Panjshir Resistance Forces Repel Taliban Attacks

On Monday night, the Taliban launched military attacks against Panjshir, the province where the National Resistance Front (NRF) is entrenched and fighting the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA).

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"The Taliban took several attacks against our troops but all of them were rejected," NFR Spokesperson Fahim Dashti Said, adding about 30 Taliban died, 15 were injured and some were captured.

From Kabul, the Taliban reported that their military operations are led by Qari Fasihuddin, who belongs to the Tajika, the predominant ethnicity in Panjshir.

They argue they have the military capacity to capture the Panjshir Valley by force. However, the Taliban say they hope to put an end to the dispute in a peaceful way through negotiations with the rebel forces.

So far, however, the Taliban have been pressing for the guerrilla forces to surrender through siege actions such as the cutting of supply routes and telecommunications services.

The National Resistance Front is composed of local guerrillas and troops of the former Afghan government, who withdrew to Panjshir when the Taliban took Kabul on August 15.

These rebel forces are led by former vice president Amrullah Saleh, who self-proclaimed president of Afghanistan, and Ahmad Massoud, son of the late Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who organized the armed resistance against the Soviets and Taliban in the 20th century.