The two elements that keep the only Taliban-resistant Afghan territory standing

days after taking Acceptance on behalf of the Taliban, a group of former Mujahedin and Afghan commandos decided to organize resistance from the last territory not under Taliban control: the Panjshir Valley.

Their boss, Ahmad Massoud, is the son of the legendary commander Mujahideen Ahmad Shah Massoud. Twenty years after his death, his descendant took the lead in his fight against the Taliban and today commands the only active center of resistance in the country. However, your chances of winning seem slim. While there are some strategic advantages to where they are located, the reality is that they are completely surrounded by Islamic fundamentalists and, by not receiving outside help, their supplies are running out quickly.

To date, the resistance is based on two elements that have already become symbols of hope: Panjshir Valley, which has a rich history in terms of resistance to invaders, and the patronymic Massoud in the name of its young chief.

Group spokespersons say that, although they have a good amount of weapons and military equipment, including American helicopters, They must increase their stock if they intend to defeat the Taliban group which today is considerably ahead of them in this regard.

The father of Massoud participated in the defense against Soviet invasions in the 1980s and led the coup that overthrew the communist regime in 1992. For this reason, he was appointed Minister of Defense of the new government formed at that time. In 1996, when the Taliban seized power and besieged Acceptance, had to take refuge in the Panjshir valley. From there he fought the new regime for five years.

September 9, 2001, two days before the attack on the twin towers, was assassinated by members of Al Qaeda as a “gift” from the terrorist group to the Taliban for welcoming them to their country.

However, resistance at the turn of the century had a important advantage which does not exist today: entry of supplies across the border with Tajikistan, which allowed them to rearm permanently. Today’s Taliban, having learned his lesson, completely besieged the Panjshir valley and they cut off all contact with borders and supply lines.

Yes OK Massoud -the heir- does not have the military experience of his father, he is convinced that with his group, they can stand up to the Taliban army. Their demands relate to the creation of an inclusive and representative government in Afghanistan, in which the human rights of all the country’s inhabitants, including women, are guaranteed and which guarantees a foundation of social justice..

However, the chances of the organization achieving its goals and emerging victorious are slim.. a former civil servant the recently overthrown Afghan government, who preferred to remain anonymous given the sensitivity of the matter, he told the newspaper The New York Times: “I don’t think the resistance will last long without international help. I think the Taliban will crush them in the next few months“He added.

In this aspect lies the main difference between father and son and their respective movements: Massoud Sr. had the support of regional neighbors such as Russia, India, Iran and Tajikistan.

Anyway, there is reasons to be somewhat optimistic. Mainly, as shown Martin Bek, a former member of the Afghan government who led negotiations with the Taliban, “If they start fighting the Taliban, they could become a hope for the whole nation.“Emboldened the opposition and generated a wave of resistance.

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