Afghan National Army soldiers prepare to move out following an inspection of troops at the Regional Military Training Center at Tactical Base Gamberi, Afghanistan, on July 30, 2015. JARROD MORRIS/U.S. ARMY
On August 25, a delegation of 40 officials of the Taliban met with leaders of Afghan resistance forces in the Panjshir Valley for negotiations. The results of the talks are still unclear.
A day earlier, the Taliban attempted to enter Panjshir through a pass in the nearby province of Badakhshan. The attack was repelled and the Taliban sustained serious losses, according to Maj. Wazir Akbar, an Afghan army commando who joined the Panjshir resistance.
All is well #Andarab#resistanceforce pic.twitter.com/q1OmpvLxkD
— Panjshir_Province (@PanjshirProvin1) August 24, 2021
The defeat was apparently behind the Taliban’s decision to hold talks with resistance forces. Zabiullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the group, called on whom he called “brothers in Panjshir” for talks.
Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself as the acting President of the country after the fall of Kabul and joined hands with resistance forces, said only meaningful negotiations will be accepted.
In the last few days, Taliban was able to recapture the districts of Bano, Deh Saleh, Pul e-Hesar in the northern province of Baghlan which were seized by local resistance fighters. Ahmad Massoud jr, leader of the resistance, denied in a recent interview with Reuters that Panjshir forces were responsible for the seizure of the districts.
Despite engaging in talks with the Taliban, resistance forces in Panjshir continue to prepare for the worse. More than 6,000 fighters are reportedly taking a stand in the valley.
Alla Akbar
Our Resistance is getting stronger to defeat the enemy.We have only (..) different groups from the #PanjshirValley forget about commando, especial force, Afghanistan army.
Retweet’s = support pic.twitter.com/ZEu8Bk5HVk
— Panjshir_Province (@PanjshirProvin1) August 24, 2021
Afghanistan’s #PANJSHIR Valley: the last stronghold of resistance to #Taliban rule. pic.twitter.com/5WsJpAoJFu
— Panjshir_Province (@PanjshirProvin1) August 25, 2021
According to a recent report by Al Jazeera, resistance forces set up machine gun nests, mortars and surveillance posts fortified with sandbags in anticipation of a Taliban assault on the Panjshir Valley.
The conflict in the Panjshir Valley will not likely be resolved anytime soon. While the leadership of the Taliban appears to be willing to compromise, the more radical wing within the group may push for an attack on the resistance.
