Fighting continues between the Taliban and resistance forces in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, as the Taliban finalise a new government that will set the tone for their rule.
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.AAP
Fighters from the so-called National Resistance Front - made up of anti-Taliban militia and former Afghan security forces -- are understood to have stockpiled a significant armoury in the valley, around 80 kilometres north of Kabul and guarded by a narrow gorge.Celebratory gunfire rang out in the capital Kabul overnight as rumours 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 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.
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. 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.
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