Several thousand armed opponents of the extremist Taliban, who had already largely controlled the country, gathered in Panjshir province after the fall of the capital, Kabul. Muslim extremists say they have surrounded the valley. Negotiations between the two camps seem to have collapsed. It is said that Taliban fighters managed to cut off the valley from the Internet and telephone. Access roads are also closed.
On Thursday, the Taliban said they had made gains on the ground. “We started our operation after failed negotiations with a local armed group,” a Taliban spokesman said. They have suffered huge losses.”
The group of militia members and ex-soldiers who holed up in the mountainous region contrasts with this. The so-called National Resistance Forces say they still control all the entrances to the valley. A spokesman said that the Taliban in particular suffered heavy losses.
The belligerents provided no evidence to substantiate their claims.
Also listen to a new episode of the Defense and International Security podcast Delta Tango With Afghan warrior Lodi de Vos:
This makes it difficult to verify exactly how many fighters have been killed. Meanwhile, the Taliban appears to be preparing to introduce a new government. This may actually happen on Friday.
