Airstrike Targets Taliban Special Forces Base in Kandahar

Airstrike Targets Taliban Special Forces Base in Kandahar
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Local sources in Afghanistan reported that Pakistani fighter jets carried out an airstrike on a base belonging to a Taliban military unit in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, amid reports of powerful explosions heard across the area.

The strike reportedly targeted a unit known within the Taliban as the “Omari Battalion”, a special forces group estimated at around 7,000 personnel tasked with protecting Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban leader. The base is located approximately five kilometers north of Akhundzada’s residence.

Local residents said the explosions were heard throughout various parts of the city. Reports indicated that another Taliban site near Aino Mina in Kandahar’s 11th district was also targeted following the initial strike.

The Omari Battalion, described as one of the Taliban’s best-equipped and most heavily armed units, is led by Mullah Abdul Ahad, a close associate of the Taliban leader. Approximately 1,200 members of the unit are directly responsible for the leader’s personal security.

Sources noted that the unit’s role extends beyond protective duties, participating in special operations against ISIS-K within Afghanistan. The battalion has a presence in multiple provinces, including Kabul, Nangarhar, Paktia, Logar, Kunduz, Badakhshan, Panjshir, and Nimroz.

The base was previously part of the former Afghan government’s special forces, with equipment and weapons transferred to the Taliban unit after their return to power. Following the airstrike, Taliban forces in Kandahar were reportedly placed on high alert amid heightened tensions and uncertainty over the security situation in the region.