Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley is in the news for last few days. Firstly because of the resistance movement led by Ahmed Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, ex Vice President who declared himself as president after Mr Ashraf Ghani fled from the country fearing his life from Taliban and secondly because it its strategic location.

Panjshir valley has never been captured by any invading force which is due to its topography &amp; strategic location. During ancient times and the invasion of Greek Armies under Alexender, the valley could not be won until Alexender himself made a treaty with the ethnic tribes located here and gave them place in his Army.

<img alt="Panjshir Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="c5a03ed9-ae83-4498-bdaf-cb49934fa17b" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9LJ8KR.jpg" />

During the Khalsa rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the valley remained totally untouched. Even during various Afghan Wars, British Forces never dared to enter the valley by force. History is evident that anyone who tried to do so, perished in the mountains of Hindukush. Panjshir has a legend that during 10th Century AD, five brothers constructed a dam on the orders of the ruler of Ghazni (Probably Mehmood of Ghazni) after which they were given title of Sher (Lion) and their place of residence became “Panjshir Valley”. Currently it is home to over a lakh ethnic Tajik people who settled in this area for a long time.&nbsp;

During the Soviet Invasion, the valley gained notoriety when it was unconquered for almost ten years despite of soviet forces trying all their weapons and tactics. It became their graveyard too. Legendary Ahmed Shah Massoud popularly known as “Lion of Panjshir” repulsed every attack and controlled the valley until he was assassinated in 2001. Despite of all their efforts Taliban 1.0 (Initial Taliban which came in power during 1994-1997) was not able to even enter the valley and the land of five lions remained undefeated even till now.

<img alt="Panjshir valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="a2724c55-7afc-4d25-90e8-44fb93d40d5d" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9LJ8KG.jpg" />

Only whose people were able to enter the valley who maintained a healthy relationship with the Tajiks there. Enemies failed miserably. This is the prime reason why Taliban 2.0 is insisting on talks rather than their common tactics of advancing with force. Recently they retreated from some of the areas too after suffering heavy casualties which proves that Panjshir Valley is not a cakewalk for anyone. Here are five reasons which make this valley special and a graveyard for any invader.

1.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Topography -&nbsp;Panjshir is located in Hindukush Mountains and the entire valley is located along Panjshir River which flows all along its length. The mountain cliffs on both side of the river are very high and have a sheer gradient that it is not possible to cross them through land route. It is not easy to navigate these mountains for anyone. Although the mountains so have some trekking routes which are known only to locals.&nbsp;

<img alt="Panjshir Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="97c0dbeb-a54b-4e1d-9e4d-7574a3360a87" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9LJ8KM.jpg" />

2.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Limited approach routes - Approaching this valley is a big challenge. It has two prominent passes which are the only gateway to the outside world. Khawak Pass connects it with Baghlan Province of and Anjuman Pass which connects it to Badakhshan provinces of Afghanistan. Except these two passes, there is another route through Jabal Siraj which connects it with Bagram and Kabul but that is not so significant for a large force to enter the valley. Topography of the two passes mentioned above is also complicated and any advancing force can be stopped easily by a group of mercenaries.&nbsp;

Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/afghan-envoy-says-panjshir-province-can-be-anti-taliban-stronghold-406654">Afghan envoy says Panjshir province can be anti-Taliban stronghold</a>

3.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Ethnic Affiliation -&nbsp;Almost 100% of the population of this valley are Ethnic Tajiks who are very closely associated with each other. Being Tajik, they do get support from Tajikistan. Since some of the routes across Badakhshan are connected to Tajikistan, the support lines are well laid and people as well as government in Tajikistan is always ready to help their fellow Tajik people.&nbsp;

4.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Rich in resources - Among all the regions of Afghanistan, Panjshir valley is among the richest when it comes to natural resources. The valley is fed by Panjshir River which helps in irrigation and drinking water, it has rich deposits of Silver, Various types of crystals including Emeralds and rare earth minerals too. Due to its topography, mining of such resources was limited however the people staying here have been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the living standard of Panjshir Valley is better than the national average of Afghanistan.&nbsp;

5.&nbsp;&nbsp; &nbsp;Fortress of Tajik Fighters - Tajik fighters have been fighting the invading forces for over four decades. Initially it was Soviet Union, then Taliban 1.0 and once again Taliban 2.0. Over these years, they have converted this valley into a formidable fortress. They built tunnels, underground bunkers, Bunkers and fortifications on all approaches, escape routes and routes to misguide any invader. These have helped them to survive till now.&nbsp;

<img alt="Panjshir Valley" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="64ade48f-82af-4b18-96e8-44bee297d1bd" src="//cdn.wionews.com/sites/default/files/inline-images/000_9LJ8JP.jpg" />

It is not unusual to call Panjshir Valley as graveyard of the invaders because anyone who tried to conquer it by force, perished in these mountains right from Greeks, Central Asian invaders, Persians, British, Soviet and even Taliban. Current resistance movement is led by Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh who is known to be a spy master. So far, his forces have been successful against Taliban in the Valley and nearby areas but to liberate Afghanistan, they must come out of their fortress which is Panjshir Valley to fight. How will they succeed in this, only time can answer?

(Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley is in the news for last few days. Firstly because of the resistance movement led by Ahmed Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, ex Vice President who declared himself as president after Mr Ashraf Ghani fled from the country fearing his life from Taliban and secondly because it its strategic location.

Afghanistan’s Panjshir Valley is in the news for last few days. Firstly because of the resistance movement led by Ahmed Massoud and Amrullah Saleh, ex Vice President who declared himself as president after Mr Ashraf Ghani fled from the country fearing his life from Taliban and secondly because it its strategic location. Panjshir valley has never been captured by any invading force which is due to its topography & strategic location. During ancient times and the invasion of Greek Armies under Alexender, the valley could not be won until Alexender himself made a treaty with the ethnic tribes located here and gave them place in his Army. During the Khalsa rule of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the valley remained totally untouched. Even during various Afghan Wars, British Forces never dared to enter the valley by force. History is evident that anyone who tried to do so, perished in the mountains of Hindukush. Panjshir has a legend that during 10th Century AD, five brothers constructed a dam on the orders of the ruler of Ghazni (Probably Mehmood of Ghazni) after which they were given title of Sher (Lion) and their place of residence became “Panjshir Valley”. Currently it is home to over a lakh ethnic Tajik people who settled in this area for a long time. During the Soviet Invasion, the valley gained notoriety when it was unconquered for almost ten years despite of soviet forces trying all their weapons and tactics. It became their graveyard too. Legendary Ahmed Shah Massoud popularly known as “Lion of Panjshir” repulsed every attack and controlled the valley until he was assassinated in 2001. Despite of all their efforts Taliban 1.0 (Initial Taliban which came in power during 1994-1997) was not able to even enter the valley and the land of five lions remained undefeated even till now. Only whose people were able to enter the valley who maintained a healthy relationship with the Tajiks there. Enemies failed miserably. This is the prime reason why Taliban 2.0 is insisting on talks rather than their common tactics of advancing with force. Recently they retreated from some of the areas too after suffering heavy casualties which proves that Panjshir Valley is not a cakewalk for anyone. Here are five reasons which make this valley special and a graveyard for any invader. 1. Topography - Panjshir is located in Hindukush Mountains and the entire valley is located along Panjshir River which flows all along its length. The mountain cliffs on both side of the river are very high and have a sheer gradient that it is not possible to cross them through land route. It is not easy to navigate these mountains for anyone. Although the mountains so have some trekking routes which are known only to locals. 2. Limited approach routes - Approaching this valley is a big challenge. It has two prominent passes which are the only gateway to the outside world. Khawak Pass connects it with Baghlan Province of and Anjuman Pass which connects it to Badakhshan provinces of Afghanistan. Except these two passes, there is another route through Jabal Siraj which connects it with Bagram and Kabul but that is not so significant for a large force to enter the valley. Topography of the two passes mentioned above is also complicated and any advancing force can be stopped easily by a group of mercenaries. Also Read: Afghan envoy says Panjshir province can be anti-Taliban stronghold 3. Ethnic Affiliation - Almost 100% of the population of this valley are Ethnic Tajiks who are very closely associated with each other. Being Tajik, they do get support from Tajikistan. Since some of the routes across Badakhshan are connected to Tajikistan, the support lines are well laid and people as well as government in Tajikistan is always ready to help their fellow Tajik people. 4. Rich in resources - Among all the regions of Afghanistan, Panjshir valley is among the richest when it comes to natural resources. The valley is fed by Panjshir River which helps in irrigation and drinking water, it has rich deposits of Silver, Various types of crystals including Emeralds and rare earth minerals too. Due to its topography, mining of such resources was limited however the people staying here have been able to maintain a healthy lifestyle and the living standard of Panjshir Valley is better than the national average of Afghanistan. 5. Fortress of Tajik Fighters - Tajik fighters have been fighting the invading forces for over four decades. Initially it was Soviet Union, then Taliban 1.0 and once again Taliban 2.0. Over these years, they have converted this valley into a formidable fortress. They built tunnels, underground bunkers, Bunkers and fortifications on all approaches, escape routes and routes to misguide any invader. These have helped them to survive till now. It is not unusual to call Panjshir Valley as graveyard of the invaders because anyone who tried to conquer it by force, perished in these mountains right from Greeks, Central Asian invaders, Persians, British, Soviet and even Taliban. Current resistance movement is led by Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh who is known to be a spy master. So far, his forces have been successful against Taliban in the Valley and nearby areas but to liberate Afghanistan, they must come out of their fortress which is Panjshir Valley to fight. How will they succeed in this, only time can answer? (Disclaimer: The views of the writer do not represent the views of WION or ZMCL. Nor does WION or ZMCL endorse the views of the writer.)

