Abdul Hamid Khorasani

Abdul Hamid Khorasani
Native name
عبدالحمید خراسانی
Born
Anaba District, Panjshir, Afghanistan
Allegiance Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (Taliban)
RankCommander
ConflictsRepublican insurgency in Afghanistan
2023 Afghanistan–Iran clash
Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes 2026 Afghanistan–Pakistan conflict

Abdul Hamid Khorasani (Persian: عبدالحمید خراسانی) is an Afghan Taliban military general. He was initially associated with the Panjshir resistance to the Taliban but defected in 2021 and killed several National Resistance Front (NRF) figures in the republican insurgency in Afghanistan.

Khorasani is known for his fierce rhetoric against perceived opponents of the Taliban, including Iran, Pakistan and Tajikistan.

Life

Born in Anaba District, Khurasani was raised in Khair Khāna neighborhood in Kabul.[1]

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan

Khurasani began his career by becoming a police officer and later he was fired from the position.[1] He then led the Nahzat-e-Islami Muqawomat movement. Ministry of Interior Affairs put him on the wanted list for murder, extortion, hostage-taking, and drug smuggling, an accusation that he denied. On 9 January 2019, the police tried to arrest him by laying siege to his house but the attempt failed.[2] Afghan security forces arrested Khurasani on 25 June 2019 in Kabul for attempting violence attack in a demonstration.[3] During imprisonment, he established a contact with Haqqani network.[1] Shortly after, he was released and expressed regret for his action.[4] Afterward, he posted a video on YouTube and Twitter, saying:

I would die but not surrender to the Taliban's. Panjshir is my home and every Talib that steps here will die.[5]

Taliban rule

In 2021, Khurasani joined the Taliban and was appointed as the security chief for Panjshir Province. He survived the NRF assassination attempt on 29 January 2022. Afterward, he released a video that threatened NRF if they still carried out attacks. In February 2022, he led the Taliban operation against NRF by searching and occupying caves and mountaintops in Panjshir Valley.[6] However, the Taliban fired Khorosani as security chief for Panjshir Province in March 2022 after releasing video that urged Hibatullah Akhundzada to dismiss Maulvi Qadratullah as Panjshir governor. He was replaced by Atiqullah Sediqi.[7][4] He later worked at the Taliban's intelligence department in Kabul.[8]

During this time, he was also a controversial figure who uttered harsh words on social networks by publishing audio and video. For example, he said in a leaked audio tape last year that the Taliban arrested three of his people on the charge of wearing a pakul hat that is mostly a symbol of Tajiks. Afghan media also announced last year that the Taliban arrested his brother and four bodyguards on charges of arms smuggling.[9]

In March 2023, he was appointed as the chief of Ahmad Aba District.[10] After the 2023 Afghanistan–Iran clash, he warned Iran on Twitter and threatened to capture Tehran.[9] In June, he fell to coma due to an accident.[11]

In March 2024, during the Afghanistan–Pakistan border skirmishes, Khurasani warned that Pakistan 'shall be eradicated from the face of the planet' if ordered by Hibatullah Akhundzada.[12]

Khurasani released an audiotape to Fasihuddin Fitrat calling for the trial and punishment of the Taliban members who were responsible for killing demonstrators during the 2024 Badakhshan protest and threatening to leave the group if justice was not delivered. He also criticized Taliban national linguistic policies.[13]

Khurasani was arrested on 29 August 2024 on the order of Hasan Akhund due to "negligence and reckless speech."[14] He was released on 9 September after being detained for 11 days.[15]

Personal life

In May 2024, Khurasani got married for the fourth time. However, some of the Taliban members criticized him for having an extravagant wedding ceremony.[16]

References

  1. ^ a b c Fabrizio Foschini (September 2024). RULING UNCHARTED TERRITORY:Islamic Emirate governance in northeastern Afghanistan (PDF) (Report). p. 33.
  2. ^ Hamid, Tamim (9 January 2019). "Five Arrested In Crackdown On Criminals". Tolonews. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  3. ^ "Notorious crime kingpin Abdul Hamid alias Khurasani arrested in Kabul city". Khaama Press. 25 June 2019. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  4. ^ a b Wafai, Mukhtar (19 March 2022). "فرمانده جنجالی طالبان در پنجشیر از مقامش برکنار شد". The Independent (in Persian). Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  5. ^ "Khorasani, Abdul Hamid Khurasani". Who is who in Afghanistan. Afghan-Bios. 2024-09-23.
  6. ^ Mills, Peter (2 March 2022). "AFGHANISTAN IN REVIEW: TALIBAN AND OPPOSITION GROUPS PREPARE FOR A NEW SPRING FIGHTING SEASON IN AFGHANISTAN". Institute for the Study of War. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  7. ^ Tolonews, TV Network (20 March 2022). "Khurasani Dismissed as Panjshir Security Chief: Local Officials". Tolonews. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  8. ^ Wafai, Mukhtar (18 November 2022). "حمید خراسانی به ایندیپندنت فارسی: برادرم به جرم تاجیک بودن در زندان طالبان است". The Independent (in Persian). Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  9. ^ a b "عبدالحمید خراسانی، مقام طالبان که ایران را تهدید کرد کیست؟" (in Persian). Fararu. Retrieved 21 March 2023.
  10. ^ Hasrat, Ahmad Sohaib (15 March 2023). "Khurasani named as Ahmadaba district chief in Paktia". Pajhwok. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  11. ^ Sabrin News (16 June 2023). "فرمانده طالبان که ایران را تهدید کرده بود به کما رفت" (in Persian). Shargh Daily. Retrieved 17 December 2023.
  12. ^ Sunita Iyer. "'Pakistan shall be eradicated from face of planet': Tajik Taliban commander's chilling warning (WATCH)". Asianet News Network Pvt Ltd. Retrieved 2024-03-21.
  13. ^ "خراسانی،‌ چهره جنجالی طالبان" (in Persian). 7sobh. 13 May 2024. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
  14. ^ "رسانه‌های افغانستان: حکومت طالبان «حمید خراسانی» را خلع سلاح و بازداشت کرد" (in Persian). Al Arabiya. 29 August 2024. Retrieved 29 August 2024.
  15. ^ "طالبان عبدالحمید خراسانی را پس از ۱۱ روز آزاد کرد" (in Persian). Shafaqna. 10 October 2024. Retrieved 23 September 2024.
  16. ^ "کاروان ماشین‌های گران با پلاک «خراسانی»؛ چهارمین عروسی فرمانده حامی طالبان جنجالی شد" (in Persian). BBC News. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
allikas: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Hamid_Khorasani