Iranian Police Erroneously Detains Relatives Of Former NRF Commander

Iranian journalist Zhila Bani Yaghoub reported that Iran's police forces have erroneously arrested the relatives of the late Khair Mohammad Khairkhwa Andarabi, a former commander of Afghanistan's National Resistance Front (NRF).

According to Bani Yaghoub, these individuals were detained in the city of Karaj on April 7 and remain in custody.

Bani Yaghoub, who is well-versed in Afghan affairs and has close ties to the National Resistance Front, indicated that the group led by Ahmad Massoud has verified the membership of the detained individuals and is calling for their release.

She further explained that among those detained is a senior commander of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. Iranian media, citing Saeed Montazer al-Mahdi, a police spokesperson, reported on Saturday that three people were arrested on charges related to membership in "ISIS units”.

However, earlier sources close to the National Resistance Front informed Afghanistan International that the three young men have no connections to ISIS. These sources stressed that the detainees are relatives of Khair Mohammad Andarabi, a distinguished NRF commander who had sought refuge in Iran to avoid Taliban retaliation. Khair Mohammad Khairkhwa Andarabi was killed on December 26, 2022, during combat against the Taliban in Andarab.

Zhila Bani Yaghoub is a prominent Iranian journalist recognised for her extensive work on Afghan resistance, particularly her book on Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the anti-Taliban resistance in the 1990s.