Iran press/Asia: Ali Nazari, the National Resistance Front's head of foreign relations, who is currently in the US said that the resistance fighters holed up in the country's rugged province northeast of Kabul have repelled repeated attacks by Taliban fighters in recent days.
Speaking with NPR's All Things Considered on Friday, Nazari said, "The Panjshir Valley has not been defeated. The Taliban are facing fierce resistance."
"The Taliban propaganda machine is trying to divert attention, is trying to spread propaganda, to weaken morale in Kabul and elsewhere," said Nazari.
Nazari said that the Taliban launched its latest — and largest-to-date — offensive in hopes of conquering Panjshir before announcing a new government.
"Fortunately, our forces bravely fought them. They repelled all of their attacks," he said, adding that the Taliban had even retreated from some areas.
Panjshir has been described as a natural fortress against invaders, but it isn't clear how long the resistance can hold out against a larger and better-equipped Taliban force.
Nazari said that elements of al-Qaida have joined the Taliban and that the resistance is fighting them "all alone."
"The whole world has abandoned us," he said. "We're not receiving any type of assistance, whatever form it could be. And we're fighting al-Qaida and international terrorism at the moment. And everyone is ignoring this."
While continuing to fight, however, Nazari said the resistance maintains "lines of communication" with the Taliban and has made a so-far-unsuccessful call for a say in the new government.
"The Taliban movement does not represent the vast majority of Afghanistan's population. The vast majority are against them," he said. "For them to form an inclusive government, they have to include all ethnic groups, all political forces, all political parties from throughout the country, both women and men."
"Unfortunately, right now in their government that they're forming, they're ignoring 50 percent of the society, which are women," Nazari said.
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