The Taliban is set to announce their new government for Afghanistan very soon, a little after the world leaders withdrew their troops and citizens from the country.<o:p></o:p>

A couple of Taliban sources were cited by the news agency AFP who claimed the new government may be announced after the Friday afternoon prayers.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/watch-taliban-leaders-born-and-trained-in-pakistan-says-imran-khans-minister-sheikh-rashid-410222">Watch: Taliban leaders 'born and trained' in Pakistan, says Imran Khan's Minister Sheikh Rashid</a>

<o:p></o:p>

The new government is expected to be more tolerant, and give more rights to women and other minority groups — something that the Taliban was missing in the first regime. This time the group will allow women to study and work, they claim.<o:p></o:p>

However, the government will still continue to impose Sharia Law in the country.<o:p></o:p>

The new government may not include any women leaders, even though the Taliban claimed that they will have a more 'inclusive'&nbsp;government this time, in comparison to their last stint from 1996 to 2001.<o:p></o:p>

Women took to streets in the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/women-protest-in-afghanistans-herat-over-right-to-education-work-410216">Herat area of Afghanistan</a> to protest for their right to work and lack of opportunities to be involved in the new government. "We want the Taliban to hold consultations with us,” a protestor was quoted by AFP. “We don't see any women in their gatherings and meetings."

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-future-of-sports-under-the-taliban-410313">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/gravitas-the-future-of-sports-under-the-taliban-410313/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

Locals have also started complaining about the temporary closure of businesses and shops which, they reiterate, is adding to the already struggling economy of Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p>

This report has come a little after the United Nations (UN) announced that it is now restarting the humanitarian flights in a few selected areas of the country.<o:p></o:p>

Meanwhile, the Taliban has also claimed that China has assured the terrorist group-turned-governing government that the Chinese embassy will stay functional and Kabul. The Xi Jinping-led government has also assured that it will work to strengthen relationship with the Taliban-run Afghanistan.<o:p></o:p>

The Taliban is set to announce their new government for Afghanistan very soon, a little after the world leaders withdrew their troops and citizens from the country.

The Taliban is set to announce their new government for Afghanistan very soon, a little after the world leaders withdrew their troops and citizens from the country. A couple of Taliban sources were cited by the news agency AFP who claimed the new government may be announced after the Friday afternoon prayers. Also read | Watch: Taliban leaders 'born and trained' in Pakistan, says Imran Khan's Minister Sheikh Rashid The new government is expected to be more tolerant, and give more rights to women and other minority groups — something that the Taliban was missing in the first regime. This time the group will allow women to study and work, they claim. However, the government will still continue to impose Sharia Law in the country. The new government may not include any women leaders, even though the Taliban claimed that they will have a more 'inclusive' government this time, in comparison to their last stint from 1996 to 2001. Women took to streets in the Herat area of Afghanistan to protest for their right to work and lack of opportunities to be involved in the new government. "We want the Taliban to hold consultations with us,” a protestor was quoted by AFP. “We don't see any women in their gatherings and meetings." WATCH | Locals have also started complaining about the temporary closure of businesses and shops which, they reiterate, is adding to the already struggling economy of Afghanistan. This report has come a little after the United Nations (UN) announced that it is now restarting the humanitarian flights in a few selected areas of the country. Meanwhile, the Taliban has also claimed that China has assured the terrorist group-turned-governing government that the Chinese embassy will stay functional and Kabul. The Xi Jinping-led government has also assured that it will work to strengthen relationship with the Taliban-run Afghanistan.

Taliban may announce new government after Friday afternoon prayers: Reports

Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chairman Siraj-ul Haq has announced to celebrate thanksgiving and prayer on Friday across the country on the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan, Pakistan`s vernacular media reported.

Siraj-ul Haq said that after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the responsibilities of the Afghan Taliban have increased as the country has turned into a dilapidated structure after a long war.

On Friday, millions of Muslims in masjid and madrassas across the country will celebrate at the request of Amir Jamaat-e-Islami, according to Jasarat, Daily Asas.

The rallies and processions will also be held and Friday sermons will be offered for unity, progress, and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah, Jasarat, Daily Asas reported.

