The Taliban toppled the Western-backed Afghan government and seized power one year ago. Since then, the militant group has solidified its grip on power and crushed domestic opposition to its harsh rule. Experts say the biggest threat to the Taliban comes from within as internal divisions intensify.
An observation post being built on the Afghan-Tajik border by the "Tajik Taliban" is seen as an act of intimidation from Kabul and has irritated Tajikistan, which has not recognized the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan.
On May 7, the Islamic State-Khorasan (IS-K) group fired rockets from Afghanistan into Tajikistan. The Taliban says it controls northern Afghanistan, but IS-K is not the only armed group battling the Taliban in this area. Not far from the Tajik border, the National Resistance Front under the command of ethnic Tajik Ahmad Masud is also fighting to wrest control of areas from the Taliban. What is happening south of the Tajik border and what connection does Tajikistan have to this latest violence?
Residents of Afghanistan's Panjshir Province have told RFE/RL's Radio Azadi that the arrival of Taliban fighters to counter growing unrest and fighting by resistance forces has led to hardships for civilians, including killings, torture, and beatings.