National Resistance Front of Afghanistan

The National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF) is a military alliance of former Northern Alliance members and other anti-Taliban fighters loyal to the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan. Its founder and leader is Ahmad Massoud, who mobilized the alliance following the fall of Kabul to preserve "democracy, and the rights and freedoms of all citizens regardless of race and gender."

The NRF exercised de facto control over the Panjshir Valley, which is largely contiguous with Panjshir Province and, as of August 2021, was "the only region out of the Taliban's hands." The alliance constitutes the only organized resistance to the Taliban in the country, and is possibly planning an anti-Taliban guerilla struggle. The resistance has called for an "inclusive government" of Afghanistan; one of their objectives was speculated to be a stake in the new Afghan government. However, Hibatullah Akhundzada, the Taliban's leader, has effectively ruled out an inclusive government.

On 6 September 2021, the Taliban claimed victory in controlling the province. The NRF, however, denied the Taliban victory, stating they continued to hold positions across the valley. Since then, international reports have conflicted on whether the NRF continued to control territory, with Voice of America stating that the NRF did not but continued to carry out hit and run guerrilla attacks, while the European Union reported that the NRF still held territory in parts of Panjshir, Badakhshan, Takhar, and Baghlan.