Opinion | Panjshir Valley: A graveyard for invaders

Panjshir is the only province that has remained out of the Taliban's grip, where Ahmad Massoud, the son of former anti-Taliban leader Ahmad Shah Massoud and leader of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan, has challenged the Taliban rule over the country.

Who is Ahmad Massoud, the face of resistance in Panjshir Valley?

The Taliban have said that hundreds of their fighters are heading for the Panjshir Valley, the centre of the resistance in war-ravaged Afghanistan. The National Resistance Front's Ahmad Massoud has said he wanted to hold negotiations with the hardline Islamist group but that his forces were ready to fight.

Massoud: Only way forward is through negotiation

The Taliban have said that hundreds of their fighters are heading for the Panjshir Valley, which is currently the centre of the resistance in war-ravaged Afghanistan.

Taliban say hundreds of fighters headed to holdout Panjshir Valley

In its statement the Taliban has said that hundreds of its fighters are heading to the Panjshir valley, one of those parts in Afghanistan where the group has not seized control.

Taliban's fighters head to Panjshir valley after capturing major provincial cities of Afghanistan

After taking control of Kabul and several other cities of Afghanistan, the Taliban are now headed towards the Panjshir Valley, which is one of the few parts of the country that is still not under Taliban’s rule.<o:p></o:p>

The group claimed that hundreds of Taliban insurgents are making their way to the northeastern part of the country. Taliban claim they have had to gather their army and march towards the valley only because the state has refused to give up power peacefully.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-to-soon-form-new-government-in-afghanistan-407661" hreflang="en">Taliban to soon form new government in Afghanistan</a>

<o:p></o:p>

"Hundreds of Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are heading towards the state of Panjshir to control it, after local state officials refused to hand it over peacefully," the group wrote on its Arabic Twitter account.<o:p></o:p>

This news has come as it was revealed that hundreds of locals have been making their way to the Panjshir Valley to either save their lives or join the fight against the Taliban. "We are seeing Panjshir become a safe zone for all those groups who feel threatened in other provinces," said Ali Maisam Nazary, Head of Foreign Relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-us-failed-to-bring-order-to-the-airport-407642">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/taliban-us-failed-to-bring-order-to-the-airport-407642/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Meanwhile, Ahmad Massoud, the son of legendary mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud who was assassinated by Al-Qaeda two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks, has started assembling and training a resistance of nearly 9,000 people. This force is being trained to counter the Taliban militants.<o:p></o:p>

"Government forces came to Panjshir from several Afghan provinces," Massoud told Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya broadcaster Sunday.&nbsp;"The Taliban will not last long if it continues on this path. We are ready to defend Afghanistan and we warn of a bloodshed."<o:p></o:p>

After taking control of Kabul and several other cities of Afghanistan, the Taliban are now headed towards the Panjshir Valley, which is one of the few parts of the country that is still not under Taliban’s rule.

After taking control of Kabul and several other cities of Afghanistan, the Taliban are now headed towards the Panjshir Valley, which is one of the few parts of the country that is still not under Taliban’s rule. The group claimed that hundreds of Taliban insurgents are making their way to the northeastern part of the country. Taliban claim they have had to gather their army and march towards the valley only because the state has refused to give up power peacefully. Also read | Taliban to soon form new government in Afghanistan "Hundreds of Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate are heading towards the state of Panjshir to control it, after local state officials refused to hand it over peacefully," the group wrote on its Arabic Twitter account. This news has come as it was revealed that hundreds of locals have been making their way to the Panjshir Valley to either save their lives or join the fight against the Taliban. "We are seeing Panjshir become a safe zone for all those groups who feel threatened in other provinces," said Ali Maisam Nazary, Head of Foreign Relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan. WATCH | Meanwhile, Ahmad Massoud, the son of legendary mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud who was assassinated by Al-Qaeda two days before the September 11, 2001 attacks, has started assembling and training a resistance of nearly 9,000 people. This force is being trained to counter the Taliban militants. "Government forces came to Panjshir from several Afghan provinces," Massoud told Saudi Arabia's Al-Arabiya broadcaster Sunday. "The Taliban will not last long if it continues on this path. We are ready to defend Afghanistan and we warn of a bloodshed."

