By Mrityunjoy Kumar Jha
New Delhi, Aug 24: The Taliban is caught in a fierce battle with fighters of the Northern Alliance as it tries to push into the formidable Panjshir valley.
According to credible Twitter handlers of Northern Alliance or National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, "Qari Fasih Salahuddin, who is leading the Taliban's offensive against Northern Alliance at Panjshir is also trapped in a valley near Northern Salang. Anti-Taliban resistance is after him. He will be captured alive or will be hunted tonight," says one post.
The fact is corroborated by the leader Amrullah Saleh.
"Talibs have massed forces near the entrance of Panjshir a day after they got trapped in ambush zones of neighboring Andarab valley & hardly went out in one piece. Meanwhile Salang highway is closed by the forces of the Resistance. "There are terrains to be avoided". See you."
Northern Alliance claims that on Sunday night two Bridges in North Salang got blown up by the northern resistance forces, cutting off the supply route for Talibani to Kabul. Taliban were also ambushed before entering.
According to the Northern Alliance, Yar Muhammad Dostum, son of Afghan Marshal Abdul Rashid Dostum has already in Panjshir valley with a large detachment and fighting against on the front line.
Panjshir valley is a narrow winding valley along the Panjshir river and surrounded by the rocky mountains dominating the entry, exit and all movement along the only access road along the river. This place is known as the graveyard of the Soviets troops. The valley is a closed impregnable fortress that has remained a defeated endeavour to all invaders.
Tajik leaders of the northern Alliance are also trying to include Uzbek, Hazara and other groups against the Taliban like in the 1990s during the time of Ahmad Shah Massoud. The Lion of Panjshir. The Northern Alliance was supported by the US, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Iran and India. India played a very significant role in providing a vital logistics link to the Northern Alliance from the Farkhor Air Base in Tajikistan where a field hospital was also established.
Once again, Afghanistan's last free citadel is fighting against the Taliban for free Afghanistan - the biggest nightmare for the Taliban.