Afghanistan news: Taliban’s Panjshir victory contested as Blair says invasion was ‘maybe naïve’

Follow developments from Monday below

Free people 'still choose Western values', says Blair

The Taliban’s claim to be in total control of Afghanistan’s Panjshir province has been disputed by the National Resistance Front (NRF), which condemned the declaration as “false”.

A Taliban spokesman on Monday declared victory for the Islamist group, saying it meant “our country is completely taken out of the quagmire of war”. However, resistance fighters swiftly said they were still present in “all strategic positions” and “continue to fight”.

Images on social media appeared to back up the Taliban’s version of events, though.

Meanwhile, Tony Blair has conceded Western forces acted with some naivety during the invasion of Afghanistan two decades ago. But despite being unrealistic about how the country could be remade by foreign occupation, the former prime minister, who ordered British soldiers into the country in 2001, said he continued to believe in liberal intervention.

In a speech this morning, Mr Blair said the chaos that saw tens of thousands flee its returning theocratic rulers showed people identified with Western liberal values no matter where they lived.

Sign The Independent’s petition urging the UK to take in more refugees from Afghanistan here.

Key points

• Resistance fighters say Taliban’s claim of occupying Panjshir ‘false’...
• ...and accuse militant group of killing their spokesperson during fighting
• Facebook post behind minister’s veteran suicide claim ‘likely fake’
• Tony Blair: Western leaders ‘naive’ in 2001 Afghan intervention
• Afghan women university students ordered to cover face
• New Afghan government to be ‘announced soon,’ says Taliban

[6 September 2021 14:53 · Sam Hancock]

Closer look: Panjshir’s history and what occupation means

It seems likely that the Taliban’s alleged takeover of Panjshir province will soon be confirmed by the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF).

The rebel fighters have so far refused to confirm the Taliban’s claims to have taken the last unoccupied patch of the country.

So, what do we know about Panjshir and the battle for the valley?

Where is Panjshir?

Located just north of capital city Kabul, Panjshir is one of the smallest of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces. However, it is of strategic importance, providing a route out of Kabul to the north, where important cities like Mazar-i-Sharif and Kunduz are located.

It is populated largely by ethnic Tajiks, a sizeable minority group in Afghanistan.

The region’s mountainous, rugged terrain and deep central valley give defenders a significant advantage, forcing attackers to traverse steep mountain passes or enter through the mouth of the valley, where they have to face off against foes commanding higher ground.

What is the region’s recent history?

Panjshir was a critical province in the resistance against the Soviet occupation in the 1980s.

It was also the centre of resistance against the Taliban when it ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

What happens next?

The capture of Panjshir would be a significant achievement for the Taliban, who have never been able to hold the valley. But it is not yet clear how much of the province they control.

While the group posted photos of its fighters standing in front of the provincial governor’s compound, much of the province is composed of smaller, remote mountain valleys that provide areas for opposition forces to regroup.

However, NRF leader Ahmad Massoud’s father drew much of his power through access to Tajikistan via Takhar province, which he also controlled. If the Taliban’s claims are true, the militant group now have that, making resupplying any remaining opposition fighters more difficult.

Additional reporting by Reuters

[6 September 2021 15:05 · Sam Hancock]

Watch: Taliban orders women university students to cover faces

As private universities prepared to open on Monday in Afghanistan, women students faced new regulations issued by the Taliban, including having to wear a floor-length abaya and niqab that leaves only the eyes uncovered.

Women must also leave lessons five minutes earlier and stay in waiting rooms until their male counterparts have left the building.

The Taliban has vowed to be more accommodating than their first stint in power, reports Sophie Wingate.

Watch the clip here:

[6 September 2021 15:14 · Sam Hancock]

US confirms first extraction of stranded US citizen

The US confirmed for the first time that it has helped a US citizen and their family members to escape Afghanistan, according to a report by AP.

Officials are said to have achieved the escape by moving the family through an overland route to a neighbouring country.The citizen and their children “successfully departed Afghanistan using an overland route” and were met by American Embassy staff at the border, a US official told the news agency on Monday.

The official would not reveal details of the evacuation or the country in which they arrived, citing security reasons and the need to preserve the viability of the route for possible future efforts.

It marks the first overland extraction the US government has confirmed since it ended its air evacuation effort last week with the final withdrawal of American forces from Afghanistan.

[6 September 2021 15:28 · Sam Hancock]

PM to address MPs about Afghanistan in next few minutes

Boris Johnson is minutes away from giving an address to MPs at the House of Commons.

Upon Parliament’s return after the summer recess, the PM is expected to speak about Afghanistan, specifically to address criticism he has received for his handling of the crisis.

Mr Johnson is scheduled to speak at 3.30pm, while foreign secretary Dominic Raab will then speak on the same topic an hour later.

We’ll keep you updated with the key messages he puts out.

[6 September 2021 15:42 · Sam Hancock]

UK ‘working to secure you safe passage,’ PM tells stranded Afghans

The prime minister has said the government is “working with our friends in the region to secure safe passage” for all those left behind in Kabul and neighbouring regions.

Boris Johnson also used his address to reiterate the party’s recent change of heart to give Afghan “refugees not five-year visas, but an indefinite leave to remain”.

The Home Office recently announced that any Afghans who worked for the British military and UK government will be able to move to the UK permanently, rather than the five years’ residency previously offered.

Johnson issued a swift statement to the Commons on Monday (Parliament TV)

[6 September 2021 15:45 · Sam Hancock]

That’s it from us on the Afghanistan blog for today, head over to our UK politics blog for the latest updates on Boris Johnson’s speech and Labour’s reaction.