Five years on, how will Taliban deal with armed opposition?

Saturday marks five years since the Taliban returned to power in Afghanistan, and armed opposition to the movement is no longer confined to a single front or leadership.Since the fall of the previous government in August 2021, several groups operating under different names and banners have emerged, claiming responsibility for attacks on government forces in a number of provinces. Their presence online has also increased noticeably in recent months.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4Is the Taliban-Russia MoU good for Afghanistan?list 2 of 4Over 370 Afghans killed in Pakistan conflict in first 3 months of 2026: UNlist 3 of 4‘War crime’: Afghan-Pakistan truce under strain after university strikelist 4 of 4Australian ex-soldier Roberts-Smith granted bail in Afghan war crimes caseend of listA key question has emerged: Does the growing number of fronts represent a genuine expansion of armed opposition, or does it reflect fragmentation and divisions among its leaders?Zabihullah Mujahid, second from bottom left, joins others attending the Taliban’s guidance commission, in Kabul, Afghanistan, August 23, 2021 [Marus Yam/LA Times]Renewed fightingThe issue has taken on particular si...