Reconstruction of Afghanistan requires a long time, hard work, and capital, and the international community must move forward. He said that "conspiratorial elements want to push devastated Afghanistan back to civil war, but I am sure they will fail, by the grace of Allah Almighty".

The United States forces left Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, marking the end of a chaotic and messy exit from America`s longest war.

The situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating after the Taliban seized control of the war-ravaged country.

On August 15, the Afghan government fell soon after President Ashraf Ghani left the country.&nbsp;

Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chairman Siraj-ul Haq has announced to celebrate thanksgiving and prayer on Friday across the country on the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan, Pakistan`s vernacular media reported.

Pakistan's Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) chairman Siraj-ul Haq has announced to celebrate thanksgiving and prayer on Friday across the country on the withdrawal of US troops in Afghanistan, Pakistan`s vernacular media reported. Siraj-ul Haq said that after the withdrawal of US and NATO forces from Afghanistan, the responsibilities of the Afghan Taliban have increased as the country has turned into a dilapidated structure after a long war. On Friday, millions of Muslims in masjid and madrassas across the country will celebrate at the request of Amir Jamaat-e-Islami, according to Jasarat, Daily Asas. The rallies and processions will also be held and Friday sermons will be offered for unity, progress, and prosperity of the Muslim Ummah, Jasarat, Daily Asas reported. Reconstruction of Afghanistan requires a long time, hard work, and capital, and the international community must move forward. He said that "conspiratorial elements want to push devastated Afghanistan back to civil war, but I am sure they will fail, by the grace of Allah Almighty". The United States forces left Afghanistan on Tuesday morning, marking the end of a chaotic and messy exit from America`s longest war. The situation in Afghanistan has been deteriorating after the Taliban seized control of the war-ravaged country. On August 15, the Afghan government fell soon after President Ashraf Ghani left the country.

Pakistan: Jamaat-e-Islami chief announces celebration over US withdrawal from Afghanistan

Anas Haqqani, the Taliban leader and scion of Afghanistan's feared Haqqani Network, has called for an amicable relationship with India and pledged not to interfere in the Kashmir issue after the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the country's longest war in history.&nbsp;

"Kashmir is not part of our jurisdiction and interference is against our policy. How can we do against our policy? This is clear we will not interfere," Anas Haqqani stated in an interview with an Indian media house. 
 
Regarding the Taliban government's future relations with India, the leader stated that despite India's 20-year support for the 'enemy,' the Taliban were eager to set aside their differences and create a friendship with India. 
 
<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/al-qaeda-congratulates-taliban-mentions-kashmir-palestine-in-letter-409880">Also read | Al Qaeda 'congratulates' Taliban; mentions Kashmir, Palestine in letter</a> 
 
Meanwhile, there are evidence that terrorist organisations are aligning with Afghanistan's new de facto rulers, with al Qaeda targeting India's Kashmir in a congratulatory letter.

Al Qaeda, the terror organisation at the centre of the United States' 20-year conflict in Afghanistan, "congratulated" the Taliban for "beating the Americans."

The 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, organised by Osama bin Laden, led to the US invasion of Afghanistan and the assassination of the al Qaeda leader in Pakistan in 2011.&nbsp; 
 
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sad-for-those-left-behind-last-uk-military-flight-leaves-afghanistan-409096">'Sad for those left behind': Last UK military flight leaves Afghanistan</a>

In a letter made available on social media, the group said it is the "third time that the Afghan nation within a span of less than two centuries has successfully expelled an invading force."

Significantly, it also mentioned Kashmir.&nbsp;

"Liberate the Levant, Somalia, Yemen, Kashmir and the rest of the Islamic lands" from the "clutches of the enemy", it exhorted the Taliban.

(With inputs from agencies)

Anas Haqqani, the Taliban leader and scion of Afghanistan's feared Haqqani Network, has called for an amicable relationship with India and pledged not to interfere in the Kashmir issue after the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the country's longest war in history.

