Anti-Taliban Resistance Forces Urge "Inclusive Government," Taliban Begin Full-Scale Negotiations (Comprehensive)

Resistance Forces "War Will Escalate If Dialogue Is Refused"
Taliban "Discussing Formation of Unity Government in Kabul"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Hyunwoo Lee] Anti-Taliban resistance forces in Afghanistan have demanded that the Taliban engage in talks to form an inclusive government and declared that they would not hesitate to go to war if the Taliban refuse. The Taliban, while pressuring by dispatching troops to the Panjshir province, a stronghold of the resistance forces, also announced that they would begin negotiations in Kabul with Afghan warlords, including the resistance forces, to form a government. It is expected that the Taliban will focus all efforts on negotiations with the resistance forces and existing warlords to gain recognition as a normal state by the international community and to avoid prolonged civil war.

On the 22nd (local time), Ahmad Masood, leading the anti-Taliban resistance forces, said in an interview with Saudi Arabia's state-owned Al Arabiya broadcast, "The Taliban must form an inclusive government, and if they refuse dialogue for this, war cannot be avoided," emphasizing, "We fought against the Soviet Union, and we can resist the Taliban sufficiently."

Earlier, the resistance forces reportedly recaptured some areas after clashing with Taliban forces in Baghlan province adjacent to Panjshir. According to Al Jazeera, the resistance forces, together with remaining Afghan government troops, occupied three areas in Baghlan province?Pul-e-Hesar, Dih Salah, and Bano?and in the process, killed about 30 Taliban soldiers and captured around 20.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

The Taliban stated that they have moved troops to suppress the resistance forces but are reportedly refraining from engaging in combat. According to the Associated Press, the Taliban said in a statement that "hundreds of troops have been dispatched to the Panjshir Valley and will soon launch a suppression operation." However, no combat situations have yet been reported in the Panjshir area.

The Taliban announced that rather than armed confrontation, they are continuing negotiations with the resistance forces, various warlords, and Afghan government officials to form a new government. According to Russia's Sputnik News, Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban's second-in-command who had conducted peace talks with the Afghan government in Doha, Qatar, has returned to Kabul leading a delegation and is currently negotiating with the Afghan government and warlords.

The Taliban side stated, "The Taliban political leadership is currently negotiating with various political forces in Kabul to build the next government, which will be an inclusive government embracing political forces within Afghanistan," and Sputnik News reported that they said, "An agreement related to the formation of the next government will be announced within two weeks."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.