Afghanistan live updates: President Ashraf Ghani flees country as Taliban declares victory
August 16, 2021
After just 10 days of fighting, the Taliban has declared victory over Afghanistan, with thousands of terrified people now trying to escape. Taliban fighters sit over a vehicle on a street in Laghman province on August 15, 2021
The Taliban is claiming victory in Afghanistan, declaring “the war is over”.
“We have reached what we were seeking, the freedom of our country and the independence of our people,” a spokesman for the Taliban told Al Jazeera.
The spokesman said the Taliban did not think foreign forces would “repeat their failed experience in Afghanistan again”.
It took the Taliban less than two weeks to take control of 26 of Afghanistan’s 34 provincial capitals.
One of the Taliban’s top officials said the real test of governing would begin this week.
Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who heads the Taliban’s political bureau, said in a video statement that the militant group was hoping to “meet the expectations” of Afghans and resolve their problems.
The Taliban ruled out a transitional government and said it plans to declare an “Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan” when it wins complete victory.
Eyewitness Describes ‘Chaos’ At Kabul Airport
There were scenes of “chaos” at Kabul International Airport as the Taliban surrounded the Afghan capital.
“The departure hall turned into chaos after people said boarding passes were being printed secretly for officials and high-profile people who showed up at the airport,” an eyewitness told the BBC.
“I saw three former MPs, a few deputy ministers and some celebrities queuing up. Some didn’t even have a booking. We waited for almost eight hours, until airport staff started leaving their desks – first the check-in counters and then the migration and passport desks … different rumours created chaos. Some escaped from the airport and some rushed towards the gates.”
Hundreds of Afghanis swarmed the airport, in a final bid to flee the Taliban takeover.
Courtesy: news.com.au