Anas Haqqani, the Taliban leader and scion of Afghanistan's feared Haqqani Network, has called for an amicable relationship with India and pledged not to interfere in the Kashmir issue after the United States withdrew its troops from Afghanistan, bringing an end to the country's longest war in history. "Kashmir is not part of our jurisdiction and interference is against our policy. How can we do against our policy? This is clear we will not interfere," Anas Haqqani stated in an interview with an Indian media house. Regarding the Taliban government's future relations with India, the leader stated that despite India's 20-year support for the 'enemy,' the Taliban were eager to set aside their differences and create a friendship with India. Also read | Al Qaeda 'congratulates' Taliban; mentions Kashmir, Palestine in letter Meanwhile, there are evidence that terrorist organisations are aligning with Afghanistan's new de facto rulers, with al Qaeda targeting India's Kashmir in a congratulatory letter. Al Qaeda, the terror organisation at the centre of the United States' 20-year conflict in Afghanistan, "congratulated" the Taliban for "beating the Americans." The 9/11 terror attacks in 2001, organised by Osama bin Laden, led to the US invasion of Afghanistan and the assassination of the al Qaeda leader in Pakistan in 2011. Also read | 'Sad for those left behind': Last UK military flight leaves Afghanistan In a letter made available on social media, the group said it is the "third time that the Afghan nation within a span of less than two centuries has successfully expelled an invading force." Significantly, it also mentioned Kashmir. "Liberate the Levant, Somalia, Yemen, Kashmir and the rest of the Islamic lands" from the "clutches of the enemy", it exhorted the Taliban. (With inputs from agencies)

We want good relations with India and won't interfere in Kashmir: Taliban's Anas Haqqani

As the US forces left Afghanistan, reports have been coming in about people who have been left behind by the Biden administration.<o:p></o:p>

The latest addition to this growing list of allies left in Afghanistan is an old interpreter of US President Joe Biden, according to local media house Wall Street Journal.

<o:p>Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/taliban-appoint-governor-of-panjshir-urge-resistance-to-avoid-conflict-409978">Taliban appoint governor of Panjshir, urge resistance to avoid conflict</a></o:p>

Mohammed (a name used by Wall Street Journal&nbsp;to protect his identity) had helped rescue Biden in a 2008 Afghan snowstorm. Back then, Biden was a senator who was stuck with two other lawmakers while visiting Afghanistan. A snowstorm had interfered their plans and forced their helicopter to land in a remote are where Mohammed had helped the US officials.<o:p></o:p>

He was closely involved with the US Army at that time and had also been participating in combat missions. Mohammed had joined a small military Quick Reaction Force that recued Biden and other lawmakers from mountains after driving from Bagram airbase.<o:p></o:p>

However, Mohammed failed to get a spot on the recue flights that were run by the US Army. Apparently, he failed to get his application sorted on time due to the hectic process, which led to him getting stuck in Kabul.

<o:p><a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghans-left-to-fend-for-themselves-after-taliban-seizes-afghanistan-410007">WATCH |</a></o:p>

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/afghans-left-to-fend-for-themselves-after-taliban-seizes-afghanistan-410007/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

"Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family,” Mohammed was quoted saying by the media house. "Don't forget me here."<o:p></o:p>

Mohammed, along with his wife and four children, is now in hiding to ensure his family’s safety under the Taliban rule.<o:p></o:p>

White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she is aware about Mohammed and the administration is trying to get him out of Afghanistan at the earliest. <o:p></o:p>

"Our message to him is thank you for fighting by our side in the last 20 years,"&nbsp;Psaki said. "We will get you out. We will honour your service."<o:p></o:p>

As the US forces left Afghanistan, reports have been coming in about people who have been left behind by the Biden administration. The latest addition to this growing list of allies left in Afghanistan is an old interpreter of US President Joe Biden, according to local media house Wall Street Journal.

As the US forces left Afghanistan, reports have been coming in about people who have been left behind by the Biden administration. The latest addition to this growing list of allies left in Afghanistan is an old interpreter of US President Joe Biden, according to local media house Wall Street Journal. Also read | Taliban appoint governor of Panjshir, urge resistance to avoid conflict Mohammed (a name used by Wall Street Journal to protect his identity) had helped rescue Biden in a 2008 Afghan snowstorm. Back then, Biden was a senator who was stuck with two other lawmakers while visiting Afghanistan. A snowstorm had interfered their plans and forced their helicopter to land in a remote are where Mohammed had helped the US officials. He was closely involved with the US Army at that time and had also been participating in combat missions. Mohammed had joined a small military Quick Reaction Force that recued Biden and other lawmakers from mountains after driving from Bagram airbase. However, Mohammed failed to get a spot on the recue flights that were run by the US Army. Apparently, he failed to get his application sorted on time due to the hectic process, which led to him getting stuck in Kabul. WATCH | "Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family,” Mohammed was quoted saying by the media house. "Don't forget me here." Mohammed, along with his wife and four children, is now in hiding to ensure his family’s safety under the Taliban rule. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said she is aware about Mohammed and the administration is trying to get him out of Afghanistan at the earliest. "Our message to him is thank you for fighting by our side in the last 20 years," Psaki said. "We will get you out. We will honour your service."

