The Taliban movement has announced that several hundred of its fighters moved to the Panjshir province to take control of it, reports Al Jazeera. The Taliban explained on social media that they made such a decision because “the local authorities refused to peacefully transfer control.”
No surrender, ok to an inclusive government with the participation of the Taliban, but war will be inevitable if the Islamic militants refuse dialogue, said Ahmed Massoud yesterday. He is the son of the ‘Lion of Panjshir’ Ahmed Shah Masoon who qas killed by the Taliban on 9 September 2001, two days before the attacks on the Twin Towers, in an interview with al Arabiya. He heads the National Resistance Front (NFS) against the Taliban.
Panjshir Valley is one of the last territories in Afghanistan, which does not recognize the power of the Taliban. This is where the 9000 strong resistance movement to the Taliban is based.
“We have faced the Soviet Union, we will be able to face the Taliban,” he said, after the militants gave a 4-hour ultimatum this morning for the Panjshir Valley.
“Last night in Panjshir. Taliban said they have given us 4 hours of ultimatum to surrender. We told them, we give you four years to come. A Taliban supply line has been destroyed in Salang. We have further strengthened our positions,” wrote a resistance member by the name ‘Sarfaraz’ on twitter.
“Some Taliban commanders decided to attack Panjshir. They sent a convoy of 3000 men. But they stopped in the middle. They know that from Panjshir 3000 men will return in coffins. The Taliban wants to negotiate. But we have our conditions.
“In Keshen Abad village, Andarab District, Baghlan, Taliban took 20 children hostage & moved them to an unknown location. They asked the fathers of children to surrender. The local uprising forces retaliated massively. 2 commanders of Taliban succumbed to uprising forces.
Taliban asked Hamid Karzai and Dr. Abdullah to negotiate with Ahmad Massoud. Ahmad Massod set his conditions and plans with Karzai and Abdullah. In the meantime, our preparation for resistance is going on at full speed,” he wrote on twitter in multiple posts.
Ahmed Shah Massoud’s son reiterated that he is ready to forgive his father’s killers if this is the condition for peace and security in Afghanistan, calling for the formation of an inclusive government. But if the Taliban refuse dialogue, war will be “inevitable”.
The Taliban have also shown willingness to politically accommodate Massoud, his uncle Ahmad Wali, and other figures in Panjshir.
One of the group’s spokesmen, Mohammad Naeem, has warned that if the issue of Panjshir is not resolved via dialogue, a military solution is on the cards.
“The small point of Panjshir is remaining, our policy is right from the beginning that we want to resolve the issue via talks before violence.”
The local Shamshad News has reported that the Taliban’s fierce “Red Unit” is all set to storm Panjshir, waiting for orders. The Red Group, also known as Red Unit, Blood Unit, Danger Group, or Taliban Special Forces Unit, is a Taliban military unit for special operations or shock operations.
Earlier, he said on Saturday that talks and consultations were underway in this connection.
