Fahim Dashti, a spokesman of Ahmad Massoud’s National Resistance Front (NRF) was killed in fighting in Panjshir province on Sunday. The news was confirmed by the NRF. According to the report, NRF commander, General Abdul Wadud Zareh,uncle of Ahmad Masoud and nephew of the “lion of Panjshir” Ahmad Shah Massoud also died in a drone attack. Dashti said on Sunday that “heavy clashes” were under way in Panjshir Valley.
Fahim Dashti, a key member of Jamiat party and spokesperson of the Anti-Taliban resistance forces killed in Panjshir war.
Dashti was in a room where Ahmad Shah Massoud was assassinated in 9/9/2001 but he survived. Today after 20 years in 5/9/2021 he was killed in Panjshir. pic.twitter.com/oxemlglHWV— khalilminawi (@khminawi) September 5, 2021
Two decades back, Dashti survived the attack on Ahmad Shah Massoud, the leader of the National Front on September 9, two days before 9/11, by suicide bombers of the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The senior Massoud was killed in the attack. Dashti said that if Massoud was around today, he would have “favoured a peace deal but not a deal that will facilitate the return of a terrorist group to power".
The other survivor was Masood Khalili, a close confidant of Ahmad Shah Massoud and former Afghan ambassador to India and the US.
“Fahim Dashti and General Abdul , were among the same men who sacrificed their lives and were martyred by the Taliban,” he wrote on twitter.
قربانی در راه آزادی و عدالت اجتماعی وقاریست بزرگ و افتخاریست جاویدان .
سنگر داران ما فهیم دشتی و جنرال عبدلودود از همان رادمردانی بودند که در برابر طالبان جان فدا کرده و بشهادت سیدند .گلاب ِ صبر ز گلزار ِگلرخان ِشهید/
شفای ملت ِ پر درد و داغدار بیار .
م.خ pic.twitter.com/xSNkPafJoi— Masood Khalili (@MasoodKhalili) September 6, 2021
According to the NRF, the Taliban, since Sunday have been using Pakistani drones and helicopters to attack the Panjshir valley. Massoud and Saleh’s houses were twice targeted by attack helicopters. Both the leaders were moved to different locations, an Afghan journalist Bilal Sarwary wrote on Twitter.
Sarfaraz, one commander of NRF confirmed the news that his force was being attacked by the Pakistani drones. “We are being bombed by Pakistani drones. We are under direct invasion of ISI. Spread our words. Our civilians are under target. This could be my last tweet forever if you don't hear from me in some days”.
I have got a few seconds of Satalite internet. We are being bombed by Pakistani drones. We are under direct invasion of ISI. Spread our words. Our civilians are under target.
This could be my last tweet forever if you dont hear from me in some days.#StandWithPanjshir
— Sarfaraz (@Sarfaraz1201) September 5, 2021
Taliban claimed on Sunday that it had taken full control of the Panjshir valley, while Ahmad Massoud called for a halt to the fighting and peaceful negotiations to resolve differences between the Taliban and opposition groups.
“The Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are actively present in all areas and districts of Panjshir. All the areas are under the control of the Mujahideen. They only faced resistance in Bazarak in the centre of Panjshir,” claimed Ahmadullah Wasiq, deputy head of the Taliban’s Cultural Commission,
Wasiq’s assertion came at a time when the Director General of Pakistan’s Inter-Services Intelligence agency (ISI), Faiz Hameed, arrived in Kabul on Saturday to sort out internal differences among the Taliban, and to help the group to strategise to defeat the resistance in Panjshir, which has never been conquered by the group, even during its previous rule in the mid-nineties.
Pakistan is providing air support to Taliban fighters in Panjshir, says the NRF, adding that some Pakistani commandos have been airdropped to help the Taliban.
Meanwhile, Massoud said in the Facebook post that the resistance in principle agreed to solve the current problems and put an immediate end to the fighting and continue negotiations. “To reach a lasting peace, the NRF is ready to stop fighting on condition that Taliban also stop their attacks and military movements on Panjshir and Andarab.”
The Taliban rejected the offer for talks aimed at ending the war in the province. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the opportunity for talks had been missed.
Also Read: Taliban wants to kill Ahmad Massoud in battle, says former Afghan Ambassador
Also Read: Hamid Karzai urges end to fighting between Panjshir resistance and a fractured Taliban