'Don't forget me here': Biden's former interpreter left in Afghanistan

Defending&nbsp;Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept across the country, UK&nbsp;foreign minister Dominic Raab said intelligence assessment indicated that Kabul's fall this year was unlikely.

Britain, like the United States, failed to anticipate how rapidly the Afghan government would fall. Due to this, the nation was&nbsp;not fully prepared for the chaos that ensued once the Taliban seized power.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/britain-in-talks-with-taliban-in-doha-for-further-evacuations-409847">Britain in talks with Taliban in Doha for further evacuations</a>

At an emergency meeting of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, held to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, Raab said that Britain's intelligence services had assessed that the Taliban would only consolidate their control of Afghanistan in months after western countries had evacuated their troops.

"The central proposition was that, given the troop withdrawal by the end of August, you would see a steady deterioration from that point, and that it was unlikely Kabul would fall this year," Raab told the committee of lawmakers.

"That doesn't mean we didn't do contingency planning or game-out or test the other propositions. And just to be clear, that's something that was widely shared - that view - amongst NATO allies."

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/ready-to-launch-strikes-against-isis-k-in-afghanistan-uk-409754">Ready to launch strikes against ISIS-K in Afghanistan: UK&nbsp;</a>

Raab, who left for a vacation in Crete while the Taliban advanced on Kabul, has been accused of ignoring thousands of emails requesting assistance to leave Afghanistan, prompting demands for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to sack him.

In defence of his handling of the situation, Raab said he had more than 40 meetings or calls between March and August in which Afghanistan was on the agenda.

On Saturday, Britain's last military flight departed Kabul, capping two chaotic weeks in which the nation helped evacuate 15,000 people from crowds of people&nbsp;who descended on Kabul airport,&nbsp;desperate to flee Afghanistan.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sad-for-those-left-behind-last-uk-military-flight-leaves-afghanistan-409096">'Sad for those left behind': Last UK military flight leaves Afghanistan</a>

The foreign secretary said that he would travel to the region and is scheduled to fly out tonight.

The focus of his diplomatic efforts will be on furthering evacuation of Afghans and British nationals still present in the region. This will be done with assistance of third countries, which indicates Pakistan will be involved in talks.

(With inputs from agencies)

Defending Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept across the country, UK foreign minister Dominic Raab said intelligence assessment indicated that Kabul's fall this year was unlikely.

Defending Britain's withdrawal from Afghanistan after the Taliban swept across the country, UK foreign minister Dominic Raab said intelligence assessment indicated that Kabul's fall this year was unlikely. Britain, like the United States, failed to anticipate how rapidly the Afghan government would fall. Due to this, the nation was not fully prepared for the chaos that ensued once the Taliban seized power. Also read | Britain in talks with Taliban in Doha for further evacuations At an emergency meeting of the parliament's foreign affairs committee, held to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan, Raab said that Britain's intelligence services had assessed that the Taliban would only consolidate their control of Afghanistan in months after western countries had evacuated their troops. "The central proposition was that, given the troop withdrawal by the end of August, you would see a steady deterioration from that point, and that it was unlikely Kabul would fall this year," Raab told the committee of lawmakers. "That doesn't mean we didn't do contingency planning or game-out or test the other propositions. And just to be clear, that's something that was widely shared - that view - amongst NATO allies." Also read | Ready to launch strikes against ISIS-K in Afghanistan: UK Raab, who left for a vacation in Crete while the Taliban advanced on Kabul, has been accused of ignoring thousands of emails requesting assistance to leave Afghanistan, prompting demands for Prime Minister Boris Johnson to sack him. In defence of his handling of the situation, Raab said he had more than 40 meetings or calls between March and August in which Afghanistan was on the agenda. On Saturday, Britain's last military flight departed Kabul, capping two chaotic weeks in which the nation helped evacuate 15,000 people from crowds of people who descended on Kabul airport, desperate to flee Afghanistan. Also read | 'Sad for those left behind': Last UK military flight leaves Afghanistan The foreign secretary said that he would travel to the region and is scheduled to fly out tonight. The focus of his diplomatic efforts will be on furthering evacuation of Afghans and British nationals still present in the region. This will be done with assistance of third countries, which indicates Pakistan will be involved in talks. (With inputs from agencies)

