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Anti-Taliban forces building up in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley : Russia
Russia | Taliban
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Anti-Taliban forces building up in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley : Russia

| @indiablooms | 20 Aug 2021, 02:32 am

Moscow: Armed resistance against the Taliban is building up in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley with the backing of deposed vice-president Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, the son of anti-Taliban fighter, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said Thursday.

"The Taliban doesn't control the whole territory of Afghanistan," Lavrov told reporters addressing a press conference in Moscow following, reported AFP.

"There are reports of the situation in the Panjshir Valley where the resistance of Afghanistan's vice president Mr Saleh and Ahmad Massoud is concentrated," he said.

Lavrov repeated his appeal for a dialogue involving all political stakeholders in Afghanistan for the establishment of a "representative government", the AFP said.

The Panjshir Valley northeast of Kabul is still not under Taliban's control.

AFP reported citing images shared on social media that Saleh and Masoud, the son of Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, are creating a guerrilla movement to take on the Taliban.

Russia is concerned that the instability may spill over to neighbouring ex-Soviet states and is taking cautious steps to set up contact with the Taliban.

While other countries evacuated their embassies in a hurry and under heavy security cover, Russia said its embassy will continue to function in Kabul.

Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters on Thursday that the Taliban are "actively restoring order" and have demonstrated their "intent to dialogue", stated the AFP report.

Known for severe treatment of women and hijacking their freedom, Russia said Taliban is "ready to take into account the interest of citizens, including... women's rights".

Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov met the Taliban this week and called his meeting  "positive and constructive".

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