The last hope for an Afghanistan with a haven for the Taliban’s enemies is in Panjshir Valley, just north of Kabul. Resistance fighters led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of a legendary anti-Taliban commander, are fending off the largest Taliban advance on the territory under their control to date, according to reports:
Taliban fighters have launched their largest attack to capture #Panjsher this evening. Anti-Taliban forces, which include former fighters of senior Massoud and soldiers of the collapsed govt, have been able to push back every attack in the past three days. #Afghanistan
— Sharif Hassan (@MSharif1990) September 2, 2021
The battle for Panjshir – intense fighting tonight as the Taliban launch their biggest attack yet on the anti-Taliban resistance, just north-east of the capital. The fighters led by Ahmad Massoud and fmr VP @AmrullahSaleh2 are refusing to give up despite being entirely surrounded
— Yalda Hakim (@BBCYaldaHakim) September 2, 2021
A member of the Taliban’s cultural commission claimed “the other side has suffered heavy casualties.” Hospital beds in the province are “filling up as violence escalates,” Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Frud Bezhan reported.
Massoud, and former Afghan vice president Amrullah Saleh, who is sheltering in the valley as he asserts his role as the country’s vice president, have worked to build international support for the anti-Taliban resistance fighters, who have fended off a number of Taliban attacks over the past few weeks, as peace negotiations took place.
