Afghan Resistance Force Spokesperson & Ahmad Massoud’s Nephew Killed By Taliban In Panjshir

New Delhi: The Afghan national resistance front has received back-to-back setbacks on Monday as Fahim Dashty, the spokesperson of Ahmad Massoud, who was leading a resistance movement to the Taliban, was killed during fighting with the Taliban in Panjshir, according to a report by TOLOnews.

Another senior member of their group, General Abdul Wudod Zara has been killed during the standoff between rebel forces and the Taliban, quotes ANI.

Dashti was a senior member of the Jamiat-e-Islami party and a member of the Federation of Afghan Journalists and General Wudod was the nephew of Panjshir resistance leader Ahmad Massoud. 

In a statement on Facebook, the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan said, ” With deep touch and regret, we lost two dear brothers and colleagues and fighters today. Fahim Dashty, the head of the office of Amir Saheb Ahmad Masoud, and General Sahib Abdul Wadood Zhor, the nephew of the national hero of Afghanistan in the battle against the fascist group. Congratulations on your martyrdom!”

National resistance force head proposes negotiation talks with Taliban

A day earlier, Ahmad Massoud, the leader of the resistance forces in Afghanistan’s northeastern province of Panjshir said resistance forces are ready to cease fighting and start negotiations if the Taliban leave the province. He welcomed proposals from religious scholars for a negotiated settlement to end the fighting.

Ahmad Massoud, head of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRFA), made the announcement on the group’s Facebook page. 

“The NRF in principle agree to solve the current problems and put an immediate end to the fighting and continue negotiations,” Massoud said in the Facebook post.

“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,” he said, referring to a district in the neighbouring province of Baghlan, as quoted by Reuters.

A large gathering of all sides with the Ulema council of religious scholars could then be held, he said.

Earlier, Afghan media outlets reported that religious scholars had called on the Taliban to accept a negotiated settlement to end the fighting in Panjshir.

However, there was no immediate response from the Taliban.

The Panjshir Valley lies in the Hindu Kush mountains, approximately 90 miles north of Kabul. The Taliban have been unable to take this major holdout of resistance after steamrolling across pro-government troops in a matter of months. The war over Panjshir province escalated from Friday night.