The Taliban sent fighters north to the capital to eradicate pockets of armed resistance to their lightning-fast takeover earlier in the month. They claimed they had retook the three districts that were seized by their opponents the previous day and had surrounded Panjshir (the last province still under their control).
The Taliban’s advance in Afghanistan led to the collapse of Afghanistan’s security forces despite twenty years of Western training, assistance, and aid. Fearing the Taliban’s brutal rule, tens of thousands have fled Afghanistan since then. This has caused chaos at Kabul’s main exit point.
Gunfire broke out at the entrance of the airport. Seven Afghans were killed in panicked stampedes of thousands of people a day before. It was unclear what the circumstances of this shooting at dawn were.
German military said that one soldier of the Afghan Army was killed, and that three other soldiers were injured by unknown attackers. An Italian humanitarian organization operating hospitals in Afghanistan claimed that it had treated six victims with bullet wounds at the airport.
NATO and the U.S. military did not immediately respond to the shooting. The Taliban did not comment.
The world was stunned by the tragic scenes at the airport. Afghans poured onto the tarmac last week and some clung to a U.S. military transport plane as it took off, later plunging to their deaths. In addition to Sunday’s seven deaths, at least seven others were killed that day.
The Taliban claim that the U.S. military caused the chaos and blame it on them. They also say there is no reason for Afghans to flee. They pledge to restore peace and security following decades of war, and they will not seek revenge on anyone who worked with NATO, the U.S. and the toppled Afghan government.
Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesperson, addressed a conference of Muslim clergy and urged them not to listen to Western propaganda about the Taliban. He also said that the U.S. was trying to undermine their rule by sending fighter planes and offering asylum to Afghans.
The Taliban violently crushed protests and beat people with batons to keep the airport’s perimeter under control, despite their promises. There have also been reports in recent days of the Taliban hunting down their former enemies. It is unclear whether Taliban leaders are doing or saying something, or if the fighters on ground are taking matters into themselves.
Annegret KrampKarrenbauer, German Defense Minister, stated to Bild that the biggest obstacle to people getting out of the airport was the large crowds.
Kramp-Karrenbauer stated, “We need to switch more towards picking up people, so to speak.”
When asked about Taliban assurances that safe passage would be granted to passengers, she replied: “So far I can tell you that we have what we need; the danger is greater from these uncontrollable masses of people.”
The U.S. government requested 18 aircraft from American commercial carriers in order to transport Afghan refugees to their final destination after initial evacuation. This request was made under the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program. It was created in the wake the Berlin airlift.
More than 30,000 people have been evacuated by the U.S. since Aug. 14. Tens of thousands of people, including Americans and other foreigners, are still waiting to be part of the airlift. This has been slowed down by security concerns and U.S. bureaucratic hurdles.
U.S. President Joe Biden said Sunday he would not rule out extending the evacuation beyond Aug. 31, the date he had set for completing the withdrawal of U.S. forces. Boris Johnson, the British Prime Minister, plans to push Biden for an extension.
In an interview with Sky News Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesperson, stated that Aug. 31 was a “redline” and that any extension of the American presence would “provoke reaction.”
It is possible that an affiliate of the Islamic State group could target the airport crowds with suicide bombers and fire missiles at U.S. planes. Corkscrew landings have been performed by military planes. Other aircraft have also fired flares at takeoff, both of which are used to prevent missile attacks.
While the Taliban and IS are two different ideologies, they have fought each other in recent years. However, one concern regarding the Taliban’s overthrow is that they could once again shelter extremist groups. While the Taliban supported al-Qaida, the Taliban also orchestrated the 9/11 attacks that led to the U.S. invasion of 2001. Now, the Taliban say that they won’t allow Afghanistan to become a base for terrorist attacks on other nations.
The Taliban in Afghanistan have been facing limited resistance from Baghlan province fighters, 120 km (75 miles) north Kabul. Although the anti-Taliban fighters claimed that they had seized three districts of the Andarab Valley on Sunday night, the Taliban stated Monday that they had cleared them all out overnight.
Mujahid, a Taliban spokesperson, stated that the Taliban’s forces also surrounded Panjshir nearby, which is the only of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces still to fall to the fighters.
There are several Taliban supporters there. Amrullah Salh, who claims to be acting president, is the vice president of the toppled government. Ahmad Massoud is the son of the Northern Alliance commander who partnered with the U.S. in driving the Taliban from power in 2001.
Interviews with Arab media outlets this weekend revealed that Massoud stated that his fighters would resist any attempt at taking the province by force, but were open for dialogue with the Taliban.
Mujahid stated that there has been no fighting in Panjshir and that the Taliban are looking for a “peaceful resolution.”
