The Taliban on Monday claimed that they have taken control of Panjshir province, the last resistance stronghold in the country, TOLO News reported on Monday.
"Recent efforts to ensure complete security in the country have also brought results, and the Panjshir province has come under the full control of the Islamic Emirate (the name used by the Taliban)," said Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid.
However, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan has denied Taliban's claim and said that the resistance forces are present at all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight.
They further assured the people of Afghanistan that the struggle against the Taliban and their partners will continue until justice and freedom prevails.
"Taliban's claim of occupying Panjshir is false. The NRF forces are present in all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight. We assure the people of Afghanistan that the struggle against the Taliban & their partners will continue until justice & freedom prevails," tweeted the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan.
After the fall of Kabul on August 15, Panjshir province remained the only defiant holdout where resistance forces led by Ahamd Masoud, the son of late former Afghan guerrilla commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, were fighting the Taliban.
The geography has witnessed heavy conflict between the warring sides in the past four days and both parties are claiming to have inflicted heavy casualties.
Panjshir has been the stronghold of the National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud and former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself caretaker president.
On Sunday, Massoud said that he was ready to cease fighting and start negotiations if the Taliban abandoned the province.
Taliban has been facing stiff resistance after pushing deep into the country's holdout in Panjshir Valley.
Both sides claimed to have the upper hand in Panjshir but neither could produce conclusive evidence to prove it.
