Taliban take control of Panjshir valley

The Taliban have fought their way to the capital of Panjshir, the last Afghan province resisting their rule. The group seemed heading for total victory.

The Taliban posted pictures on social media showing fighters standing in front of the gate of the governor’s compound. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid issued a statement saying Panjshir was under the control of Taliban fighters. “With this victory, our country is completely taken out of the quagmire of war,” he wrote.

If Taliban control is confirmed, it would be the first time the valley has fallen since the start of Afghanistan’s four decades of conflict. It was a centre of anti-Soviet resistance in the 1980s, and then a holdout against the Taliban in the 1990s.