Deputy to Juma Khan Fateh Dies in Mysterious Incident.
Local sources report that Abdul Basir, deputy to dissident Taliban commander Juma Khan Fateh, was killed on Wednesday, July 1, 2026, on the Jowzjan–Balkh highway in what authorities described as a traffic accident. Four of his companions were reportedly injured.
Sources close to Fateh allege the incident was a planned assassination and accuse Mawlawi Ghulamullah, a Taliban commander, of involvement. The claims remain unverified, and no independent source has confirmed them. The incident comes as senior Taliban officials visit Badakhshan amid growing tensions with Fateh, who has accused the Taliban leadership of ethnic discrimination and exploiting the province’s mineral resources.
