The Afghan Taliban has claimed responsibility for the arrest of senior Daesh commander Mehmet Goren. Furthermore, verified information from regional security sources shows that the operation was not the result of Taliban intelligence and followed a very different course on the ground.
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said the arrest of Goren who was linked to attacks in Türkiye, was the outcome of a Taliban intelligence operation.
However, available evidence does not support this claim.
Incidents leading to the Current Development
According to confirmed security sources, Goren was residing in Kabul and attempted to leave Afghanistan by entering Pakistan through the Balochistan route.
Pakistani intelligence agencies tracked his movement and moved to intercept him. During the operation, Goren was injured and managed to flee back into Afghanistan.
After his return, Goren did not fall into Taliban custody through an intelligence-led arrest.
Instead, he was later handed over to Turkish authorities by a local militant commander in exchange for financial benefit.
There is no evidence that Taliban intelligence carried out surveillance, detention, or coordination in this process.
The sequence of events shows that multiple intelligence inputs, local identification, and regional tracking played a role rather than any direct Taliban counterterrorism action.
Turkish Intelligence Operation to Capture ISIS Operative
Security sources say the final arrest was the result of a focused operation by National Intelligence Organization.
Turkish intelligence had been monitoring Goren due to his senior role within Daesh’s Afghanistan-based network and his links to planned suicide attacks.
Moreover, analysts say this case once again highlights the continued presence and movement of Daesh-linked operatives inside Afghanistan.
Experts note that Taliban claims of dismantling Daesh networks often contrast sharply with realities on the ground.
The ability of senior militants to move, hide, and negotiate handovers through local actors points to serious gaps in Taliban counterterrorism control.
Read more: Turkish Intelligence Captures Senior Daesh Operative Linked to Global Suicide Plots
