Taliban fighters broke out into prayers as their banner fluttered from a flagpole in Panjshir on Monday, after the group announced the capture of the last pocket of resistance to their rule.
Taliban members patrol after they took over Panjshir Valley, the only province the group had not seized during its sweep last month, on 6 September, 2021.
"With this victory, our country is completely taken out of the quagmire of war," the Taliban's chief spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.Soon after, in a photograph released by Taliban official Bilal Karimi, the same picture of Mr Massoud is seen with his face ripped out. Taliban gunmen then stand posing in front of the ragged portrait.
But they also said their fighters were still present in "strategic positions" across the valley, and that they were continuing the struggle. The 115-kilometre-long valley surrounded by jagged snow-capped peaks offers defenders a natural military advantage, allowing them to use the high positions to ambush attacking forces below.Previously, Panjshir's fighters melted away in the face of advancing forces, hiding in canyons off the main valley, then launching guerilla raids.
Australia Latest News, Australia Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Panjshir resistance holds as Taliban yet to name governmentFighting 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.
Read more »
Taliban claim last holdouts in Afghanistan have been crushed — but resistance say they fight onThe Taliban claim to have taken control of Panjshir province, the last holdout following the stunning capture of Kabul and the chaotic withdrawal of foreign troops.
Read more »
Taliban say they have taken Panjshir, last holdout Afghan provinceMany people are still hoping to leave the country, but with Kabul's airport not yet running international flights, their choices are few. 9News
Read more »
Afghan resistance leader Massoud open to talks with TalibanThe head of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan says he is willing to continue negotiations to stop fighting in Panjshir, as the Taliban claim to gain ground in the last rebel stronghold.
Read more »
Search for three-year-old boy missing from NSW Hunter region enters fourth dayNSW Police continue to search for three-year-old 'AJ' Elfalak who went missing from his family's Hunter Valley property on Friday.
Read more »
'Indescribable': Afghanistan's Paralympians defy the Taliban to compete in TokyoAfghanistan's two Paralympic athletes thank Australia for the role it played in helping them realise their dreams after an ABC interview helped kick-start a rescue operation from Kabul airport.
Read more »