National Resistance Front, led by Ahmad Massoud, says they have seized three Afghan districts - a claim swiftly rejected by the Taliban government.
Iran and the Taliban appeared to have reached some degree of regional understanding. But it turned out to be a short-lived optimism with Tehran showing signs of unease.
Taliban forces reach Anabah district, some 25 kms north inside 115-km-long valley, says Italian aid agency, which runs a hospital there. Unconfirmed reports suggest Taliban fighters seized other areas too from so-called National Resistance Front.
The Taliban is still battling to extinguish the last flame of resistance in the Panjshir Valley, as rumours spread the valley had fallen but no official claim has been made by the group.
A spokesperson for National Resistance Forces, a group loyal to Ahmad Massoud, says fighting occurred on the western entrance to the valley where the Taliban attacked NRF positions.
The Biden administration says it will hunt down the attackers of the deadly Kabul explosions, but the real question is how the Taliban will react.
US President Biden is under increasing pressure to extend an August 31 deadline to pull out American forces, with Britain to lobby at a virtual G7 summit for a longer presence.
Ahmad Massoud – leader of anti-Taliban National Resistance Front – warns war will be "unavoidable" if Afghanistan's new rulers refuse dialogue. Meanwhile, Taliban sends "hundreds" of fighters to holdout valley.
Tucked away in the mountains, the region has withstood forces wishing to tame its population for 200 years. The Taliban are the only ones who've got a second chance.
The best scenario for the Afghan government appears to reestablish a political stalemate with the Taliban, but even that could favour the armed group in the long run.
Ahmad Massoud envisions a political setup in which people of every ethnicity have a say.
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