Shortly after Taliban fighters captured Rashtrapati Bhavan, sporadic gunshots were heard in central Kabul. The checkpoints were abandoned by government troops, even as panic-stricken residents blocked roads. By noon, the Taliban had captured Kabul’s main Pul-e-Charkhi prison, freeing thousands of prisoners, video on social media showed.
As Kabul was being captured, Ghani, along with his key allies, left the country, without waiting to be formally handed over to a transitional government following what the Taliban said was his resignation. late in the evening, Reuters There were reports of an attack on the Kabul airport after two Taliban officials were quoted as saying there would be no transitional government.
“The security situation in Kabul, including the airport, is changing rapidly. There are reports of fires at the airport, therefore, we are instructing US citizens to shelter in place,” Reuters quoted the US embassy as saying in a security alert.
Earlier in the day, there were reports of talks between representatives of the Taliban and the government between former President Hamid Karzai and Afghan National Reconciliation Council chief Abdullah Abdullah at the Rashtrapati Bhavan. Afghan media said the country’s former ambassador to Germany, Ali Ahmed Jalali, could lead the interim government. Acting Defense Minister Bismillah Mohammadi said a roadmap was being prepared for a peaceful transfer of power to the transitional government.
The Taliban leader, who had previously told his fighters to refrain from violence in Kabul and allow safe passage for anyone wishing to leave the city, was later ordered to lock down the city to prevent looting .
The Taliban victory was accompanied by a quick evacuation of American and British diplomatic staff and other civilians, before flight operations at Kabul airport were halted for a few hours. Top US diplomat Ross Wilson and other staff in Afghanistan escorted a helicopter to the airport, while the US flag that had flown over the embassy was removed.
smoke He was seen on the roof of the embassy before the Americans left, prompting speculation that US diplomats destroyed all sensitive documents before leaving the compound.
Germany said it would send military aircraft late Sunday to evacuate Germans as well as Afghan allies. nato He is said to be discussing the emerging situation, while a The Security Council will meet on Monday morning, Reuters quoted diplomats as saying.
Pakistan’s Ambassador to Afghanistan Mansoor Ahmed Khan and former envoy Muhammad Sadiq confirmed the receipt of an Afghan political delegation, which includes wolesi jirga (National Assembly) Speakers Mir Rehman Rahmani, Salahuddin Rabbani, Muhammad Yunus Kanoonni, Ustad Muhammad Karim, Ahmed Zia Masood, Ahmed Wali Masood, Abdul Latif Pedram and Khalid Noor.
“Honoured to welcome a delegation of Afghan political leaders to Islamabad for a three-day visit to consult on the way forward for peace and stability in Afghanistan,” Khan tweeted.
In the lead-up to the final phase of the Taliban’s climax, its fighters had taken control of the strategically important city of Jalalabad in eastern Nangarhar province on the border with Pakistan. The forces then captured the Bagram airfield and prison on the outskirts of Kabul. The Bagram complex was the center of a war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda for nearly 20 years until last month, when US forces left the facility without notifying the Kabul administration.
The Bagram prison, once called the Guantanamo of Afghanistan, was handed over by the Americans to Afghan authorities in 2013. Sources said it was decided at the recent Doha meetings that blood would not be shed in Kabul.
sohail ShaheenA Doha-based Taliban spokesman and part of the militant group’s negotiating team, told the media they would take full control of Afghanistan in the next few days, albeit with “a peaceful transfer”. He set out the Taliban’s policies before the expected transfer of power. “We want an inclusive Islamic government… that means all Afghans will be part of that government,” the spokesman said.
Shaheen urged foreign diplomats and activists not to leave the country, assuring them that Taliban fighters would not target them. “Diplomats, NGOs, nobody will be at any risk. Everyone should continue their work as they used to do earlier,” he said.
He also sought to allay fears that Afghanistan would once again be chained by the ultra-Orthodox version of Islamic law that prevailed in the country before 2001. “The Taliban will instead seek a new chapter of tolerance, peaceful coexistence and national unity for the country and its people,” Shaheen said. Want to open a new chapter of unity. We assure everyone that no revenge will be taken on anyone.”
The Doha-based spokesman said the Taliban would also “review its relationship with the US” to advance a new chapter of cooperation.
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