With President Ashraf Ghani fleeing the country and Taliban troops capturing the capital, Kabul, Taliban political office has declared that the Afghan war is over.
“Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years,” Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban’s political office, told Al Jazeera.
Naeem further stated that they would form a clear government very soon, since they do not want to live in isolation but on a healthy and peaceful relationship with the international community.
“We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people,” he said. “We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others.” Mohammad Naeem further assured.
Even though the Capital Kabul remains quiet today, there was a panic situation at the international airport. While hundreds of Afghans were trying to leave the country, the United States and other Western nations were also scrambling to evacuate their diplomats and citizens from Afghanistan.
The Nepal’s government is hurrying its plans to evacuate an estimated 1,500 Nepalese who are working as security staff at embassies in Afghanistan.
Nepal Foreign Ministry spokesperson Sewa Lamsal stated that they have already written to embassies for evacuation of their people.
“The Taliban armed group is in control of Afghanistan and British forces are not going to return to fight them” a spokesman of the United Kingdom’s defense minister assured.
Commercial flights from Kabul have been cancelled with the chaotic situation prevailed in this morning created by thousands afghans and foreign diplomats trying to leave the country in a hurry
Taliban officials confirmed that they had not received a signal of clashes from any part of the country a day after the armed group seized the capital, Kabul.
New Zealand’s government stated that it will send a C-130 Hercules military transport plane to Afghanistan to evacuate 53 of its citizens.
A foreign ministry official of Saudi Arabia said that they have completed the evacuation of all its diplomats from Kabul.
United Airlines, British Airways and Virgin Atlantic said that they will be not using Afghanistan’s airspace for their air movements following the Taliban takeover of Kabul. Emirates too has suspended flights to the Afghan capital until further notice.
A spokesman for the US Department of State said the evacuation of US staff from its embassy in Kabul is now over.
When the Taliban troops entered the city, Helicopters had been ferrying diplomats from the embassy district in the Kabul airport since last Sunday.
Prime Minister of Australia, Scott Morrison stressed that he was shocked with the news of Taliban establishing its power in Afghanistan who also stated that the Cabinet’s National Security Committee will meet on Monday evening to review Australian operations in Afghanistan. Australia shut its diplomatic services in May and withdrew all Australian troops in June this year.
Some of the countries have requested from Afghan authorities to respect and facilitate the departure of foreign nationals and Afghans who wish to leave the country.
Lanka Newsweek © 2024