Severe internal divisions have surfaced within the Afghan Taliban government, with a leaked audio recording shedding light on growing tensions at the highest levels.
According to a report by foreign publication The Diplomat, Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada has himself acknowledged internal conspiracies and conflicts within the ruling structure.
In the leaked audio, Hibatullah Akhundzada warned that if internal disputes continue, the Islamic Emirate could face collapse. The recording indicates that the confrontation between the Kabul and Kandahar factions has now become openly visible, while claims of unity remain limited to rhetoric.
The report states that following the killing of Taliban minister Khalil Haqqani, tensions between the Haqqani network and the Kandahar leadership have intensified significantly. It further reveals that orders to shut down internet and mobile services were issued from Kandahar, but the Kabul leadership refused to comply.
Kabul’s decision to keep internet services operational is being viewed as an act of defiance against the supreme leader. According to the report, Sirajuddin Haqqani’s faction is considered relatively moderate and is believed to support girls’ education.
The report adds that Hibatullah Akhundzada is surrounded by hardline clerics, with power increasingly shifting to Kandahar, while Kabul’s authority continues to weaken in practical terms. Despite the Haqqani network’s influence across more than twenty provinces, control remains firmly in Kandahar’s hands.
Analysts warn that this internal power struggle within the Taliban could push Afghanistan toward renewed internal conflict and the risk of another civil war.
