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The Taliban said they had entered the final holdout area on Sunday in reports of fierce fighting, but anti-Taliban resistance groups denied their allegations and said a number of Taliban terrorists had been captured.
An opposition group in the Panjshir Valley, led by the son of a former anti-Soviet fighter, has held up in the Taliban since the fall of Kabul about three weeks ago.
Taliban spokesman Bilal Karimi wrote on Twitter that Luka’s police headquarters and district center adjacent to the state capital, Bazarac, had been arrested. Opposition forces have caused serious casualties, and many prisoners, weapons and ammunition have been captured, he added.
In a Saturday post on Twitter, Karimi posted a video allegedly showing the Taliban entering Panjshir, saying, “Panjshir’s fine and dignified people are from the alien war and the dirty grip of the spy circle. It’s completely free. ” The Epoch Times failed to verify the authenticity of the video.
Fahim Dashti, a spokesman for the Afghan National Resistance Front, an opposition group, told Reuters that the Taliban are trying to spread publicity and disinformation. “The resistance is ready to continue defending against all forms of attack,” he said.
Another spokesman for the Resistance Group Told to Al Jazeera On Sunday, they captured hundreds of Taliban members, and their troops surrounded “thousands of terrorists” loyal to the Khawak Pass Taliban, adding that the Taliban abandoned their vehicles and equipment.
Talking to a Qatar-owned broadcaster, Dashti said 1,000 Taliban members were killed, injured, or captured in a clash.
The Italian aid group Emergency said the Taliban, designated as a terrorist organization by several US intelligence agencies, has arrived at a trauma hospital operating in Anaba, Panjshir Valley.
Last week, the Taliban claimed that the army dominated Panjshir, but that claim was disputed by resistance fighters. During that time, there were reports of fierce fighting lasting several days, both claiming that it caused a significant number of casualties.
Bill Roggio, editor-in-chief of the Long War Journal, who has recorded conflicts in Afghanistan for decades, said the Resistance Fighters fought a steep uphill battle.
“The Taliban army has been strengthened in the 20 years of war, and no doubt the Taliban trained the army,” Loggio wrote on Twitter. “The Taliban army was infused with a large amount of weapons and ammunition after the United States withdrew and collapsed ANA. [Afghan National Army], “He added.
However, US military chief General Mark Milley said in a weekend interview that the situation is likely to lead to a broader civil war. On the other hand, the subsequent turmoil caused by the war and the hasty evacuation of US troops could allow terrorist groups like ISIS and al-Qaeda to establish a foothold.
“My military estimate is that the conditions are likely to develop a civil war. I don’t know if the Taliban can consolidate power and establish governance,” Millie said.
Jack phillips
Senior reporter
Jack Phillips is a New York-based reporter for The Epoch Times.
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