In first local resistance, Taliban lose 3 districts in Baghlan province

Five days after the resurgent Taliban took over Kabul, the Islamist group has reportedly received a rude jolt in northern Baghlan province of Afghanistan’s Pol-e-Hesar district following clashes with armed local militia on Friday (August 20), Afghan news agency Khaama reported.

The locals also claimed to have recaptured two other districts Deh Salah and Qasaan.

The news agency quoted a tweet by former acting minister of defence Bismillah Muhammadi as saying: “Resisting the Taliban terrorists is our duty # Pul-e-Hesar, Deh Salah and Banu districts in Baghlan have been occupied by the resistance forces. Resistance is still alive.”

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Bismillah is reportedly living in Panjsheer province, the only region out of the Taliban control in Afghanistan.

Local residents claim to have killed nearly 40 Talibani terrorists and wounded at least 15. The Taliban have not commented yet.

The terror group August 19 imposed a curfew in Kabul ordering residents not to leave their homes after 9 pm except in emergencies.

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The Taliban entered the presidential palace in Kabul soon after President Ashraf Ghani left the country. The terror group’s control has frightened people to flee the nation.

The Taliban are in talks with the local Afghan leaders in an attempt to form a government and fill the power vacuum.

Some of the northern areas of Afghanistan have always resisted the Taliban. After 1996, when the Taliban first usurped power, a grouping called Northern Alliance of local warlords headed by Ahmed Shah Masood had put up strong resistance. Masood, known as the ‘Lion of Panjsheer valley’ was killed in a suicide attack days before 9/11. Today, his son Ahmed Masood heads the alliance and has vowed to resist the At present, Taliban advance in the north. In an article in Washington Post recently, he appealed to western powers to help the group militarily.