TEHRAN, August 23. /TASS/. The Taliban (outlawed in Russia) movement has laid siege to its opponents’ forces in Afghanistan’s Panjshir Province, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid tweeted on Monday.
"[Taliban] forces assumed positions near Panjshir from the side of the Badakhshan, Takhar and Andarab regions. The enemy (resistance force — TASS) is under siege. We seek a peaceful settlement and are trying to resolve the issue through talks," he wrote.
Mujahid also noted that the Salang Tunnel located near the Panjshir border which follows the Salang Pass and the adjacent highway had been liberated from the enemy. According to him, Taliban members fully cleared districts in the Baghlan Province which were previously held by the resistance forces.
Meanwhile, the Taliban’s opponents in Panjshir are still reporting via social media that their morale is high and vowed to continue battling the radicals. According to available information, they have several thousand fighters including some regular units of government forces and heavy military hardware.
On August 22, the Taliban announced that it was sending several hundred personnel to capture Afghanistan’s Province of Panjshir in the north of the country. On Saturday, a TASS source in the region reported that Ahmad Massoud, son of the slain, influential leader of the Tajik community of Afghanistan Ahmad Shah Massoud (1953-2001) and resistance leader, launched talks with Taliban members to create an inclusive government and to overcome political differences.
After the administration of US President Joe Biden had announced the end of Washington’s 20-year-long military operation in Afghanistan and embarked on launching its troop pullout, the Taliban went on an offensive against Afghan government forces. On August 15, Taliban fighters swept into Kabul without encountering any resistance, and gained full control over the Afghan capital within a few hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent any bloodshed and subsequently fled the country. Vice President Amrullah Saleh said that under the constitution, he would become "the caretaker president" in the absence of the president and called for armed resistance against the Taliban. At present, Western nations are evacuating their citizens and embassy staff.