NRF claims 1600 Taliban dead or captured in Panjshir

GEAR CHECK: Our readers don't just follow the news - they stay ready. Featured gear from this story is below.

Justin Eggen

Over the last 48 hours, there has been reports of a brutal engagement between Taliban forces and National Resistance Front (NRF) within the defiant province of Panjshir.

“About 600 Taliban have been liquidated in various districts of Panjshir since morning. More than 1,000 Taliban have been captured or surrendered themselves.” – resistant spokesperson Fahim Dashti wrote on Twitter.

Panjshir is roughly 90 miles north of Kabul, snuggled deep within the Hindu Kush mountains. As of yet, the Taliban have not refuted these claims.

Taliban, interrupted

The Panjshir province, a place that outlasted the soviets (in the 80s), and the Taliban (from 96-01), has stood its ground as reports are coming in from the resistance.

In the month of August, the Taliban swept over the country of Afghanistan as the U.S. made its withdrawal, claiming nearly every square inch of the country, which is now being named the ‘2021 Taliban Offensive’.

With this power shift in the country, we see an anti-Taliban movement rising and consolidating in the Panjshir province. Hold-out Afghan National Army (ANA) troops have fled and are joining the resistance in Panjshir as well, bolstering the numbers, gear, and weapons for the NRF.

This movement is being led by Ahmad Massoud, the son of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir, who was assassinated two days before September 11th, 2001. The attack was carried out by Al-Qaeda.

Ahmad Massoud is a strong leader and is revered much like his father once was, but this fight will be his crucible, make no mistake. They have a long battle ahead of them, but if this weekend is any indication of future engagements, we will have a steady stream of more battles ahead.

We will be monitoring this situation closely as it unfolds. Stay tuned to Pop Smoke Media for more news, stories, and updates.

You may also like

Blog

The Department of Veterans Affairs is putting a record $1.17 billion behind a problem that still affects thousands of Americans who once wore the uniform. The money will go to 680 organizations nationwide to help homeless Veterans and those at immediate risk of losing their homes. The funding comes after the VA housed 51,936 homeless Veterans in fiscal year 2025, its highest total in seven years.
About 90 sailors aboard the USS Kearsarge returned to Naval Station Norfolk after 10 days at sea, only to discover their cars had been towed. The vehicles had been left in a fenced lot near Pier 14 during a base concert, leaving sailors waiting for hours at the impound lot to get them back.
What started with cars spinning donuts in a Houston parking lot ended with a vehicle flipping repeatedly, one person dead, three hospitalized and firearms discovered inside. Five people were in the fleeing vehicle, most or all believed to be juveniles. But the biggest question remained unanswered: who was behind the wheel?
A Russian drone struck a passenger train near Ukraine’s border with Poland just minutes after a diplomatic train carrying Boris Johnson and other senior European figures had passed through the same area.
President Donald Trump has put a striking new price tag on the 2026 midterm elections: $5,000 for every American adult if Republicans keep control of Congress.

Like This Story? Check Out What Our Community Is Buying

Our best sellers are designed for real-world use - not hype.

View Best Sellers