formed in 2007 by Pakistani militants who split from the Afghan Taliban, has since focused its violent campaign on Islamabad due to its perceived support of the US invasion of Afghanistan. This has resulted in numerous bombings and other attacks throughout Pakistan.
However, Afghanistan’s Taliban authorities have consistently denied allowing their territory to be used as a base for armed groups plotting against other nations. They maintain that their struggle is confined to their own country and does not involve launching attacks on foreign soil.
Akhundzada’s message aims to draw a clear distinction between the Taliban’s goals and those who seek to carry out violence beyond the borders of Afghanistan.
