A senior Afghan Taliban official, Saeedullah Saeed, has issued a stern warning to the group’s fighters against carrying out terrorist activities outside of Afghanistan.

Saeed, who also serves as an instructor at the Kabul Police Headquarters, delivered the warning during a police officers’ passing-out ceremony yesterday. He emphasized that engaging in warfare in other countries without the explicit order of the Emir is impermissible. He denounced those joining various groups to wage jihad abroad as not being genuine mujahideen.

“It is wrong to call those who attack from one place to another mujahideen,” Saeed stated. “Only the Emir has the authority to declare or permit jihad; no group or individual does.” He further stressed that fighting without the command of the state leadership constitutes disobedience to religious law.

This warning follows a fatwa issued in August 2023 by the Taliban’s supreme leader, Hibatullah Akhundzada, declaring that attacks carried out by the Taliban outside Afghanistan would not be considered jihad but rather war.

The Taliban’s stance appears to be a part their efforts to control and regulate the actions of affiliated groups and individuals, aiming to avoid international repercussions and maintain a degree of order within their own ranks.