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 Commander 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 a Sunni Hazara 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]