Afghan rebels deny Taliban claim to Shutul district siege

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Afghan resistance forces in Panjshir have rejected the Taliban’s claim against the siege of the province’s Shutul district.

Resistance forces had repulsed the Taliban and killed dozens of Taliban members during the encounter, Fahim Dashti, a spokesman for the Afghan Northern Resistance Front, said according to the Khaama Press.

“Dozens of corpses of Taliban fighters are being left on the ground and the latter have asked tribal elders from Parwan province to mediate and let them take their corpses,” Dashti said.

The resistance forces also claim to have killed at least 350 members of the Islamist group and maimed 290 others.

Several photos from the province showed Afghan resistance forces using rocket launchers, missiles and other weapons belonging to the era of the Soviet Union, The Khaama Press reported.

These developments came a day after the Taliban said they had killed 34 members and seized 11 checkpoints of the Afghan resistance forces in the northern province of Panjshir.

Information about the incident was provided to Sputnik by Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

The Taliban attack on Panjshir was launched after negotiations with resistance leader Ahmad Massoud failed.

In another recent development, Afghan local media have reported that Taliban co-founder Mullah Baradar will lead the country’s forthcoming government.

Baradar, who heads the Taliban’s political bureau in Doha, will be joined by Mullah Mohammad Yaqoob, son of the late Taliban co-founder Mullah Omar, and Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai, in senior government positions, Tolo News reported citing Islamic group sources.