'Resistance is alive': Ex-Afghan minister says rebel forces 'recaptured' 3 districts from Taliban

Afghanistan's former acting minister of defence Bismillah Muhammadi is reported to be currently residing in the Panjsheer province, the only region in Afghanistan that is not in Taliban control right now.

Afghanistan's former acting minister of defence Bismillah Muhammadi on Friday said that resistance forces in the country have managed to recapture three districts from the Taliban, who are now solidifying their control over the state apparatus. Highlighting that the Afghan districts of Pul-e-Hesar, Deh Salah, and Banu are now under the occupation of resistance forces, the former minister exclaimed, "Resistance is still alive!"

Afghanistan's former acting minister of defence Bismillah Muhammadi (File Photo)

"Resisting the Taliban terrorists is our duty. Pul-e-Hesar, Deh Salah, and Banu districts in Baghlan have been occupied by the resistance forces. Resistance is still alive!" posted Muhammadi from his official handle on Twitter.

Afghanistan's local media also reports that the Taliban have lost control of the Pol-e-Hesar district in the northern Baglan province after an armed conflict on Friday. According to Khaama Press, the districts of Deh Salah and Qasaan in Baglan, along with Pol-e-Hesar, have been recaptured by the rebel forces. Citing local residents, the reports claim that nearly 40 Taliban militants were killed and at least 15 injured.

However, the Taliban have not commented on the incident yet.

Afghanistan's former acting minister of defence Bismillah Muhammadi is reported to be currently residing in the Panjsheer province, the only region in Afghanistan that is not in Taliban control right now. The group had imposed a curfew in Kabul on Thursday, directing citizens to not leave their residences after 9pm except in case of emergencies.

Meanwhile, the Taliban's co-founder Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar reportedly arrived in Kabul on Saturday for talks with fellow members of the group and other politicians on establishing a new Afghan government.

Arrested in Pakistan in 2010, Baradar was kept in custody until pressure from the United States saw him freed in 2018 and relocated to Qatar. Baradar arrived in Afghanistan on Tuesday from Qatar, choosing to touch down in the country's second-biggest city Kandahar -- the Taliban's spiritual birthplace. Within hours of his return, the group announced its rule would be "different" this time.