Balkhab uprising
Part of the Republican insurgency during the Afghanistan conflict (1978–present)
Date23 June 2022 – 17 August 2022
Location
Balkhab district, Sar-e Pol Province, Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
Result

Taliban victory

  • Mehdi Mujahid killed[1]
  • War crimes against the local civilians by Taliban[2]
Belligerents

Afghanistan

Islamic State ISKP[4]		 Mehdi Mujahid's forces
Liwa Fatemiyoun veterans[5]
Supported by:
Afghanistan NRF[6]
HWIMA[7]
Hezbe Wahdat[8]
Commanders and leaders
Qari Fasihuddin[9] Mehdi Mujahid †
Strength
12,000[10] 200[11]
Casualties and losses
Civilian casualties:
Thousands of families displaced[12]

The Balkhab uprising was a Hazara rebellion in Balkhab district, Sar-e Pol Province, Afghanistan against the Taliban. It was led by Mehdi Mujahid, and it began on 23 June 2022 after Mehdi Mujahid's forces captured Balkhab district.

Initially, the Taliban did not take Mehdi Mujahid seriously when he declared war against them. After he gathered his own fighters and quickly took control of his native Balkhab district, the Taliban deployed troops and widely outnumbered Mehdi and his militants.[13]

Background

Tensions between the Taliban and Mehdi Mujahid, their only Hazara Shia commander, began following the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan when their leadership tried to gain greater control over coal mining in Balkhab.[14]

The Taliban's limit was when he began publicly criticizing them for their treatment of Hazaras and other Shia Muslims, and the closure of girls schools. This led to the Taliban removing him as their head of intelligence in Bamyan province.[15][16]

War

After being expelled as the head of intelligence, Mehdi Mujahid left the Taliban and then declared war on them. Mehdi Mujahid quickly captured Balkhab district, removed the Taliban district governor and replaced him with a Shia Hazara from within his forces. After capturing Balkhab, Mehdi Mujahid said that no one could take the district from the Hazaras by force. The Taliban initially gathered an estimated 500 fighters and planned to capture Mehdi from two directions, one coming from Dara-i Sufi Bala District in Samangan Province and one coming from Yakawlang District in Bamyan Province.[17] The Taliban had also asked its members from the ethnic Uzbek community in Jowzjan and Faryab provinces led by Qari Salahuddin Ayubi to provide at least 200 fighters to help capture Mehdi, but they refused.[18]

As of 13 June 2022, the entire Balkhab District was controlled by Mehdi Mujahid's forces.[19]

Many people including ordinary civilians, IRA Armed Forces veterans, and Liwa Fatemiyoun fighters joined under Mehdi's command.[20]

Sources states ISIS-K was being used in Balkhab, they were deployed in Kotal Regi of the Balkhab district and carried out an attack from the district.[21]

On 23 June 2022, the Taliban attempted to take Balkhab, although they failed to even enter it due to the heavy resistance. In an official Tweet, Sebghat Ahmadi, an NRF spokesman, said that "today at 7 am, the Taliban tried attacking the brave and justice-seeking people of Balkhab from the Qom Kotal Sancharak route". According to locals, the Taliban sent troops to Balkhab from various directions to capture Mehdi Mujahid and defeat his forces. Mehdi Mujahid stated that his forces repelled two attacks by the Taliban on 23 June and one attack on the morning of 24 June and that they had killed a significant amount of Taliban fighters. Muhammad Mohaqiq, a Hazara politician, supported Mehdi and warned the Taliban that an attack on Mehdi Mujahid "would mean a war with the Hazaras".[6][22]

The two sides engaged in battles in the Dezdan Valley, Dozdan Dara, Qom Kotal and Ab-e Kalan areas, and dozens of deaths and injuries were reported, with the Taliban having more losses.[23] A source close to Mehdi Mujahid claimed that Taliban forces had withdrawn from several fronts after being overpowered by Mehdi's forces.[22]

On 25 June, the Taliban launched an airstrike at the home of Mehdi Mujahid, although neither he nor his family was injured or killed.[23]

