Afghanistan International: The United Front of Afghanistan said it targeted and killed a Taliban intelligence officer in Kandahar’s fifth police district, alleging that he was involved in the detention, torture and killing of numerous former security personnel. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Resistance News
Amu: Afghan taekwondo athletes Omid Sahak and Hekmatullah Zain were eliminated from the 2026 World Taekwondo President’s Cup Asia after advancing through earlier rounds of the competition in Lahore, Pakistan. The World Taekwondo President’s Cup Asia was held from Aug. 18-20 at the Nishtar Park Sports Complex in Lahore. Click here to read more (external link).
Aisha Wahab
Khaama: Aisha Wahab has won a special election for California’s 14th Congressional District, becoming the first person of Afghan descent elected to the US Congress, according to Decision Desk HQ. Wahab, a progressive Democrat and California state senator, defeated Melissa Hernandez in Tuesday’s election to fill the seat vacated by former Democratic Rep. Eric Swalwell, who resigned in April following allegations of sexual misconduct. Swalwell has denied the allegations. The victory marks another historic milestone for Wahab. She previously became the first Muslim and first Afghan American elected to the California state Senate. Born in New York to Afghan immigrant parents, the 39-year-old has emerged as a prominent progressive voice in California politics. Click here to read more (external link).
Afghanistan International: The Afghanistan Freedom Front confirmed that it targeted the Taliban governor’s office and a nearby security post in Faizabad, Badakhshan, with rockets on Wednesday night, claiming four Taliban members were killed and five wounded. In a statement on Thursday, the group said its fighters engaged Taliban forces after the rocket attack. Click here to read more (external link).
Fateh
8am: Mawlawi Mahdi Mujahid was a devoted foot soldier of the Taliban. He was also non-Pashtun and an outsider within the group’s regime. Unlike many others, he was not an unquestioning follower of the Taliban Supreme Leader’s decisions, and in some instances he acted as a rights-seeker, making decisions regarding the territory under his authority that diverged somewhat from Kandahar’s will. In the end, he was ruthlessly suppressed and disappeared. The story of Juma Khan Fateh is much the same as that of Mahdi Mujahid, with the difference that the former has not yet been eliminated, at least so far, though his throne and crown have fallen. From these two similar, yet newsworthy and controversial stories, cautionary lessons can be drawn. Click here to read more (external link).
Badakhshi
Khaama: Abdul Azim Badakhshi spoke about his professional career, personal life and the challenges he faced in India, including his detention over immigration-related issues. He also discussed the support he received from his fiancée, Krishna Shroff, during a difficult period. Badakhshi shared these details in an interview with BBC Persian. Click here to read more (external link).
Other Sports News
Ariana: More than 1,000 Afghans who were evacuated to a U.S. military facility in Qatar following the Islamic Emirate’s return to power in 2021 remain in limbo, with no clear path to the United States, NPR reports. The Afghans have been staying at Camp As Sayliyah after being airlifted out of Afghanistan during the final days of the U.S. war. Some have been there for more than a year while waiting for a decision on their future. The U.S. State Department told NPR that negotiations are continuing over where the Afghans could be resettled. Click here to read more (external link).
Related
Amu: A resident of Herat told Amu TV that Taliban authorities demanded money and two guarantors for the release of her daughter who was detained in the city of Herat. He said that some women and girls remained in custody for days because their families could not meet the conditions. The father said his daughter told him she had not been physically beaten but that the detained women had been subjected to intimidation. “Some families who could not provide the money had their daughters kept in detention for several days,” he said. Click here to read more (external link).