Taliban claim victory over last holdout region in complete takeover of Afghanistan

The Taliban claimed victory Monday over the last pocket of resistance forces in the only province it had not seized — declaring that its takeover of Afghanistan is now complete.

Taliban leaders were pictured standing in front of the gate of the Panjshir provincial governor’s compound — hoisting the white Taliban flag as a sign of their victory after a brutal days-long battle.

“Panjshir, which was the last hideout of the escapee enemy, is captured,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said of the victory three weeks after the group took control of most of the rest of Afghanistan.

“With this victory and latest efforts our country has come out of the whirlpool of the war and our people will have a happy life in peace, liberty and freedom,” he claimed.

The declaration came after fighting with the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRFA), led by former vice president, Amrullah Saleh as well as Panjshiri leader Ahmad Massoud.