Taliban Continues Large-Scale Recruitment of Youths from Panjshir into Military Ranks

The Taliban administration has reported that 180 new young men from Panjshir province have been sent under its recruitment command to a training center in Kabul for a three-month military training course. This move comes as Panjshir has remained the stronghold of the most significant armed resistance against the Taliban since their return to power in August 2021.

Mohammad Agha Hakim, the Taliban governor of Panjshir province, announced at the dispatch ceremony that the “Islamic system,” as he claims, belongs to all ethnic groups of Afghanistan and that the responsibility of its protection rests with all citizens. He further claimed that the recruitment of these youths was carried out on an “extraordinary” scale and that after their training, they would be deployed within the military structures of Panjshir province.

According to Taliban officials, over the past two years, approximately one thousand young men from Panjshir have been recruited into the army, with more than 1,200 others joining the police forces affiliated with the administration. Despite these efforts, armed opposition in Panjshir continues, reflecting widespread dissatisfaction among the people of the province regarding Taliban rule.