The Fall of Panjshir Valley and the Implications it Holds for India

Panjshir has historically been the bastion of resistance forces in Afghanistan and had never been captured.

The Big Story Podcast on Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley and Implications on India. Image used for representation only.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

Panjshir Valley of northeastern Afghanistan, the last stronghold of anti-Taliban resistance forces in the country has fallen, according to claims made by the Taliban.

The valley has historically been the bastion of resistance forces in Afghanistan and has never been captured by any invading force — be it the Soviet Union or the Taliban of the ’90s.

But with the US forces having completely withdrawn from the region, no international support in sight, and with little to no resistance to the Taliban, the valley fell after days of clashes between the Nationall Resistance Front and Taliban.

However, the fall of Panjshir may also translate for a setback for India as well, given that Pakistan has been a safe heaven for the Taliban for decades and has always looked at Afghanistan to further their strategic depth towards India.

In this episode, we will discuss what led to the fall of Panjshir valley to the Taliban, the significance of this takeover and what implications may it hold for India.

For this, we spoke with former Indian ambassador to Jordan, Libya and Malta, Anil Trigunayat and senior journalist and author David Devadas.