Taliban "Control All of Afghanistan, War Ends"... Resistance Forces "Will Continue Fighting"

On the 2nd (local time), resistance fighters opposing the Islamic militant group Taliban were conducting rifle shooting training in Panjshir Province, Afghanistan. The Taliban announced that they launched an offensive on this resistance stronghold on the same day, killing more than 30 people. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The Taliban, having reasserted control over Afghanistan, declared on the 6th that they had completely taken over Panjshir in the north, the last remaining stronghold of the resistance forces, and announced the end of the war. However, the remaining resistance group in Afghanistan, the 'National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF),' has not relinquished its will to fight, raising the possibility of future clashes.

Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid announced that morning, "Efforts to ensure the complete security of this country have borne fruit. Panjshir province is under the full control of the Taliban." According to major foreign media, the Taliban posted photos on social media (SNS) showing their fighters posing in front of the provincial government building in Bazarak, the capital of Panjshir province.

In a live televised press conference, Mujahid said, "We have taken full control of Panjshir throughout last night and this morning. The war in Afghanistan is over. There is no longer any justification." He added, "We will announce the formation of a new government within a few days."

Panjshir province is a long, narrow city formed along the Hindu Kush mountain range. After the Taliban regained power on August 15 last month, resistance forces gathered in Panjshir to resist. The NRF is led by Ahmad Massoud, son of the late Ahmad Shah Massoud, known as the 'National Hero' of Afghanistan, and Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself acting president and is the first vice president. They are joined by former Afghan army chief of staff Yasin Zia, government forces, and minority ethnic warlords.

When the Taliban refused to accept the NRF's surrender, they launched a full-scale invasion of Panjshir starting on the 2nd. Witnesses reported that thousands of Taliban soldiers occupied all eight districts of Panjshir overnight.

However, the NRF rebutted on their official Twitter, stating that the Taliban's claim of controlling Panjshir was false. They emphasized, "NRF forces are present at all strategic points in the valley and will continue to fight against the Taliban and their partners for justice and freedom." Meanwhile, there have been rumors for several days that Amrullah Saleh, the NRF's co-leader and first vice president, fled Panjshir and headed to Tajikistan.

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