Afghan resistance stronghold: Taliban announce conquest of Pandjir

According to their own statements, the Taliban have now taken the entire Punjir Valley. The national resistance front rejects this – and accuses Pakistan of military support for the Taliban.

Videos can be seen of Taliban fighters hoisting their flags in front of the governor’s palace in Pandjir province. “The leaders of the Islamic emirate can announce that they have conquered the Pandjir province. It is the last area that our enemies still ruled. Today at 7.30 am we hoisted our flag here, here in front of the governor’s palace,” said a spokesman for the radical Islamic Taliban.

In the Punjir Valley, the National Resistance Front (NRF), led by Ahmad Massud, announced long-term resistance against the Taliban. The NRF is made up of Massud’s militia, remnants of the Afghan army and former members of the government. Fierce fighting broke out over the weekend, and the Afghan station “Tolo News” broadcast cellphone videos of the fighting.

So far there has been no confirmation of their defeat from the NRF. However, Massoud tweeted not to worry, he was safe. One is not fighting against the Taliban, it says in a message from the NRF, but against the Pakistani army. The Taliban are never strong enough to break the resistance.

Pandjir long impregnable

The Pandschir Valley with the provincial capital Bazarak is around 150 kilometers from Kabul. For the Taliban, the capture of the valley, which is difficult to conquer, not only represents a safeguard of their still fragile rule, but also a great image success. In the past few decades, the Pandjir Valley could not be conquered by Soviet troops in the 1980s or by the Taliban, who ruled more than 20 years ago.

Now normality has to return, said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid in a declaration made yesterday, before the victory was announced: “All residents should lay down their arms and return to their normal lives. We promise to ensure their safety, they are all Afghans who are important to us. “

The Taliban have been announcing for days that they will present their new government. So far, however, this has been postponed again and again – apparently because there are differences between the individual groups.