The Taliban sends “hundreds of fighters” to the Panjshir Resistance Valley

However, his fighters are ready to resist if the Islamists invade his areas. Massoud said last week that parts of the Afghan army and his special forces had joined him. Massoud’s father fended off Taliban attacks during their reign from 1996 to 2001.

A spokesman for the anti-Taliban units, Ali Moazzam Nazari, told AFP that a force of 9,000 fighters should appear, about the planned deployment of troops in Panjshir. Dozens of recruits and several armored SUVs were seen during the group’s military exercise on Saturday.

This contrasts with the fact that, according to the Russian ambassador in Kabul, the Taliban should be willing to negotiate with their opponents in the last, yet unoccupied, province of Panjshir. Dmitry Zhirnov said on Russian state television that the Taliban asked him to deliver a message to the leaders and people of the Panjshir Valley. The Taliban hope “to find a peaceful solution to the situation, for example through a political agreement. The Taliban does not want bloodshed and is ready for dialogue.”