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Panjshir Resistance Holds as Taliban yet to Name Government
[ENGLISH.AAWSAT] Fresh fighting was reported Saturday between the Taliban ...Arabic for students... and resistance forces in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley, as the holy warriors finalize a new government that will set the tone for their rule. Facing the challenge of morphing from Lions of Islam to rulers, the Taliban appear determined to snuff out the Panjshir resistance before announcing who will lead the country in the aftermath of Monday’s US troop withdrawal, which was supposed to end two decades of war. But Panjshir, which held out for nearly a decade against the Soviet Union’s occupation and also the Taliban’s first rule from 1996-2001, is stubbornly holding out. Fighters from the so-called National Resistance® Front (NRF) -- made up of anti-Taliban militia and former Afghan cops -- are understood to have stockpiled a significant armory in the valley, around 80 kilometers (50 miles) north of Kabul and guarded by a narrow gorge. ’UNDER INVASION’ Celebratory gunfire rang out in the capital Kabul overnight as rumors spread the valley had fallen, but the Taliban made no official claim Saturday and a resident told AFP by phone that the reports were false. The Emergency Hospital in Kabul said two people were killed and 20 maimed by the salvos, as the Taliban tweeted a stern admonishment and warned its fighters to stop. "Avoid firing in the air and thank God instead," said chief front man Zabihullah Mujahid, tipped to become the new regime’s information minister. "The weapons and bullets given to you are public property. No one has the right to waste them. The bullets can also harm civilians, don’t shoot in vain." "Mo had gravity so we do too...idiots" In Panjshir, former vice-president Amrullah Saleh, holed out alongside Ahmad Massoud -- the son of legendary anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud -- admitted the perilous position of the NRF. "The situation is difficult, we have been under invasion," Saleh said in a video message. Usually known for his sharp Western suits, Saleh was filmed wearing a traditional shalwar kameez tunic and a flat woolen pakol cap favored by Panjshiris. "The resistance is continuing and will continue," he added. Taliban and resistance tweets suggested the key district of Paryan had changed hands several times in the last few days, but that also could not be independently verified.
Anaamullah Samangani, a member of the Taliban’s Cultural Commission, said on Saturday that Taliban forces have captured Shotul, Paryan, Khenj and Abshar districts of Panjshir. According to Samangani, now the fighting is taking place in Anaba, which is near to Panjshir's provincial center. “The districts of Paryan, Shotul, Khenj and Abshar have been completely captured and now the Mujahideen are at the central part of Anaba (district),” Samangani said. Due to the cutoff telecom services in Panjshir, TOLOnews was unable to obtain comments from the Resistance Front about the fighting. Meanwhile, Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the Resistance Front, on Saturday morning in a Facebook post said they are resisting the Taliban attacks on Panjshir. Related: Panjshir: 2021-09-04 Taliban celebratory gunfire turns deadly, Pakistan's spy chief arrives in Afghanistan Panjshir: 2021-09-04 Taliban sources say last Afghan holdout region has fallen Panjshir: 2021-09-04 Panjshir: Fighting Continues Between Taliban, Resistance Forces; Talibs Claim Captured 3 Districts Posted by: Fred 2021-09-05 |
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