After the assassination of Taliban leader Khalil Haqqani, Abdul Ahad Talib, commander of his special forces; Mullah Shirin, the governor of Kandahar, and Yousuf Wafa, the governor of Balkh, have been asked to pay attention to their security.

Reliable sources in Kandahar told Afghanistan International that the Taliban leader has asked them to improve their security to prevent possible attacks.

The Taliban leader has representatives in various fields, but the person closest to him in the political and security arena is Mullah Shirin, the group's governor in Kandahar. Mullah Shirin is present in all of Mullah Hibatullah's meetings, and the Taliban leader values his views in many decisions.

According to sources, Hibatullah Akhundzada has spoken to district commanders and officials twice to review the security situation in Kandahar this month.

In security meetings, Mullah Shirin has repeatedly emphasised on the importance of cooperation and coordination between Taliban departments and officials and has ordered all security agencies to increase patrols and inspections.

Sources from Kandahar told Afghanistan International last Sunday (December 15) that following the assassination of Khalil Haqqani, searches and patrols have increased in Kandahar, and Taliban security personnel have interrogated individuals about their ID cards, location and duties.

A source said that after the assassination of Khalil-ur-Rehman Haqqani, Hibatullah has paid more attention to the security of his special circle and asked three people he trusted to provide security for their patrols and offices, and to take the necessary security measures during their meetings.

Who is Mullah Shirin and what role does he play?

Mullah Mohammad Ali Hanafi, also known as Mullah Shirin Akhund, is a resident of Zhiri district of Kandahar. He is one of the founders of the Taliban and is considered the closest person to the Taliban's first leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, and the current leader, Mullah Hibatullah Akhundzada.

Mullah Shirin was also responsible for the security of the family of the first Taliban leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar. He has spent a lot of time with his family in Pakistan and Qatar.

In the past 20 years, Mullah Shirin was the architect and leader of many of the Taliban's wars and intelligence programmes against the former Afghan government, and was also a member of the Taliban's negotiating team in the Doha peace talks with the United States.

During the Taliban regime, he was the governor of Kandahar and Ghazni, the head of intelligence in the southern region, and an advisor to Taliban leaders in many areas. According to sources, Mullah Shirin had planned the assassination of General Abdul Raziq Achakzai, the former police chief of Kandahar.

After the Taliban's return to power in Afghanistan, Mullah Shirin was first appointed governor of Kabul, then deputy defense minister for intelligence affairs, and on May 4, 2023, he replaced Yousuf Wafa as governor of Kandahar. He is also the head of the Taliban Commission, which regularly hold talks to resolve issues along the border with Pakistan.

Mullah Shirin's current role

Mullah Shirin is currently considered one of the most important and closest people in the political and security arenas to the group's leader, Hibatullah. Sources say that Mullah Shirin has extensive relations with Pakistan, which is why he held several meetings with Pakistani officials on behalf of Hibatullah to resolve political and security issues with Pakistan.

It is difficult to meet the leader of the Taliban and send him a direct message from foreign diplomats to members of the Taliban's cabinet. As a result, many ministers, governors, commanders, and heads of departments submit their monthly and annual reports to Mullah Shirin.

Many Taliban members are trying to reach out to the group's governor in Kandahar.

In the past three and a half years, many foreign diplomats, religious scholars, and representatives of countries have tried to meet with the Taliban leader in Kandahar, but he has not met with any party and has appointed Mullah Shirin as his representative for these meetings.

In September this year, the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative for Afghanistan, Roza Otunbayeva, went to Kandahar but was unable to meet with Mullah Hibatullah.

Yousuf Wafa, Taliban governor in Balkh province

Aminullah, also known as Yousuf Wafa, is the Taliban's former governor in Kandahar province and the group's current governor in Balkh. He is a resident of Boldak district of Kandahar and is considered a close associate of the Taliban leader. Yusuf Wafa and Mullah Hibatullah are from the Noorzai tribe.

Yousuf Wafa led the war in the southern provinces of Afghanistan at the end of the fall of the republic and in some areas was in direct contact with Hibatullah via the telephone. During the previous Afghan government, he served as the Taliban's nominal governor, military commander, and war leader in Kandahar, Helmand, Uruzgan, Ghazni, Maidan Wardak, Nangarhar, and some other areas.

Yousuf Wafa was in Kandahar at the time of the fall of the republic, and on August 14, 2021, Ruhollah Khanzada, the former governor of Kandahar, handed over the province of Kandahar to him. Yousuf Wafa has been widely criticised in Kandahar province for his involvement in the murder of former government troops.

At the time of the fall of the previous Afghan government, he transported a large number of armored vehicles, weapons and ammunition to Pakistan, and for a long time his home was in Pakistan's Chaman city, where he traveled every Thursday. He and his family have close ties to Pakistan. On March 18, 2023, a few months after the assassination of Mohammad Daud Muzamil, the former governor of Balkh appointed Taliban leader Yousuf Wafa as the governor of Balkh.

Abdul Ahad known as Mawlawi Talib

Mawlawi Talib is from Helmand and one of the Taliban commanders. During the previous government, he was the Taliban's nominal governor in Helmand and participated in many wars. Mawlawi Talib was arrested twice by former Afghan forces and was imprisoned in Bagram prison for a long time. For the past 20 years, he has been an active member of the Taliban and a key part of the group's war machine.

Mullah Hibatullah has also formed a group of scholars with whom he consults on many issues. Mawlawi Malook Shah, the head of the Taliban's Ulema Council in Kandahar; his deputy Akhtar Mohammad Zafarani; Abdul Hakim Maghfoor; Mohammad Ismail, the head of the Helmand Ulema Council; Azizullah Tayyeb, the head of Zabul Ulema and the Ulema of Farah, Herat and Nimroz, and a number of others are in his circle.

Recommendations for security measures

The assassination of Khalil Haqqani, the Taliban's minister of refugee affairs, has raised security concerns among senior Taliban officials. These concerns come amid reports of disagreements between the Taliban in Kabul and Kandahar circles, and a number of Kabul-based Taliban leaders, especially members of the Haqqani Group, have criticised their leader for his harsh policies.

In light of these concerns and the activities of ISIS, the Taliban's intelligence agency in Kabul and the group's leader in Kandahar have increased their focus on security measures. The source said that based on the new security procedures, the movement of Taliban leaders may be restricted, and with the increase in security threats, the security of the Taliban's offices and vital institutions will also be intensified.