Fidai Mahaz
{{Short description|Taliban splinter group}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
{{Infobox war faction
| name = Fidai Mahaz
| native_name = {{Script/Arabic|فدا محاذ}}
Sacrifice Front
| native_name_lang = ps
| war = the War in Afghanistan
| image = {{multiple image
| border = infobox
| total_width = 320
| image_gap = 20
| caption_align = center
|image1 = Flag of Jihad.svg{{!}}border
|caption1 = Jihadist flag, which was used by the group multiple times
|image2 = Logo of Fidai Mahaz.png
|caption2 = Logo of Fidai Mahaz
| perrow = 2
| align = center
}}
| logo = Logo of Fidai Mahaz.png
| leaders = Mullah Najibullah
| clans = Pashtuns & Others
| ideology = {{unbulletedlist|class=nowrap|
|Ideology of ISIS (alleged by the Taliban, denied){{cite web |last1=Qazi |first1=Shereena |title=Deadly Taliban infighting erupts in Afghanistan |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/9/deadly-taliban-infighting-erupts-in-afghanistan |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |date=7 November 2021}}
- Islamic nationalism
- Salafist Qutbism
- Jihadism
- Anti-Zionism
- Anti-Shi'ism
- Anti-Zoroastians sentiment
- Anti-Western sentiment{{cite news | title =Taliban splinter group says it killed British-Swedish reporter Nils Horner| url =https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/12/taliban-splinter-group-british-swedish-reporter-nils-horner| work = The Guardian| date = 13 March 2014| accessdate = 22 August 2015}}{{cite web|url=https://www.trackingterrorism.org/group/fedey-e-mahaz-afghanistan|title=Fedey-e-Mahaz-Afghanistan|work=Terrorism Research & Analysis Consortium|accessdate=2021-06-16}}
}}
| active = {{circa|2013}}–{{circa|2021}}
| headquarters =
| area = Afghanistan
| status = Inactive currently (No fighting reported since 2021)
| size = 8,000 (Self-declared in 2013)
1,000-2,500+ (UN report in 2022){{cite web |title=S/2022/419 |url=https://www.undocs.org/Home/Mobile?FinalSymbol=S%2F2022%2F419&Language=E&DeviceType=Mobile&LangRequested=False |website=United Nations Security Council |access-date=9 June 2022}}
| split = Taliban and Mullah Dadullah Front
| allegiance = {{flagdeco|ISIL}} Islamic State (alleged by the Taliban, denied){{cite web |last1=Qazi |first1=Shereena |title=Deadly Taliban infighting erupts in Afghanistan |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/9/deadly-taliban-infighting-erupts-in-afghanistan |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |date=7 November 2021}}
{{flag|Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan}} (claimed by the group, denied by the Taliban)
| allies = State allies
{{unbulletedlist
| {{flag|India}}
}}
Non-state allies
{{unbulletedlist
| {{flagdeco|ISIL}} Islamic State – Khorasan Province (alleged, denied by the group){{cite web |last1=Qazi |first1=Shereena |title=Deadly Taliban infighting erupts in Afghanistan |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/9/deadly-taliban-infighting-erupts-in-afghanistan |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |date=7 November 2021}}
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Jihad.svg}} High Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan{{cite web |last1=Qazi |first1=Shereena |title=Deadly Taliban infighting erupts in Afghanistan |url=https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2015/11/9/deadly-taliban-infighting-erupts-in-afghanistan |website=www.aljazeera.com |language=en |date=9 November 2015}} (until 2021){{cite web |title=پسر ملامنان نیازی به طالبان پیوست |trans-title=The son of Mullah Manan Niazi joined the Taliban |url=https://www.farsnews.ir/af/news/14000617000497 |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=farsnews}}{{cite web |date=2021-09-09 |title=تاجیک‌ها به تاجیکستان، ازبک‌ها به ازبکستان و هزاره‌ها به گورستان بروند! - بهار نیوز |trans-title=Tajiks to Tajikistan, Uzbeks to Uzbekistan and Hazaras to the grave! |url=https://www.baharnews.ir/news/292870 |access-date=2022-05-12 |website=پایگاه خبری بهار نیوز |language=fa |quote=حافظ خالد نیاز پسر ملا عبدالمنان نیازی (معروف به قصاب شیعیان افغانستان) با انتشار ویدئیی، با امارت اسلامی طالبان اعلام بیعت كرد. [Hafiz Khalid Niazi, son of Mullah Abdul Manan Niazi (known as the Shiite butcher of Afghanistan) released a video declaring his allegiance to the Islamic Emirate.]}}
| {{flag|Taliban}} (alleged, denied by the Taliban){{cite web |title=Splinter group claims Swedish journalist's murder in Kabul |url=https://www.dawn.com/news/1092700 |website=Dawn |date=12 March 2014 |publisher=AFP |access-date=March 12, 2014}}
| {{flagicon image|Flag of Tehrik-i-Taliban.svg}} Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan (sometimes){{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/islamic-state-is-having-a-hard-time-taking-root-in-pakistan/2015/12/05/2fa548b0-8e2b-11e5-934c-a369c80822c2_story.html|newspaper=The Washington Post|first=Tim|last=Craig|title=Islamic State is having a hard time taking root in Pakistan|date=5 December 2015|access-date=7 December 2015|archive-date=7 December 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151207003422/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/asia_pacific/islamic-state-is-having-a-hard-time-taking-root-in-pakistan/2015/12/05/2fa548b0-8e2b-11e5-934c-a369c80822c2_story.html|url-status=live}}
}}
| international =
| opponents = After the Afghan War {{plainlist|
- {{flag|Afghanistan}} (since 2021, sometimes)
- {{flag|China}}
- {{flag|Iran}}
- {{flag|NATO}}
- {{flag|Pakistan}}
- {{flag|Russia}}
- {{flagdeco|Afghanistan|1992}} National Resistance Front}}
War period {{plainlist|
- {{flag|India}}
- {{flag|United States}}
- {{flagicon image|Flag of Afghanistan (2013–2021).svg}} Islamic Republic of Afghanistan (until 2021)
- {{flag|NATO}}
- File:Flag of the International Security Assistance Force.svg ISAF (until 2014)
- File:Flag_of_the_Resolute_Support_Mission.svg Resolute Support Mission (2014–2021)}}
| battles = Global War on Terrorism
| url = http://www.allfida.org/en/
}}
The Sacrifice Front, more commonly known as Fidai Mahaz ({{Langx|ps|فدا محاذ}}), was a Taliban splinter group and faction in the War in Afghanistan.{{cite web| title =Mullah Najibullah: Too Radical for the Taliban| url =http://www.newsweek.com/2013/08/30/mullah-najibullah-too-radical-taliban-237894.html| website =Newsweek| date = 30 August 2013| accessdate = 22 August 2015}} It was led by Mullah Najibullah, also known as Omar Khitab, a former Taliban commander.{{cite web| title =Why the Taliban murdered their own leader and the terrifying fallout now threatening the West| url =https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/world-news/taliban-murdered-leader-terrifying-fallout-6296603| website = The Mirror | date = 21 August 2015| accessdate = 22 August 2015}}
History
=Foundation=
Fidai Mahaz was formed by ex-Taliban members and former members of the Mullah Dadullah Front. They had grown disillusioned with the leadership of the Taliban under Mullah Akhtar Mansour over peace talks with the Kabul government, opening a political office in Qatar and approaching Iran for support.
