600 Taliban fighters killed, 1,000 captured in Panjshir: Resistance forces

Around 600 Taliban fighters were killed in Afghanistan‘s northeastern province of Panjshir, Sputnik reported citing the Afghan resistance forces as saying, news agency ANI reported. “About 600 Taliban have been liquidated in various districts of Panjshir since morning. More than 1,000 Taliban have been captured or surrendered themselves,” the resistance forces’ spokesperson Fahim Dashti tweeted.

According to media reports, the Taliban ran into a problem with getting supplies from other Afghan provinces. Meanwhile, the Taliban combat against Panjshir resistance has slowed down due to the presence of land mines on the road to the capital Bazarak.

Panjshir is the stronghold of the National Resistance Front that is led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of late ex-Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, and ex-Vice President Amrullah Saleh.

The resistance said that it has surrounded “thousands of terrorists” in Khawak pass. They further added that the Taliban abandoned vehicles and equipment in the Dashte Rewak area.

In a Facebook post, Massoud insisted Panjshir “continues to stand strongly.” Front spokesperson Fahim Dashti added “heavy clashes” were going on.

As the battle to take control of the Panjshir Valley north of Kabul rages on, top United States general warned of a ‘civil war’ if the Islamists failed to consolidate powers.

Panjshir is the last Afghan province that is not under the control of the Taliban.

While both sides said that they have the upper hand in Panjshir, none of them could prove it. In their last rule from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban were unable to take control of the valley.

Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karimi said the districts of Khinj and Unabah had been taken. This means they have control of four of the province’s seven districts, Reuters reported.

“The Mujahideen (Taliban fighters) are advancing toward the centre (of the province),” he said on Twitter.

“My military estimate is, is that the conditions are likely to develop of a civil war. I don’t know if the Taliban is going to be able to consolidate power and establish governance,” Reuters quoted Mark Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, as saying.