Bibi Ayesha (Dari: بی‌بی عایشه) is a military leader and the only known female warlord in Afghanistan. She controls a force of 50-150 men in the Nahrin district of Baghlan Province.[1] Also known as Kaftar (Dari: قوماندان کفتر, "The Pigeon"), she operated for at least two decades, fighting against Soviet troops and then the Taliban militia as part of Jamiat-e Islami.[1][2]

She was born in Nahrin district of Baghlan to an ethnic Tajik family.[3]

She dismissed notions that the roles of women in Afghanistan should exclude military roles, saying "It makes no difference if you are a man or a woman when you have the heart of a fighter."[1] However, she does insist that a mahram male relative, accompany her into battle.[1]

On 18 October 2020, Ayesha came under attack by the Taliban, a day after they claimed that she had defected to them.[2]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 Coghlan, Tom. BBC, Afghanistan's feared woman warlord, March 16, 2006
  2. 1 2 "Afghanistan's only female warlord attacked by Taliban fighters". 18 October 2020.
  3. ↑ Izarali, M. Raymond; Ahlawat, Dalbir (28 April 2021). Terrorism, Security and Development in South Asia: National, Regional and Global Implications. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-000-37662-3.


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