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The Taliban declared the end of the war in Afghanistan after its fighters swept the capital Kabul. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and said he wanted to avoid bloodshed.
On Monday, there was panic on the streets of Kabul, heavily armed Taliban militants took control of the abandoned presidential palace, and Western countries scrambled to evacuate their citizens. Hundreds of Afghans eager to leave the country also flooded into Kabul Airport.
A spokesperson for the Taliban political office told Al Jazeera that the organization does not want to isolate life, and said that the type and form of the new Afghan government will soon be clarified.
Mohammad Naeem also called for peaceful international relations.
“Thank God, the war in this country is over,” he said.
He added: “We have achieved what we are looking for, that is, the freedom of our country and the independence of our people.” “We will not allow anyone to use our land against anyone, and we do not want to harm others.”
Here are all the latest updates:
Australian Prime Minister “destroyed” by the situation in Afghanistan
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison said he was “shocked” by developments in Afghanistan and said the National Security Committee of the Cabinet will meet on Monday to review Australia’s operations outside Kabul.
Morrison said his government has resettled 430 Afghans and their families working in Australia, and plans to airlift those who remain there.
He described the situation in Afghanistan, especially the situation of women and girls as “terrible”.
“It was completely destroyed. It’s bad, the situation is bad,” he told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in Canberra.
As the US and NATO troops withdrew from the conflict in Afghanistan 20 years later, Australia closed its Kabul embassy in May and withdrew its last troops in June.
U.S. officials say most Western diplomats have left Kabul
An American official told Reuters that most Western diplomats have now left the capital of Afghanistan.
“I can say with certainty that most Western diplomats have now left Kabul,” the official said on condition of anonymity. The official added that some support personnel still exist.
Since the Taliban entered Kabul Airport on Sunday, helicopters have been transporting diplomats from the city’s embassy area to Kabul Airport.
An American Chinook helicopter flies over the city of Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday, August 15, 2021. Taliban militants entered the suburbs of the Afghan capital on Sunday, further tightening control of the country as panicked workers fled government offices and helicopters landed at the US embassy. (AP Photo/Rahmat Gul)More than 60 countries call on foreign citizens and Afghans to leave the country safely
Dozens of countries from all over the world call on all those involved in the Afghan incident to respect and facilitate the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country.
More than 60 countries issued a joint statement on Sunday evening, stating that the security situation in Afghanistan is “deteriorating.”
The United States joins the international community in affirming that Afghans and international citizens who wish to leave must be allowed to leave. Roads, airports and border crossings must be kept open and calm. https://t.co/lsNdsPETsW
-Secretary of State Anthony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 16, 2021
The statement said that those in power throughout the country “have the responsibility and obligation to protect human life and property, and to immediately restore security and civil order.”
It added: “Afghans and international citizens who wish to leave must be allowed to do so; roads, airports and border crossings must be kept open and calm.
“The Afghan people should live a safe, secure and dignified life. We in the international community are ready to assist them at any time.”
The Taliban said that “the war in Afghanistan is over”
The spokesperson of the Taliban political office announced the end of the war in Afghanistan and called for the establishment of peaceful relations with the international community.
“Today is a great day for the Afghan people and jihadists. For 20 years, they have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and sacrifices,” Mohamed Naim, spokesman for the Taliban Political Office, told Al Jazeera.
“Thank God, the war in this country is over.”
Naim said that the type and form of the new Afghan regime will soon be clarified, adding that the Taliban do not want to live in isolation and call for peaceful international relations.
“We have reached the goal we sought, namely the freedom of our country and the independence of our people,” he said. “We will not allow anyone to use our land to target anyone, and we don’t want to hurt others.”
U.S. ensures departure from Kabul Airport
The Pentagon and the US State Department said they are taking measures to ensure the safety of Kabul International Airport, enabling thousands of American and allied personnel to leave Afghanistan safely through civilian and military flights.
In a joint statement on Sunday night, the agencies stated that the security presence in the United States will expand to nearly 6,000 soldiers in the next two days, with “missions focused solely on facilitating” the evacuation. They will also take over air traffic control.
“Tomorrow and the next few days, we will transfer thousands of American citizens living in Afghanistan, as well as local employees of the U.S. mission in Kabul and their families and other particularly vulnerable Afghan nationals out of the country,” the statement said.
“We will expedite the evacuation of thousands of Afghans who are eligible for U.S. special immigrant visas, and nearly 2,000 of them have arrived in the U.S. in the past two weeks.”
“It’s shameful”: Former Ghani adviser criticizes president for leaving office
Shafiq Hamdam, a former adviser to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, blasted Ghani’s decision to flee Afghanistan on Sunday as the Taliban swiftly advanced to Kabul.
“It’s shameful. It’s embarrassing. People feel abandoned, people feel betrayed,” Hamdam told Al Jazeera in Washington, DC.
“After so many years of hard work and so many years of investment, he has left a black mark on the democratic history of Afghanistan. He escaped with his team, and he is very conscious of millions of people who are living in misery and suffering. People who are being determined, who are now left behind, and living under the Taliban regime have no idea.”
Hamdam said that the Taliban need to prove that they will protect women.
“From tomorrow, we must see women going to school, we must see female civil servants and teachers, such as my mother going to school and teaching. This is what I want, this is what the world wants. This is a test for the Taliban. Come on. Prove whether they have changed.”
Hello, and welcome to Al Jazeera’s ongoing report on the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan.
For all important developments yesterday (August 15th), please go to here.
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