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Afghanistan crisis: NRF leader says resistance forces still present in Panjshir,
This comes hours after the Taliban which took over the capital city of Kabul on August 15 following the US drawdown, said it has captured the remaining province of Panjshir, located in the northeastern part of the country.
The National Resistance Front (NRF) are still present in Panjshir, the last resistance stronghold of Afghanistan, and continuing their fight against the Taliban, said its leader Ahmad Massoud, in an audio message on his Facebook page, according to a report by Tolo News.
This comes hours after the Taliban which took over the capital city of Kabul on August 15 following the US drawdown, said it has captured the remaining province of Panjshir, located in the northeastern part of the country. However, the NRF has denied the claims and says the fighting is still going on. Its forces are positioned on all strategic points, NRF spokesperson Ali Nazary said earlier in the day.
After the fall of Kabul, Panjshir remains the only defiant holdout where resistance forces led by Massoud, the son of late former Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, are fighting the Taliban. Over the days, both sides have claimed to have an upper hand in Panjshir, even as neither of the parties have produced any conclusive proof to support the claim.
Afghanistan fell to the Taliban last month as the United States and its NATO allies began withdrawing their forces from the country, ending the 20-year long war. The forces had entered the south Asian country in 2001 in the aftermath of the 9/11 attack for anti-terror operations.
With the collapse of the Afghan government which was led by President Ashraf Ghani, the Taliban is now set to form its government. Meanwhile, Ghani has fled to the United Arab Emirates along with his family and key officials.
On Sunday, Ahmad issued a statement, calling for an end to the fighting and offered a ‘peace’ deal. The leader of the resistance force said he is ready to ask his forces to lay down their weapons, only if the Taliban agrees to end their assault.
However, late on Sunday dozens of vehicles loaded with the Taliban were seen swarming into Panjshir Valley, according to a report by Associated Press.
Meanwhile, the Taliban has assured the residents of Panjshir that they will be safe and the group aims to serve the country for a "common goal."
"We give full confidence to the honourable people of Panjshir that they will not be subjected to any discrimination, that all are our brothers, and that we will serve a country and a common goal," said Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid in his statement earlier.
(With agency inputs)
