Taliban struggle to breach Panjshir 'fortress' as Northern Alliance forces resist

Forces from the Northern Alliance blocked the Salang highway, connecting the mainland with Panjsher Valley, to prevent the barging in of the Taliban. Videos uploaded by credible Twitter handles showed Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices being planted and blasted by Ahmad Massoud's forces. The people of Jabal al-Siraj, a village en route to Panjshir, too ambushed the Taliban insurgents.

Hyderabad: The Northern Alliance has been giving stiff resistance to the Taliban insurgents, who on Saturday, gave "four hours" to the forces led by Ahmad Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, failing which they would brutally wipe out the resistance in Panjshir, reports said.

Forces from the Northern Alliance blocked the Salang highway, connecting the mainland with Panjsher Valley, to prevent the barging in of the Taliban. Videos uploaded by credible Twitter handles showed Vehicle-Borne Improvised Explosive Devices being planted and blasted by Ahmad Massoud's forces. The people of Jabal al-Siraj, a village en route to Panjshir, too ambushed the Taliban insurgents, reports stated.

Locals of Jabal al-Siraj defending the Northern Alliance against the Taliban

Confirming the Taliban advances, Saleh, who declared himself as the president of Afghanistan after Ashraf Ghani fled fearing consequences from the Taliban, said on Twitter that the Taliban had reached the entrance of Panjshir and that the Northern Alliance was putting up stiff resistance.

"Talibs have massed forces near the entrance of Panjshir a day after they got trapped in ambush zones of neighbouring Andarab valley & hardly went out in one piece. Meanwhile, Salang highway is closed by the forces of the Resistance. 'There are terrains to be avoided'. See you (sic)," he tweeted.

• Talibs have massed forces near the entrance of Panjshir a day after they got trapped in ambush zones of neighboring Andarab valley & hardly went out in one piece. Meanwhile Salang highway is closed by the forces of the Resistance. "There are terrains to be avoided". See you.

  — Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 22, 2021 " class="align-text-top noRightClick twitterSection" data="

  Talibs have massed forces near the entrance of Panjshir a day after they got trapped in ambush zones of neighboring Andarab valley & hardly went out in one piece. Meanwhile Salang highway is closed by the forces of the Resistance. "There are terrains to be avoided". See you.

  — Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 22, 2021

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  Talibs have massed forces near the entrance of Panjshir a day after they got trapped in ambush zones of neighboring Andarab valley & hardly went out in one piece. Meanwhile Salang highway is closed by the forces of the Resistance. "There are terrains to be avoided". See you.

  — Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 22, 2021

At least 1,000 people, displaced from various corners of Afghanistan, poured into the valley looking for sanctuary, and are now being trained for defence and attack against the Taliban.

Abdul Ali Fayegh, a student of Oxford University in England, said he will "reschedule his studies" as he has joined Ahmad Massoud. "I am a 2nd year student at the British University of Oxford, but today I will be late for my courses because I joined the #AhmadMassoud resistance against the Taliban in Panjshir. Unfortunately, I will have to reschedule my studies," the local media in Panjshir quoted him.