The group's leader, Mullah Najibullah, stated that the group's aims were simple: Cancelling the peace process between the insurgents and the Afghan government, and continuing to fight the government in Kabul and the NATO forces until they have left Afghanistan.
=War in Afghanistan=
Sources within Afghan intelligence and Taliban figures have stated that Fidai Mahaz was behind the failed suicide attack on the Indian Consulate in the eastern town of Jalalabad in early 2013.
On 11 March 2014, Fidai Mahaz claimed responsibility for the killing of British-Swedish reporter Nils Horner. The group's spokesman, Qari Hamza, accused him of being "a spy of Mi6" in an English-language statement.{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/mar/12/taliban-splinter-group-british-swedish-reporter-nils-horner|title=Taliban splinter group says it killed British-Swedish reporter Nils Horner|first=Emma|last=Graham-Harrison|date=12 March 2014|work=The Guardian (UK)}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/17/world/asia/facts-elusive-in-kabul-death-of-swedish-reporter.html|title=Facts Elusive in Kabul Death of Swedish Reporter|last=Rosenberg|first=Matthew|date=2014-03-16|newspaper=The New York Times|issn=0362-4331|access-date=2016-12-05}}{{cite web|url=https://edition.cnn.com/2014/03/13/world/nils-horner-splinter-group-claim-responsibility/index.html|title=Taliban splinter group claims responsibility for reporter's slaying|work=Edition CNN|date=13 March 2014 |accessdate=2021-06-17}}
In 2020, the group condemned the peace agreement signed in Doha between U.S. representatives and Taliban leader Abdul Ghani Baradar.{{cite web |title=To all local and foreigner mujahideen in Afghanistan! |url=https://www.allfida.org/en/to-all-local-and-foreigner-mujahideen-in-afghanistan/ |publisher=allfida.org |access-date=October 10, 2020}}
After the Taliban victory, Mullah Abdul Qayyum Zakir and Sadr Ibrahim, who were allegedly in charge of the group, took deputy positions in the Taliban's first government interim cabinet.{{cite web |title=دو فرمانده نظامی طالبان به معاونت وزارت دفاع و وزارت کشور منصوب شدند |url=https://www.iranintl.com/20210921401521 |website=Iran international |date=21 September 2021 |access-date=2021-09-21 |language=fa |quote=بر اساس گزارش شورای امنیت سازمان ملل در ماه ژوئن، ذاکر و صدر فرماندهی گروه فدا محاذ، از شاخه‌های گروه طالبان، را بر عهده داشتند.}}
Death of Mullah Omar
Fidai Mahaz claimed Taliban founder and former leader Mullah Mohammed Omar did not die of natural causes but was instead assassinated in a coup led by Mullah Akhtar Mansour and Mullah Gul Agha. The Taliban commander Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, brother of former senior commander Mullah Dadullah, also claimed that Omar had been assassinated.{{cite news| title =Pakistan exposed Mullah Omar's death for its own interests: Kandahar clerics| url =http://www.khaama.com/pakistan-exposed-mullah-omars-death-for-its-own-interests-kandahar-clerics-1401| website =Khaama Press| date = 18 August 2015| accessdate = 22 August 2015}} Mullah Najibullah, claimed that due to Omar's kidney disease, he needed medicine. According to Najibullah, Mansour poisoned the medicine, damaging Omar's liver and causing him to grow weaker. When Omar summoned Mansour and other members of Omar's inner circle to hear his will, they discovered that Mansour was not to assume leadership of the Taliban. It was due to Mansour allegedly orchestrating "dishonourable deals". When Mansour pressed Omar to name him as his successor, Omar refused. Mansour then shot and killed Omar. Najibullah claimed Omar died at a southern Afghanistan hide-out in Zabul Province in the afternoon on 23 April 2013.{{cite web| title =Mullah Omar: a myth of convenience| url =http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/mullah-omar-a-myth-of-convenience/article7558254.ece| website = The Hindu| date = 20 August 2015| accessdate = 22 August 2015}}
References
{{reflist|2}}
External links
- [http://www.allfida.org/ Official site]