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The Taliban claimed to have occupied the Panjshir Valley, the last enclave to resist their rule, and claimed complete control of Afghanistan.
But Ahmed Masood, the leader of the Panjshir Resistance, did not admit defeat, saying that his troops were from the remnants of the Afghan regular army and local militias and were still fighting.
“We are in Panjshir and our resistance will continue,” he said on Twitter. He also said he was safe, but did not disclose the details of his whereabouts.
Following a lightning victory over the security forces of the former Afghan government in mid-August and the withdrawal of the U.S. forces after the 20-year war, the Taliban turned to fighting forces defending the mountainous Panjshir Valley.
When the Taliban announced their victory on Monday, their chief spokesperson warned not to try to rebel against their rule and urged former members of the security forces to join their organization.
Chief Spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said: “With this victory, our country is completely out of the quagmire of war.”
“Anyone who tries to launch a rebellion will be hit hard. We will not allow another one,” he later added at a press conference in Kabul.
The Taliban released a video showing them hoisting their flag over the residence of Governor Panjshir-highlighting the historic victory of the anti-Taliban fortress defeated for the first time in a 40-year conflict.
It remained in the hands of resistance fighters during Soviet rule, the subsequent civil war, and the first time the Taliban came to power in the late 1990s.
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