On 3 July, the Taliban executed nine of Mehdi Mujahid's fighters who had surrendered.[24] The Taliban fighters also committed atrocities against the civilians in Balkhab.[25][11][26] On 6 July, the Taliban deployed almost 8,000 fighters and surrounded all of Balkhab district and banned anyone from leaving or entering. The Taliban also cut off all internet in Balkhab. Mehdi Mujahid urged his fighters to not lose hope and to fight hard against the Taliban.[27][28]

Karim Khalili, another Hazara politician and leader of Hezbe Wahdat, criticized the Taliban for their treatment of the Balkhab civilians. He wrote that "In this war, there are clear signs of crimes against humanity; Civilians have been directly and intentionally attacked, people's houses and properties have been looted. In addition, the communication and networks of the region have been cut off and the transportation routes to provide food for the people have been cut off completely."[8]

Sometime around early July, the Taliban captured Golwarz village near Bakhlab as part of their campaign against the rebels. Several war crimes were reportedly committed by the Taliban against the mostly Hazara population throughout the campaign, causing refugees to flee to the neighboring provinces.[12]

The conflict ended with a Taliban victory and the death of Mehdi Mujahid.[29]

War crimes and human rights abuses

In the rural areas around Balkhab district, the Taliban committed a series of war crimes against the Shia Hazara population during the conflict. On 29 June 2022, the Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission (AIHRC) stated that the Taliban had executed civilians and prisoners of war, set fire to civilians' homes, displaced civilians, and bombed civilian infrastructure. AIHRC classified the Taliban's actions as constituting war crimes.[30] As of 1 July, 23 civilians killed by the Taliban had been identified, and 29 remained unidentified, according to Rukhshana Media.[31] On 2 July, Hasht-e Subh estimated that 150 civilians had been killed by the Taliban and that some had been tortured.[32] An estimated 27,000 locals were also displaced.[33] Ayatollah Sistani sent about 1,000 packages of food and other basic needs to the displaced Hazaras, and the Baba Mazari Foundation sent about 80 packages.[34]