Intelligence said Kabul will not fall this year; UK's Raab defends handling of Afghan evacuation

On Tuesday, several youngsters ran to school in Kabul as the Taliban symbolically strolled over the runway of the capital's airport, celebrating their victory following the pullout of US soldiers.&nbsp;

Some of the benefits of the last 20 years were on show, even as the US and its NATO allies left Afghanistan.

Masooda was rushing to get to her private school's fifth grade lesson.

She stated, "I am not terrified of the Taliban. Why should I be?" says the narrator.

Students had been summoned to class four days prior. The Taliban have stated that kids will be separated by gender, but this is already the case in many institutions, with the exception of the early classes.&nbsp;

The Taliban have stated that children will be separated by gender, which is already the case in many Afghan institutions for older kids.

The Taliban's acting higher education minister stated on Sunday that Afghan women would be able to attend university, but that mixed classes would be prohibited under their rule.&nbsp;

"Afghans won't abandon Islam, Afghans won't accept slavery, they won't neglect their national values," Haqqani said. The Taliban have also said that they want good relations with the international community and have promised a more moderate form of Islamic rule than last time. However, the group's public rhetoric has still left Afghans deeply skeptical.

(With inputs from agencies)

On Tuesday, several youngsters ran to school in Kabul as the Taliban symbolically strolled over the runway of the capital's airport, celebrating their victory following the pullout of US soldiers.

On Tuesday, several youngsters ran to school in Kabul as the Taliban symbolically strolled over the runway of the capital's airport, celebrating their victory following the pullout of US soldiers. Some of the benefits of the last 20 years were on show, even as the US and its NATO allies left Afghanistan. Masooda was rushing to get to her private school's fifth grade lesson. She stated, "I am not terrified of the Taliban. Why should I be?" says the narrator. Students had been summoned to class four days prior. The Taliban have stated that kids will be separated by gender, but this is already the case in many institutions, with the exception of the early classes. The Taliban have stated that children will be separated by gender, which is already the case in many Afghan institutions for older kids. The Taliban's acting higher education minister stated on Sunday that Afghan women would be able to attend university, but that mixed classes would be prohibited under their rule. "Afghans won't abandon Islam, Afghans won't accept slavery, they won't neglect their national values," Haqqani said. The Taliban have also said that they want good relations with the international community and have promised a more moderate form of Islamic rule than last time. However, the group's public rhetoric has still left Afghans deeply skeptical. (With inputs from agencies)

Not afraid of Taliban, why should I be: Afghan schoolgirl after US troops' departure 

After being left behind in the country following the evacuation of international forces, an Afghan interpreter believes working with British and American troops was the "biggest mistake of his life."

The 36-year-old, who was given the code name "Steve-O" by American forces, said that he spent 20 months with the US army in 2009 and 13 months with British troops in 2010. 
 
Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/surrender-or-die-taliban-pin-chilling-letters-on-doors-says-report-409709">Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report</a>

He attempted to enter the airport, like thousands of other desperate Afghans, to be evacuated from the country, but was unable to do so due to the enormous crowds.&nbsp;

Thousands of Afghan nationals who worked alongside the US during Afghanistan's 20-year conflict face death at the hands of the Taliban.

Many Afghans assisted the US and coalition members as translators, drivers, and in other capacities. They've never been more vulnerable than now that the Taliban has taken power.&nbsp;

Since 2001, 300 Afghan interpreters and their families have been killed as a result of their involvement with American forces, according to the non-profit No One Left Behind.&nbsp;

(With inputs from agencies)

After being left behind in the country following the evacuation of international forces, an Afghan interpreter believes working with British and American troops was the "biggest mistake of his life.

