Afghan resistance against Taliban, led by Ahmed Masood & Amrullah Saleh, unveils its flag

As the Taliban takes complete control of Afghanistan, sources have informed Republic Media Network that ex-Afghanistan Vice President Amrullah Saleh and politician Ahmed Shah Masood's Resistance Front on Thursday announced their flag in Panjshir Valley. Noting that this is the official flag of the government formed after the victory of the Afghan Mujahideen against the Soviet Union, Ahmad Shah Massoud had adopted this flag after the capture of Kabul. 

Amrullah Saleh lauds protests in favour of Afghanistan Flag

Earlier during the day, Amrullah Saleh had expressed his support for people hoisting the national flag. Since the terror outfit captured Kabul on Sunday, it has started removing the Afghanistan national flag from key buildings and replacing it with its own flag. However, this has met with protests in several cities including Jalalabad and Khost. A day earlier, at least three persons were killed and another 12 injured after Taliban terrorists purportedly opened fire at a crowd in Jalalabad for hoisting their national flag in place of the terror outfit's flag.

In a fresh statement issued on Twitter, Saleh stated, "I express my respect, support and appreciation for the courageous and patriotic movement of the honourable people of my country in different places for raising the national flag against the Taliban proxy group. A number were honourably martyred in this way. Salute those who carry the national flag and thus stand for the dignity of the nation and the country".

He also took a swipe at Pakistan for its blatant interference in the region. In the past, he has not only accused Pakistan of providing a safe haven to the Taliban but also alleged that its special forces from Peshawar and Quetta are directing the terror outfit. Stressing that the neighbouring nation will never be able to control Afghanistan, he advised it against bowing to the whims and fancies of terrorist organizations. 

Taliban take over Afghanistan

As US troops retreated after 20 years from war-ravaged Afghanistan, the Taliban launched an offensive taking over cities like Kandahar, Herat, and Lashkar Gah, gradually encircling the government in Kabul. Kandahar and Herat fall on Thursday, forcing government officials and their entourage to flee to the airport to escape the city by air, Mazar-e-Sharif fell on Friday, while Jalalabad and Lashkar Gah on Saturday, thereby strengthening the Taliban's stronghold.

The long-standing war in Afghanistan reached a watershed moment on Sunday when the Taliban insurgents closed in on Afghanistan's capital Kabul, entered the city and took over the presidential palace, forcing President Ashraf Ghani to join fellow citizens and foreigners to leave the country.

(Image Credits: Republicworld.com, Twitter-@ACBOfficials)