On Monday, the Taliban seized the last province in Afghanistan that had managed to resist the takeover that began last month. 

Photo Credit: BBC

The humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan worsens as the Taliban now effectively controls the entire country. The northern province’s eight districts fell to Taliban fighters that charged on Sunday night. 

In Kabul on Monday, Taliban spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, said in a news conference, “We tried our best to solve the problem through negotiations, and they rejected talks and then we had to send our forces to fight.” 

However, the resistance claims Panjshir was not a complete capture. 

Photo Credit: The Khaama Press News Agency

The resistance is lead by the former vice president, Amrullah Saleh, and, son of the Northern Alliance leader who successfully resisted the Taliban in the 1990s. Although their whereabouts are unknown, after the fall of Panjshir, Massoud has vowed to keep fighting. 

Prior to the Taliban fighters’ attack on Sunday, Massoud tried to negotiate a cease-fire. “The NRF in principle agree to solve the current problems and put an immediate end to the fighting and continue negotiations,” Massoud said via Facebook. “To reach a lasting peace, the NRF is ready to stop fighting on condition that Taliban also stop their attacks and military movements on Panjshir and Andarab.”

On Monday, Massoud claimed the Taliban attacked even as they were ready to agree. According to a transcript of a recording, he said, “they began a full-scale military offensive on our people which led to numerous victims, among them my close family members.”

Photo Credit: Twitter via @timuridtimurid

Although there has been no statement from Amrullah Saleh, Massoud claims their forces are still positioned across the Panjshir Valley. It is hard to know exactly what took place in Panjshir but, the resistance remains, particularly in the north.