BBC News: Small groups of guerrillas, hidden away on mountain tops, led by soldiers from the former Afghan army, have been launching ambushes and engaging in clashes with the Taliban. In Panjshir, however, anti-Taliban fighters managed to shoot down a military helicopter and capture those on board. Elsewhere in Baghlan Province, resistance fighters have recently filmed themselves pulling down a Taliban flag from a military post. When the BBC travelled to the Andarab valley in June, however, the Taliban appeared in firm control of the territory. Over the past two decades, intrusive raids and allegations of the killing of innocent civilians by Afghan and international forces helped fuel the Taliban’s popularity in parts of the country where they already had a presence and a degree of support. Now, they are accused of using those same counter-insurgency tactics, whilst there appears to be little sense of accountability. Click here to read more (external link).
