In brief
A leaked audio recording featuring Taliban supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada reveals growing concerns over internal division within the Taliban amidst an internet shutdown. Insights from an extensive BBC investigation highlight factions within the leadership vying for control—one aligned with Akhundzada's hardline vision and the other advocating for a more pragmatic approach. The unexpected restoration of internet services signals shifts in power dynamics and potential fractures in the Taliban's unity.
It was a piece of audio obtained by the BBC that revealed what worries the Taliban's leader most.
Not an external danger, but one from within Afghanistan, which the Taliban seized control of as the previous government collapsed and the US withdrew in 2021.
He warned of insiders in the government pitted against each other in the Islamic Emirate the Taliban set up to govern the country.
In the leaked clip, the supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada can be heard giving a speech saying that internal disagreements could eventually bring them all down.
As a result of these divisions, the emirate will collapse and end, he warned.
The speech, made to Taliban members at a madrassa in the southern city of Kandahar in January 2025, was more fuel to the fire of rumours which had been circulating for months - rumours of differences at the very top of the Taliban.
It is a split the Taliban leadership has always denied - including when asked directly by the BBC.
After an order from Akhundzada to shut off the internet in late September 2025, the service was restored three days later by ministers aligned with the Kabul faction, marking a significant act of defiance against Akhundzada's authority.
The Taliban, unlike every other Afghan party or faction, is remarkable for its coherence – there have been no splits, not even much dissent, explains an expert on Afghanistan. However, the act of turning the internet back on, against his explicit orders, was unprecedented.
Insiders described this rebellion as a turning point, demonstrating fracture lines within the Taliban and challenging the unity that the group had historically maintained.
The ongoing struggle between factions emphasizes the potential for change within Afghanistan's ruling system, particularly in regard to how they engage with the global community and address internal societal issues.
