Mohammad Omar Mukhlis, a former Taliban commander in Paktia province, admitted during his farewell gathering that the group had intended to kill journalists, though most of them managed to leave the country.
Sources on Monday, September 8, 2025, sending a video recording, said that this Taliban commander, who is considered a member of the Haqqani network, was appointed as the head of the Third Security District in Kabul city following his dismissal by Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban Supreme Leader.
Speaking at his farewell gathering in Paktia, the Taliban commander said, “We would have killed all the journalists. They were not journalists; they were traitors. We would have killed them and pursued them, but they survived, escaped, and reached their masters.”
This comes as the Taliban have repeatedly arrested and imprisoned journalists who operated even under the group’s own policies.
At the same time, sources say that the dismissal of this Taliban commander has caused severe tensions between Hibatullah Akhundzada and Sirajuddin Haqqani.
According to sources, the commander initially refused Hibatullah’s order for his dismissal, but with Sirajuddin Haqqani’s mediation and the promise of a higher-ranking post, he ultimately agreed to the Taliban Supreme Leader’s decision.
It is worth noting that, despite declaring a general amnesty, the Taliban have killed, tortured, or imprisoned hundreds of former regime employees and, in addition, have tortured, arrested, and threatened dozens of journalists.
You can read the Persian version of this news here:
اعتراف فرمانده پیشین طالبان در پکتیا: خبرنگاران را میکشتیم، اما فرار کردند
