Isolated resistance continues amid Talibans efforts to form govt

-- Resistance against the Taliban has been continuing in Panjshir's neighboring Andarab area of northern Baghan province.

-- Ahmad Masoud, son of Afghan national hero and the late anti-Taliban resistance leader Ahmad Shah Masoud, said he supports peace talks. However, he vowed to defend Panjshir if talks fail.

-- A Taliban spokesman said the group's leaders have been engaged with Afghan politicians to form a broad-based government to represent all Afghans.

In the latest development, Taliban forces have captured Andarab's Banu, Deh Salah and Pul-e-Hisar districts of the northern Baghlan province but anti-Taliban forces have been fighting back to evict the Taliban forces.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the Taliban forces have "cleared Banu, Deh Salah and Pul-e-Hisar districts from the enemies" and more from Takhar, Badakhshan and Andarab have arrived around Panjshir to tighten the noose around the valley.

Mujahid also noted that the Taliban has been endeavoring to settle the standoff with Panjshir's anti-Taliban forces through talks to extend the Taliban rule there.

Ahmad Masoud, the son of Afghan national hero and the late anti-Taliban resistance leader Ahmad Shah Masoud, said that he supports peace talks. However, Ahmad Masoud vowed to defend Panjshir if talks fail.

Panjshir is the only province among Afghanistan's 34 provinces that is out of Taliban's control.

The isolated resistances would expand if the Taliban fails to bring Panjshir under control, local observers believe.

Since the fall of Kabul to the Taliban on Aug. 15, security has returned to the war-torn Afghanistan and all big cities including the capital city Kabul have remained peaceful and no violent incident has been reported.

However, many government departments have remained closed in spite of Taliban's repeated calls on government employees to return to their offices.

Taliban leaders including the group's second-in-command Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar have been engaged with Afghan politicians to form a broad-based government to represent all Afghans, Mujahid said.

Although peace has returned, many Afghans are still doubtful about the future, that is why thousands of Afghans have rushed to the airport to leave their homeland, according to local observers.