Taliban kill civilians 

in resistance stronghold

22 hrs ago

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The BBC has found that

 at least 20 civilians 

have been killed in 

Afghanistan's Panjshir 

province, which has

 seen fighting 

between the Taliban 

and opposition forces. Communications 

have been cut in the 

remote valley, making 

reporting difficult, but the 

BBC has evidence of 

Taliban killings despite promises of restraint.

© BBC This man, a shopkeeper, believed he would be safe from the Taliban, sources said

Footage from a dusty

roadside in Panjshir 

shows a man 

wearing military 

gear surrounded 

by Taliban fighters. 

Gunfire rings out and 

he slumps to the ground.

One of the victims 

was a shopkeeper 

and father-of-two called Abdul Sami.

Local sources said the 

man would not flee when the Taliban advanced, telling them: "I'm just a poor shop owner and have nothing to do with war."

But he was arrested, accused of selling sim cards to resistance fighters. Days later his body was dumped near his home. Witnesses who saw his body said it showed signs of torture.

© BBC Moments later the man circled gets shot dead

When the Taliban swept to power last month, just one region held out.

The Panjshir Valley has long been a focal point for resistance in Afghanistan. Under the opposition commander Ahmad Shah Massoud, the region repelled both the Soviet forces and the Taliban. Mountain peaks surround the valley, and there's just one narrow road in, making it difficult for anyone trying to capture it.