Directorate 08: Alleged Unit Targeting Opponents Inside Afghanistan and Beyond.
Reports suggest that the Taliban have established a secret unit within their intelligence apparatus called “Directorate 08”, tasked with identifying and targeting opponents of the Taliban both inside Afghanistan and in neighboring countries.
This development signals an expansion of Taliban security operations beyond Afghan borders and has raised regional security concerns.
According to sources, Directorate 08 operates covertly and is reportedly directly linked to Taliban officials in Kandahar.
The unit allegedly coordinates with intelligence networks to track political opponents, former military personnel, and critics of the Taliban both inside and outside the country. The Taliban have not officially confirmed the existence of this unit.
Several targeted assassinations in neighboring countries, including in Mashhad and Tehran, Iran, have been cited as potential examples of operations linked to Directorate 08.
These events have prompted warnings from human rights organizations and Afghan political activists, who caution that continued extraterritorial operations could seriously threaten regional stability and security.
