Taliban field commander apologized to Tajikistan

One of the field commanders of the Taliban, Amanuddin Mansur, who claimed in a video a few days ago that he could attack Tajikistan, has apologized.

In his new video address, he claims that the previously published video was filmed a long time ago, but his “rivals” spread it now to spoil relations between neighboring countries.

Amanuddin Mansur noted in his statement that during negotiations in Qatar, the new authorities of Afghanistan committed to ensuring that nothing threatens neighboring countries from Afghan territory. “We are committed to this obligation,” he emphasized.

“We maintain very good neighborly relations with Tajikistan, we have not caused them any harm, and we will not cause any harm from our side,” he stated.

Mansur’s statement that the recently published video was “filmed a long time ago” raises doubts, as in the video he mentioned the war in Ukraine and Russia. It is known that the Taliban came to power in August 2021, while the war between Russia and Ukraine began in February 2022.

Earlier in this video, he stated that the only obstacle to capturing Tajikistan is the “presence of the Russians,” but confidently added that Russia is too bogged down in the Ukrainian war and this will not be a serious problem for them.

It is worth noting that Amanuddin Mansur, one of the well-known field commanders of the Taliban, is himself an ethnic Tajik and hails from the Badakhshan province in Afghanistan. Earlier, a video circulated online where he claimed he could easily capture Tajikistan. He asserted that his forces, located in the Takhar and Badakhshan provinces, are waiting for orders to invade Tajikistan.

This Tajik Taliban commander also stated: “If the Islamic Emirate gives permission, capturing Tajikistan is my goal.” He further added: “We can take Badakhshan of Tajikistan in one day.”

Additionally, in this video, one of the attendees can be heard saying: “Tajikistan has nothing. Just hit one – and they will all scatter.”

This is not the first time that Taliban representatives have threatened Tajikistan. Similar statements were previously made by Mawlavi Abdulhamid Khorasani, who later also apologized.

Moreover, ISIS-Khorasan militants based in Afghanistan have repeatedly threatened to attack Tajikistan.

Some analysts believe that the Taliban are still seeking to strengthen their power in the region and are using any opportunity to demonstrate strength and intimidate.