“Islamic Council of Coherence of Resistance Against Taliban” Announced Its Existence

Mohammad Ismail Khan is an Afghan former politician who served as Minister of Energy and Water from 2005 to 2013 and before that served as the governor of Herat Province. He is also one of the leaders of Jamiat-e Islami of Afghanistan and the most influential jihadi commander in western Afghanistan since the Soviet–Afghan War era.

Mohammad Ismail Khan, after a long consultation with a group of jihadi commanders in different provinces of Afghanistan and former army commanders, established a new council under the title of “Islamic Council of Coherence of Resistance Against Taliban”. This council was formed on December 22 with the management and coordination of Mohammad Taha Sadiq, the son of Ismail Khan, in his house in Mashhad, the capital of Razavi Khorasan province.

Read more: Who is Mohammad Ismail Khan?

In the meeting announcing the existence of this council, Ismail Khan emphasized on the armed struggle against the Taliban and said: “We must unite the ranks of the armed struggle against the Taliban.” Therefore, according to the words of Ismail Khan, “Islamic Council of Coherence of Resistance Against Taliban” is not only a political group and also pursues military goals.

Ismail Khan accused Karim Khalili and Muhammad Mohaqiq, one of the political leaders of Afghanistan and elders of the Hazara tribe, of performing poorly against the Taliban and stated: “Why these leaders, in the current crisis situation, are not present among the Hazara community and Afghan Shiites living in Iran?”

He also invited all the leaders and personalities of the opposition to the Taliban to gather under one flag and fight armed with this group for the liberation of the western region of Afghanistan from the occupation of the Taliban.

It should be noted that after the fall of Herat to the Taliban, Ismail Khan came to the city of Mashhad and pursued his anti-Taliban activities from Iran. Since March, he has held meetings and consultations with other Afghan political figures to form a united front against the Taliban.

Read more:
Formation of a new Afghan opposition in Mashhad
Infographic: Anti-Taliban Groups in Afghanistan