KABUL— Fresh fighting was reported Saturday between the Taliban and
resistance forces in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, as the hardline Islamists
finalize a new government that will set the tone for their rule.
اضافة اعلان
Facing the challenge of morphing from insurgents to rulers, the Taliban
appear determined to snuff out the
Panjshir resistance before announcing who
will lead the country in the aftermath of Monday's US troop withdrawal, which
was supposed to end two decades of war.
But Panjshir, which held out for nearly a decade against the Soviet Union's
occupation and also the Taliban's first rule from 1996–2001, is stubbornly
holding out.
Fighters from the so-called National Resistance Front (NRF) — made up of
anti-Taliban militia and former Afghan security forces — are understood to have
stockpiled a significant armory in the valley, around 80km north of Kabul and
guarded by a narrow gorge.
'Under invasion'
Celebratory gunfire rang out in the capital Kabul overnight as rumors spread
the valley had fallen, but the Taliban made no official claim Saturday and a
resident told AFP by phone that the reports were false.
The Emergency Hospital in Kabul said two people were killed and 20 wounded
by the salvos, as the Taliban tweeted a stern admonishment and warned its
fighters to stop.
"Avoid firing in the air and thank God instead," said chief
spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, tipped to become the new regime's information minister.
"The weapons and bullets given to you are public property. No one has
the right to waste them. The bullets can also harm civilians, don't shoot in
vain."
In Panjshir, former vice-president Amrullah Saleh, holed out alongside Ahmad
Massoud — the son of legendary anti-Taliban commander Ahmad Shah Massoud — admitted the
perilous position of the NRF.
"The situation is difficult, we have been under invasion," Saleh
said in a video message.
Usually known for his sharp Western suits, Saleh was filmed wearing a
traditional shalwar kameez tunic and a flat woollen pakol cap favored by
Panjshiris.
"The resistance is continuing and will continue," he added.
Taliban and resistance tweets suggested the key district of Paryan had
changed hands several times in the last few days, but that also could not be
independently verified.
Aid talks
Away from the valley, the international community was coming to terms with
having to deal with the new Taliban regime with a flurry of diplomacy.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is due on Sunday in Qatar, a key player
in the Afghan saga and the location of the Taliban's political office, though
he is not expected to meet with the militants.
He will then travel to Germany, to lead a virtual 20-nation ministerial
meeting on Afghanistan alongside German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas.
Pakistan's intelligence chief Faiz Hameed was in Kabul, meanwhile. Hameed
was reportedly in the city to be briefed by his country's ambassador but is
also likely to meet top
Taliban officials with whom Islamabad has historically
had very close relations.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is also set to convene a high-level
meeting on Afghanistan in Geneva on September 13, to focus on humanitarian
assistance for the country.
The United Nations has already restarted humanitarian flights to parts of
Afghanistan, while the country's flag carrier Ariana Afghan Airlines
resumed domestic trips on Friday and the United Arab Emirates sent a plane
carrying "urgent medical and food aid".
Western Union and Moneygram, meanwhile, said they were restarting cash
transfers, which many Afghans rely on from relatives abroad to survive.
China has already confirmed it will keep its embassy in Kabul open.
Afghanistan's new rulers have pledged to be more accommodating than during
their first stint in power, which also came after years of conflict — first the
Soviet invasion of 1979, and then a bloody civil war.
That regime was notorious for its brutal interpretation of Islamic law, and
its treatment of women, who were forced inside and denied access to school and
work.
This time around, the Taliban have made repeated declarations that they will
not carry out revenge attacks on opponents, and women will have access to
education and some employment.
They have promised a more "inclusive" government that represents
Afghanistan's complex ethnic makeup — though women are unlikely to be included
at the top levels.
In Kabul, dozens of women protested for a second day Saturday to demand the
right to work and inclusion in the government.
Social media clips showed Taliban fighters and officials attempting to
disperse the demonstrators and stopping people from filming with mobile phones.
Asked about the delay in naming the government, Australia-based Afghanistan
expert Nishank Motwani told AFP it was likely a combination of factors.
"First reason is that the Taliban themselves have been stunned by their
military success," he said.
"If they get Panjshir before the government is formed it is good for
their propaganda value but that is not the reason."
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