Taliban Seizes Districts in Afghanistan's Baghlan
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The Taliban declared their control over three districts in the northern province of Baghlan that were seized by opposition groups last week.
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Hundreds of Taliban fighters are heading to the Panjshir Valley
The Taliban declared, on Monday, their control over a number of districts in the northern province of Baghlan, after clashes with local groups.
The movement posted pictures and videos on social media showing Taliban fighters celebrating capturing multiple buildings in Baghlan.
Afghanistan's Defense Minister General Bismillah Mohammadi had formerly declared that opposition groups have seized control of three districts in the northern province of Baghlan, previously controlled by the Taliban.
Meanwhile, battles between opposition groups and the Taliban continue in northern Afghanistan in some of the first armed clashes since the hasty US withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The Taliban movement announced on Sunday that "hundreds” of its fighters are heading to the Panjshir Valley north of Afghanistan's capital Kabul, where armed forces are attempting to organize their ranks and confront the movement.
“Hundreds of Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are heading towards the state of Panjshir to control it after local state officials refused to hand it over peacefully,” the movement wrote on its Arabic Twitter account.
Furthermore, thousands of people have made their way to Panjshir since the Taliban took control of the country, to both join the fight and find a safe haven to continue their lives.
In the Panjshir Valley, Ahmad Masoud, the son of the late Afghan leader Ahmad Shah Masoud, who was assassinated by Al-Qaeda two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks, has gathered a fighting force of approximately 9,000 members, according to Nazary.
Moreover, Masoud stated on Sunday, that he hopes to negotiate with the Taliban, adding that his forces are also prepared for conflict, and if the Taliban do not negotiate they will be met with resistance across the country.
"We want to make the Taliban realize that the only way forward is through negotiation," he told Reuters by telephone.
"We do not want a war to break out," he added.
Concerning what happened at Kabul airport last Sunday, the Taliban blamed the US for the chaos that ensued during the evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans and foreigners from the city.
Thousands of people who want to flee Afghanistan continue to wait around Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Meanwhile, Taliban and NATO officials said on Thursday that 12 people have been killed in and around Kabul's airport since the Taliban seized the city.