'Hundreds' of Taliban fighters head towards Panjshir Valley

Forces holding out against the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-releases-propaganda-video-showing-fighters-in-army-uniform-gear-407587">Taliban</a> in northern Afghanistan say they have taken three districts close to the Panjshir valley where remnants of government forces and other militia groups have gathered.

Defence Minister General Bismillah Mohammadi, who has vowed to resist the Taliban, said in a tweet that the districts of Deh Saleh, Bano and Pul-Hesar in the neighbouring province of Baghlan to the north of Panjshir had been taken.

It was not immediately clear what forces were involved but the incident adds to scattered indications of opposition to the Taliban who swept to power in a lightning campaign that saw them take all of Afghanistan's main cities in a week.

Local television station Tolo News quoted a local police commander who said Bano district in Baghlan was under the control of local militia forces and said there had been heavy casualties.

The Taliban have not commented on the incident.

Former Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, son of former anti-Soviet Mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, have vowed to resist the Taliban from Panjshir, which repelled both Soviet forces and the Taliban in the 1980s and 1990s.

People close to Massoud say that more than 6,000 fighters, made up of remnants of army and Special Forces units as well as local militia groups, have gathered in the valley. They say they have some helicopters and military vehicles and have repaired some of the armoured vehicles left behind by the Soviets.

There appeared to be no connection between the groups in Panjshir and apparently uncoordinated demonstrations in some eastern cities and the capital Kabul in which protesters raised the red green and black colours of the Afghan flag.

But they underscore the problems that may face the Taliban as they begin to consolidate their rapid victory.

The Taliban have not so far tried to enter Panjshir, which is still dotted with the wreckage of Soviet armoured vehicles destroyed in the fighting more than 30 years ago.

But Western diplomats and others have expressed scepticism about the ability of the groups gathered there to mount an effective resistance given the lack of outside support and the need to repair and maintain weapons.

The former Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, leaving after 15,000 of its troops were killed and tens of thousands were wounded.

Forces holding out against the Taliban in northern Afghanistan say they have taken three districts close to the Panjshir valley where remnants of government forces and other militia groups have gathered.

Forces holding out against the Taliban in northern Afghanistan say they have taken three districts close to the Panjshir valley where remnants of government forces and other militia groups have gathered. Defence Minister General Bismillah Mohammadi, who has vowed to resist the Taliban, said in a tweet that the districts of Deh Saleh, Bano and Pul-Hesar in the neighbouring province of Baghlan to the north of Panjshir had been taken. It was not immediately clear what forces were involved but the incident adds to scattered indications of opposition to the Taliban who swept to power in a lightning campaign that saw them take all of Afghanistan's main cities in a week. Local television station Tolo News quoted a local police commander who said Bano district in Baghlan was under the control of local militia forces and said there had been heavy casualties. The Taliban have not commented on the incident. Former Vice President Amrullah Saleh and Ahmad Massoud, son of former anti-Soviet Mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, have vowed to resist the Taliban from Panjshir, which repelled both Soviet forces and the Taliban in the 1980s and 1990s. People close to Massoud say that more than 6,000 fighters, made up of remnants of army and Special Forces units as well as local militia groups, have gathered in the valley. They say they have some helicopters and military vehicles and have repaired some of the armoured vehicles left behind by the Soviets. There appeared to be no connection between the groups in Panjshir and apparently uncoordinated demonstrations in some eastern cities and the capital Kabul in which protesters raised the red green and black colours of the Afghan flag. But they underscore the problems that may face the Taliban as they begin to consolidate their rapid victory. The Taliban have not so far tried to enter Panjshir, which is still dotted with the wreckage of Soviet armoured vehicles destroyed in the fighting more than 30 years ago. But Western diplomats and others have expressed scepticism about the ability of the groups gathered there to mount an effective resistance given the lack of outside support and the need to repair and maintain weapons. The former Soviet Union occupied Afghanistan from 1979 to 1989, leaving after 15,000 of its troops were killed and tens of thousands were wounded.

Anti-Taliban forces claim to have taken districts close to Panjshir valley

Afghanistan's Vice President Amrullah Saleh has stayed behind & is building an anti-Taliban resistance in Panjshir Valley. This is a region the Taliban has never managed to conquer. Who is Amrullah Saleh? Can he bring down the Taliban? Palki Sharma gets you a report.

Gravitas: Amrullah Saleh: The face of anti-Taliban resistance

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