Taliban completely captures Panjshir province: spokesman

KABUL, Sept. 6: The Taliban armed forces overran eastern Panjshir province following heavy fightings on Monday, seizing control over the last holdout province of Afghanistan's 34 provinces, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid confirmed.

"Our latest efforts to bring peace to the entire country succeeded as the Panjshir province is completely conquered and came under control of Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan," Mujahid wrote on Twitter.

Mujahid added that Taliban members attacked and eliminated scores of resistance forces in Panjshir on Sunday night, while dozens fled after Taliban advances in the mountainous valley.

In the meantime, the opposition or the so-called National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) led by Ahmad Massoud denied the Taliban claims of seizing the valley.

"Taliban's claim of occupying Panjshir is false. The NRF forces are present in all strategic positions across the valley to continue the fight," a media section of the NRF tweeted.

Panjshir is the last province in Afghanistan uncontrolled by Taliban since the U.S. troops pullout from the Central Asian country in late August.