We are in Panjshir and our Resistance will continue.
~ Ahmad Massoud, 7:11 am est
The Taliban issued a statement Monday claiming that they have taken control of Panjshir province, which is located north of Kabul that served as the staging ground of the country’s top resistance force.
Photos emerged on social media that showed members of the Taliban standing at the gate of the provincial governor’s compound, Reuters reported. The province was the last holdout of anti-Taliban forces in the country and the only province the Taliban had not seized during their sweep last month.
The Pakistan army and ISI are fighting with the Taliban.
According to freelance Middle East journalist Natiq Malikzada @natiqmalikzada, all they have is an empty office and a road.
“Announcing victory for capturing a road and an empty office seems a pretty foolish act. Last night was a good chance for the Taliban to accept Ahmed’s offer and leave, but they preferred war. With this situation, the Taliban for the past 20 years, now facing real war,” Malikzada says.
“The other valleys are still untouched, and Resistance Forces are fighting from there,” Malikzada said at 2:50 am est.
Thread:
Explaination: Panjshir is a valley and has only one road that goes till the end of Panjshir, and it is called the road of main valley. The main Valley, the read line in the centre has dozens of other valleys attached to it. It works like a tree roots. pic.twitter.com/Af6U1aVmF1— Natiq Malikzada (@natiqmalikzada) September 6, 2021
“If the Taliban wants to capture Panjshir, they should fight dozens times more to capture each other valleys. Otherwise, USSR came to this road and some other valleys 9 times in 9 years, and each time they got nothing and left.”
Unfortunately, this time the Taliban have all the US equipment, drones, planes, and the Pakistanis which could eliminate the advantage of it being a mountainous region.
A message from Ahmad Massoud at 7 am est:
This is what strenght is. To fight for your religion, your dignity, your nation. Nothing is more honorable. My family from Balkh to Panjshir are resisting, Taliban are out to kill our families, either going door to door or in Panjshir!!! #NationalUprising
pic.twitter.com/g5n80SjGvJ— Ahmad Massoud (@Mohsood123) September 6, 2021
Meanwhile, Taliban is calling for everyone in the valleys to come back to work as they set up their new government.
Mujahid also promised all women would eventually be “asked to return” to their jobs, blaming unspecified “security reasons” for the current slow pace of return and for restricting women to their homes, unless accompanied by a male guardian.
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