- At least 20 civilians are believed to have been killed by the Taliban in Panjshir, the BBC said.
- A murdered man has been arrested on charges of selling SIM cards to rebel fighters, according to the report.
- The region has long been a focal point of resistance in Afghanistan.
At least 20 civilians are believed to have been killed by the Taliban in the Panjshir Valley in Afghanistan, the BBC reported on Monday.
Among the victims were a shopkeeper and father of two children, according to the report. Local sources told the BBC he would not leave when the Taliban advanced.
“I’m just a poor shop owner and I have nothing to do with the war,” the man told the Taliban, according to the report, before being arrested on charges of selling SIM cards to resistance fighters .
The region is the end of anti-Taliban resistance since the militant group returned to power last month. Heavy fighting between the resistance and the Taliban is taking place in the mountainous region of north-central Afghanistan.
Despite promises by the Taliban that there would be no revenge killings following the evacuation of international forces last month, reports have documented targeted killings.
Meanwhile, Taliban sources in early September said they had seized the Panjshir, while resistance forces denied the allegations, Reuters reported.
Panjshir has long been a focal point of resistance in Afghanistan. The valley challenged Taliban rule in the 1990s and was maintained during the occupation of the Soviet Union, as its rocky terrain and natural mountain defenses have historically hampered its conquest.