September 4, 2021
07:03
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Heavy fighting continues in the Panjshir Valley – the last bastion of resistance against the Taliban in Afghanistan, the BBC reported, BTA reports.
Representatives of the Islamist movement told Reuters that the area north of the capital Kabul has been taken. However, the allegation was denied by sources of resistance, which included former Afghan security forces and local militias.
One of its leaders, former Vice President Amrula Saleh, denied reports that he had fled Afghanistan. The situation is difficult, however, he acknowledged.
Saleh sent a video message to the BBC to reassure locals that he had not fled Afghanistan. However, the British media made a reservation that they could not confirm his whereabouts.
Hundreds have been reported killed in fighting in the Panjshir Valley.
The province of the same name is one of the smallest in Afghanistan and the last not to be conquered by the Taliban, the BBC notes.
Traditionally an anti-Taliban bastion, the valley hidden behind high mountains is home to between 150,000 and 200,000 people.
Yesterday, the European Union and Britain followed the example of the United States, saying they would maintain contact with the Taliban but would not recognize their regime in Afghanistan. The EU has announced plans to restore its diplomatic presence in Kabul to monitor the evacuation of people and the new Taliban leaders’ compliance with their commitments, including in the area of security and human rights, the BBC reports.
Interaction with the Taliban will take place under strict conditions and will be aimed only at supporting the Afghan people, said the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Joseph BorrellJosep Boról Fontѐles is a Spanish politician from the Spanish Socialist Workers’.
