Kabul: The Taliban has surrounded the Parandeh valley in Afghanistan’s Panjshir province and arrested local residents, as per local sources.
This armed clash between residents and the Taliban in Panjshir province broke out after a Taliban vehicle was hit by a mine explosion.
According to the sources, the armed clash has been going on in the area as of February 7 in the province.
The humanitarian situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated drastically since the Taliban took control of Kabul last year in mid-August.
This new conflict comes at a time when a combination of a suspension of foreign aid, the freezing of Afghan government assets, international sanctions on the Taliban have plunged the country, already suffering from high poverty levels, into a full-blown economic crisis.
Meanwhile, a Taliban delegation is in Geneva for talks with Swiss officials and NGOs on humanitarian access and human rights, Switzerland’s foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
The delegation from Afghanistan’s new rulers is due to hold talks with the Red Cross and other non-governmental organisations in the Swiss city, which is also home to several United Nations agencies.
The spokeswoman said that Swiss ministry representatives would meet the delegation this week.
