Media pages affiliated with the Taliban’s intelligence agency on Friday released a new audio recording that they attributed to Jumma Khan Fateh, a disgruntled Taliban commander in Badakhshan. The pages claimed that, in the recording, Fateh is speaking with an individual affiliated with the Afghanistan Freedom Front about receiving financial and military assistance.
Hijaz News, a propaganda outlet affiliated with the Taliban’s intelligence agency, published the recording under the headline, “Revealing Jumma Khan Fateh’s Contact with the Freedom Front.” The outlet claimed that the individual speaking with Fateh was a senior member of the Freedom Front.
According to Hijaz News, the individual promised Fateh financial and military assistance during the conversation. However, the Freedom Front rejected the claim, saying that the released conversation has no connection to the group.
A member of the Freedom Front’s leadership told media outlets that the voice of the person speaking with Fateh belongs to a Taliban intelligence operative. According to the source, the individual operated under the alias “Shaheen Asmai” and was tasked with identifying former security personnel and individuals associated with groups opposed to the Taliban.
The Freedom Front described the release of the recording as “fabricated” and part of the Taliban intelligence agency’s “psychological warfare” against its opponents. The group also alleged that the recording was produced to create an apparent link between Jumma Khan Fateh and the opposition group.
However, the authenticity of the audio recording and the identity of the person speaking with Fateh could not be independently verified. It also remains unclear when, where, and under what circumstances the conversation was recorded, and the claims made by either side could not be independently confirmed.
Writer:Salima Aryaei