References

  1. ↑ "طالبان: مولوی مهدی هنگام خروج از افغانستان کشته شد". www.aa.com.tr.
  2. ↑ "Taliban Fighters Execute 150 Civilians in Balkhab - Hasht-e Subh Daily". Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  3. 1 2 "Local Sources: Seven offensive Attacks of Taliban on Balkhab District Repelled - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af.
  4. ↑ "Local Sources: Taliban Utilizes ISKP Fighters in Balkhab, Sar-e Pol Province - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af.
  5. ↑ "شورش مهدی بلخابی؛ نبرد علیه طالب به رهبری طالب". ایندیپندنت فارسی. 19 August 2022.
  6. 1 2 "گزارش‌ها از آغاز درگیری میان طالبان و نیروهای مولوی مهدی در بلخاب". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 23 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  7. ↑ "گزارش‌ها از آغاز درگیری میان طالبان و نیروهای مولوی مهدی در بلخاب". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 23 June 2022. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  8. 1 2 "کریم خلیلی: طالبان در ولسوالی بلخاب جنایت علیه بشریت را مرتکب شدند". روزنامه صبح کابل. 28 June 2022. Retrieved 16 September 2022.
  9. ↑ Azadi, RFE/RL's Radio. "Taliban Atrocities Reported In Crackdown On Rebel Hazara Commander". RadioFreeEurope/RadioLiberty. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  10. ↑ "Mawlawi Mehdi Coherences His Forces in Balkhab to Fight Against Taliban". 6 July 2022.
  11. 1 2 "وضعیت ولسوالی بلخاب ولایت سرپل چگونه است؟". amp.dw.com.
  12. 1 2 Subh, Hasht-e (11 July 2022). "Defeated and Encircled, the Hazara Community in Balkhab Scrambling to Escape Atrocity Crimes Committed by Vengeful Taliban". Hasht-e Subh Daily. Archived from the original on 11 July 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2022.
  13. ↑ Sarwary, Bilal [@bsarwary] (12 June 2022). "#AFG Mawlawi Mehdi Mujahid , an influential Hazara member of the Taliban, has broken away with the Taliban after he was fired as head of intelligence of Bamyan. He says 10 million Hazaras are sidelined and disenfranchised from political space by Taliban. Balkhab, Saripul. https://t.co/3pHGaAdhx6" (Tweet). Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 28 September 2022 – via Twitter.
  14. ↑ "Thousands flee feuding Taliban in Afghanistan's north". France 24. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  15. ↑ "Taliban to Clear Its Ranks From Non-Pashtun Commanders - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af. Retrieved 27 July 2022.
  16. ↑ Goldbaum, Christina; Rahim, Najim; Hayeri, Kiana (18 August 2022). "The Bloody Uprising Against the Taliban Led by One of Their Own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 21 August 2022.
  17. ↑ "Taliban Deploys Troops to Arrest Mawlawi Mehdi - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af.
  18. ↑ "Taliban Deploys Troops to Arrest Mawlawi Mehdi – Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af.
  19. ↑ "تنش در سرپل؛ طالبان به ولسوالی بلخاب «نیروی نظامی» اعزام می‌کند". BBC News فارسی (in Persian). 13 June 2022. Retrieved 16 June 2022.
  20. ↑ "شورش مهدی بلخابی؛ نبرد علیه طالب به رهبری طالب". ایندیپندنت فارسی (in Persian). 19 August 2022. Retrieved 21 October 2023.
  21. ↑ Daily, 8am (20 June 2022). "Local Sources: Taliban Utilizes ISKP Fighters in Balkhab, Sar-e Pol Province". Hasht-e Subh Daily. Retrieved 27 August 2023.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  22. 1 2 "Fierce Fighting Rages Between Taliban and Local Forces Led by Mawlawi Mehdi in Balkhab". Hasht-e Subh Daily. 23 June 2022. Archived from the original on 23 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  23. 1 2 "Taliban Carry Out Airstrikes on Mawlawi Mehdi's House As Offensives on Indigenous Forces Resume in Balkhab - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  24. ↑ "Taliban Shot Dead Surrendered Individuals in Balkhab District, Sar-e Pol Province - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af. Archived from the original on 21 September 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  25. ↑ "آوارگان جنگ بلخاب در بامیان؛ کاربران شبکه‌های اجتماعی کارزار جمع‌آوری کمک راه‌اندازی کردند". افغانستان اینترنشنال.
  26. ↑ "یوناما: گزارش‌های نقض جدی حقوق بشر توسط نیروهای طالبان در بلخاب را پیگیری می‌کنیم". BBC News فارسی. 29 June 2022.
  27. ↑ "Mawlawi Mehdi Coherences His Forces in Balkhab to Fight Against Taliban - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  28. ↑ "Taliban Closes Access Routes to Balkhab District, Sar-e Pol - Hasht-e Subh Daily". 8am.af. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
  29. ↑ "طالبان: مولوی مهدی هنگام خروج از افغانستان کشته شد". www.aa.com.tr. Retrieved 17 August 2022.
  30. ↑ "The AIHRC's statement, regarding international humanitarian rights' violations by the Taliban in Balkhab District, Sar-e-Pol Province". Afghan Independent Human Rights Commission. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 29 June 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  31. ↑ "After taking control of Balkhab, Taliban summarily executed civilians, residents say". Rukhshana Media. 1 July 2022. Archived from the original on 7 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.
  32. ↑ "Taliban Fighters Execute 150 Civilians in Balkhab". Hasht-e Subh Daily. Archived from the original on 13 July 2022. Retrieved 6 July 2022.
  33. ↑ "Thousands flee feuding Taliban in Afghanistan's north". France 24. 22 July 2022.
  34. ↑ Mudabber, Mahdi. "جنگ بلخاب؛ دفتر آیت الله سیستانی و بنیاد بابه مزاری به آوارگان کمک ارسال کردند/ گزارش شفقنا | خبرگزاری شیعیان افغانستان | Afghanistan - Shia News Agency". af.shafaqna.com (in Dari). Retrieved 23 December 2022.
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