COMMON ANALYSIS
Last update: January 2023

2.3.1. National Resistance Front (NRF)

NRF was formed after the Taliban conquered Kabul in mid-August 2021. The group was reported to consist of former civilians, former ANDSF personnel, including many low-ranking ex-officers, and former opposition members who have in common that they all supported the previous Islamic Republic of Afghanistan and are strong opponents of the Taliban. Most of the group’s members are ethnic Tajiks [Security 2022, 2.2.1, pp. 45-47].

The NRF is led from headquarters located in Tajikistan. Based on its own account, NRF emerged in Panjshir Province and Andarab District of neighbouring Baghlan Province. Incidents related to NRF are mainly reported in Badakhshan, Baghlan, Balkh, Kapisa, Panjshir, Parwan, Takhar. [Security 2022, 2.2.1, pp. 45-47, see also Anti-Taliban resistance movements].

NRF has made attempts ‘to seize direct control of territory from the Taliban government’. A senior figure in NRF has stated that NRF was seeking to hold democratic elections and have the Afghan people decide on the country’s future. While sources mentioned that NRF was the primary or ‘most well-developed’ anti-Taliban resistance movement, there was a lack of clarity as to which groups were affiliated with it. It has no clear chain of command and its capabilities appeared to be limited  [Security 2022, 2.2.1, pp. 45-46].

It has been noted, at the end of April 2022, that NRF had shown that they were able to hold some rural areas, remote valleys and mountainous terrain in places like Baghlan, parts of Takhar, Panjshir, parts of Badakhshan  [Security 2022, 1.1, p. 23]. In the Panjshir Valley, residents were reported as saying that attacks on Taliban positions were a regular occurrence and that dozens of people had been killed as of June 2022  [Security 2022, 2.2.1, p. 47].

2.3.2. Other groups resisting the Taliban

Besides the NRF, a number of other anti-Taliban resistance groups and fighters operate in Afghanistan. While some groups declared allegiance with NRF other groups have not been associated with it [Security 2022, 1.1, p. 22].

Sources reported that, from February 2022 onwards, new anti-Taliban resistance groups had been formed in various parts of northern Afghanistan. Some of the groups announced their formation publicly. However, apart from claims published on social media, limited information was available on the numerical strength and operational capabilities of such groups. As of March 2022, none of these groups had demonstrated that they were capable of carrying out significant attacks [Security 2022, 2.2.2, p. 48].

The main groups are Afghanistan Islamic National and Liberation Movement, Afghanistan Freedom Front (AFF), The Turkestan Freedom Tigers, the National Resistance Council, the National Liberation Front of Afghanistan (NLFA), the Unknown Soldiers of Hazaristan, the allegedly Hazara-centred Freedom and Democracy Front and the Freedom Corps [Security 2022, 2.2.2, pp. 48-49].