Taliban members were seen near Hamid Karzai International Airport because thousands of Afghans were eager to flee the Afghan capital Kabul.
Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
After the 20-year war in Afghanistan ended at an alarming rate, the main developments since the occupation of Kabul by Taliban fighters.
at the door
On Sunday, as U.S. and NATO troops began to withdraw, Taliban fighters began to appear on the fringe of Kabul, after the lightning offensive that began in May.
In 10 days, they occupied one city after another across the country without resistance.
Peaceful transfer
Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal (Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal) said in a taped speech: “The Afghan people should not worry… the city will not be attacked and power will be transferred peacefully.”
The troubled President Ashraf Ghani urged government forces to keep the capital safe.
Interpreter | Why did the Taliban occupy Afghanistan so quickly?
Suhail Shaheen, a spokesman for the Taliban based in Qatar, said the organization hopes to take over quickly.
He said, “We hope to achieve a peaceful transfer within a few days.”
panic
The international community was surprised at the rate of decline. Pope Francis called for “dialogue” and NATO urged “a political settlement of the conflict.”
Russia is cooperating with other countries to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council.
Thousands of Afghans rushed to Hamid Karzai International Airport as they tried to flee the Afghan capital Kabul.
Panic spread in Kabul, shops closed and people tried to withdraw money from banks.
Foreign organizations evacuated their citizens and Afghans working for them.
President Ghani leaves
On Sunday night, former Vice President Abdullah Abdullah announced that President Ghani had left the country.
“The Islamic Emirate instructed all its troops to stand at the door of Kabul and not try to enter the city,” a Taliban spokesperson tweeted when residents reported that there were insurgents on the outskirts of the city.
The Taliban subsequently stated that their militants had entered multiple areas of the capital.
‘The Taliban won’
Television footage showed that the Taliban had entered the capital and occupied the presidential palace.
In a message on Facebook, Ghani said he fled to avoid “blood incidents” and said that “the Taliban won.”
He did not provide his location, but the local Tolo media organization hinted that he was in Tajikistan.
Ashraf Ghani, President of Afghanistan.
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban to “maintain maximum restraint.”
Airport chaos
People besieged the airport, which is the country’s only exit route.
The video shows the chaos of Monday as people tried to board the few available flights.
Because of the chaos on the tarmac, the US military shot into the air and all commercial flights were cancelled.
The local aviation authorities urged foreign airlines to divert and hand over Kabul airspace to the military to ensure the safe evacuation of embassy staff and Afghans in translators or other support roles.
Germany plans to deploy hundreds of soldiers to protect the evacuees. The United States has vowed to add another 1,000 soldiers to assist the operation, bringing its total to 6,000.
The EU foreign ministers are scheduled to hold a video meeting on Tuesday.
