Mullah Habibullah Akhundzada, the elusive leader of the Taliban, has appointed Abdul Ahad Talib, the former governor of Helmand and the previous commander of the group’s suicide squad, as his “Special Forces Commander.”
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesperson, announced on Monday, October 30th, on his official page that Mullah Habibullah had also designated Abdul Rahman Kunduzi as the new governor of Helmand province.
Abdul Ahad Talib, who previously served as both the commander of the Taliban’s suicide squad and the governor of Helmand province, was introduced to Omar’s unit of the Taliban’s suicide squad by a delegation sent by Mullah Habibullah on June 4, 2022.
Talib’s history of involvement in the Panjshir conflict is well-documented. Additionally, Rahmatullah Nabil, the former director of Afghanistan’s National Security, revealed that Mullah Habibullah had assembled a 40,000-strong military force comprised of individuals loyal to him in Kandahar. Nabil pointed out Mullah Habibullah’s lack of military and combat experience, stating that the force was created due to escalating tensions and a lack of trust among the group’s leaders.
During the Taliban’s first year back in power, an estimated 60 billion Afghanis from the Ministry of Finance, controlled by the group, were used to finance this military force, according to Nabil.
