As a result of its unique cultural makeup, the people of Panjshir have consistently resisted foreign invaders, which to them, includes both the Soviets and the Taliban.ĭuring the Soviet-Afghan wars of the 1980s, the Soviets launched multiple assaults on Panjshir in an attempt to control the strategic valley that connects Kabul to the north of Afghanistan.

Panjshir, due to its heavy supply of minerals, is also wealthier on average than the rest of Afghanistan and considers itself to be an almost autonomous region, detached from the rest of Afghan internal politics. The Taliban, a predominantly Pashtun organisation, has historically struggled to gain support in Panjshir despite recent attempts to include Tajiks within their ranks. Although they don’t have strong ties to Tajikistan, their value system is markedly different from the country’s dominant Pashtun population. Panjshir is home to the largest population of ethnic Tajiks living in Afghanistan which shapes the region’s political and cultural identity. The success of their efforts to regain control of Panjshir will be dependent on a number of factors but given what we know so far, the prognosis is bleak. Sources from the region indicate that the resistance is still alive and will continue to bear arms against the Taliban under the leadership of the younger Massoud and former Afghan Vice-President Amrullah Saleh. However, unlike his father, Massoud was unable to defend Panjshir and on September 6, the Taliban took control of the valley, completing their occupation of all of Afghanistan’s 34 districts. His legacy still looms over the valley however, and his son, Ahmad Massoud, has followed in his father’s footsteps to form the Northern Resistance Front (NRF), the latest iteration of the famed Northern Alliance that fought against the Taliban in the late 1990s. Massoud was so highly regarded as an opponent that forces loyal to Al Qaeda assassinated him days before the 9/11 attacks as a means of consolidating support with the Taliban. A commanding Mujahideen fighter, Massoud successfully mobilised the people of the region to resist both occupation from the Soviets and later the Taliban. The valley is perhaps best known for its most famous son, Ahmad Shah Massoud, the Lion of Panjshir.

Blending into the gorgeous scenery, the streets of Panjshir are littered with decaying tanks and machinery, remnants of the Soviet era that stand as a stark reminder of the region’s violent past. Its towns are spread across the valley floor, surrounded by the icy blue waters of the Panjshir river and the daunting bare-ribbed mountains that tower above.

There are two main points of entry into the valley, both of which require passing through unforgiving terrain and complicated topography. The Panjshir valley, a rugged groove cut into the Hindu Kush mountains, has a storied reputation of resisting invasion.

Panjshir petrol station