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In Afghanistan, the Panjshir Valley is considered the rebel province against the Taliban, who 20 years after the attacks of September 11, 2001, returned to take power in the country. There, the resistance forms around the Massoud family; Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud expelled first the Soviets from this mountainous territory and then the Taliban in the 1980s-2000s.
The rebel province of Panjshir is located two hours by car north of Kabul, the Afghan capital, which seems to remain isolated and stunned by the Taliban yoke. To get around Panjshir there is only one big road through the valley that winds along the river and crosses the province from north to south for about 100 kilometres. But this area has been under Taliban control for some time, after the major offensive against the resistance in September 2021.
In Panjshir, the entire population is considered part of the resistance, even if they do not carry weapons. Both in the mountains and in the villages, the essence of rebelliousness and loyalty to a family springs up: the Massouds. Commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was victorious against the Soviets in 1989 and a tireless rival to the early Taliban in the 1990s, is a national hero in the valley. His son, the new leader of the resistance, is equally respected in the area, and although he had to leave the valley due to the arrival of the Taliban, he continues his struggle from abroad.
Abandoned Soviet tank shells are a reminder that in Panjshir, the resistance defeated the Russian invader in the late 1980s. But by controlling the valley, the Taliban make life difficult for fighters, blocking arms supply routes.
The leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, Ahmad Massoud, admits how difficult the fight is and shows his lack of understanding: “No foreign country supports us. We are an authentic group that lives thanks to our people. We fight for our freedom and for democracy, therefore, our resources are limited, as well as the fighters we accept”.
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