After being left behind in the country following the evacuation of international forces, an Afghan interpreter believes working with British and American troops was the "biggest mistake of his life." The 36-year-old, who was given the code name "Steve-O" by American forces, said that he spent 20 months with the US army in 2009 and 13 months with British troops in 2010. Also read | Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report He attempted to enter the airport, like thousands of other desperate Afghans, to be evacuated from the country, but was unable to do so due to the enormous crowds. Thousands of Afghan nationals who worked alongside the US during Afghanistan's 20-year conflict face death at the hands of the Taliban. Many Afghans assisted the US and coalition members as translators, drivers, and in other capacities. They've never been more vulnerable than now that the Taliban has taken power. Since 2001, 300 Afghan interpreters and their families have been killed as a result of their involvement with American forces, according to the non-profit No One Left Behind. (With inputs from agencies)

Working with UK and US 'biggest mistake of my life': Afghan interpreter left in Kabul

Taliban&nbsp;spokesman&nbsp;Zabihullah&nbsp;Mujahid&nbsp;on Tuesday urged Taliban soldiers to 'treat the people well', adding that they were entitled to 'peace'. His remarks came hours after the last of the United States and allied troops withdrew from Kabul airport.

Al-Emarah, a Taliban-affiliated media outlet published footage of Mujahid's interaction with the&nbsp;Badri 313 unit. In the footage, elite soldiers from the Badri 313 unit were seen standing before Mujahid, decked in modern military fatigues.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/after-us-troops-leave-afghanistan-taliban-strike-panjshir-killing-7-fighters-409743" hreflang="en">After US troops leave Afghanistan, Taliban strike Panjshir, killing 7 fighters</a>

Speaking in Pashto, he said to the Taliban soldiers&nbsp;"we praise your sacrifices, and this (victory) is due to the blessings of your sacrifices. It is due to the sacrifices of our&nbsp;mujahideen. Due to the sincerity, perseverance, and patience of our elders, we gained our freedom."

He congratulated them and said that he hopes Afghanistan will never again be occupied and will be a free, prosperous country inhabited by Afghans and that there will be an Islamic government in place.&nbsp;

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/surrender-or-die-taliban-pin-chilling-letters-on-doors-says-report-409709" hreflang="en">'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report</a>

Adding a word of caution to his congratulatory message he said "However, I still ask you to be very careful in behaving with people. The nation has suffered a lot, and they have been repressed because of the occupation, have seen problems for 20 years, and can no longer tolerate misbehaviour."

Finally, he noted that ensuring that Afghans are treated properly by the military is important, proclaiming, "we are the servants of the nation", and that the Taliban is not there to dominate the people.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/as-taliban-gain-complete-control-of-afghanistan-kabul-residents-hold-on-to-hope-for-a-peaceful-future-409727" hreflang="en">As Taliban gain complete control of Afghanistan, Kabul residents hold on to hope for a 'peaceful' future</a>

In spite of this the people, however, remain sceptical&nbsp;of the future they face.&nbsp;As the Taliban celebrated&nbsp;the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan&nbsp;residents of Kabul fear a return to the Taliban's infamous 1996-2001 rule where women and girls especially were treated harshly.&nbsp;&nbsp;

A minute before midnight, the last US forces left on C-17 aircraft, ending Washington's embarrassing departure from Afghanistan and bringing an end to a war that ironically left the Islamist militia stronger than it was in 2001.

(With inputs from agencies)

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Tuesday urged Taliban soldiers to 'treat the people well', adding that they were entitled to 'peace'. His remarks came hours after the last of the United States and allied troops withdrew from Kabul airport.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid on Tuesday urged Taliban soldiers to 'treat the people well', adding that they were entitled to 'peace'. His remarks came hours after the last of the United States and allied troops withdrew from Kabul airport. Al-Emarah, a Taliban-affiliated media outlet published footage of Mujahid's interaction with the Badri 313 unit. In the footage, elite soldiers from the Badri 313 unit were seen standing before Mujahid, decked in modern military fatigues. Also read | After US troops leave Afghanistan, Taliban strike Panjshir, killing 7 fighters Speaking in Pashto, he said to the Taliban soldiers "we praise your sacrifices, and this (victory) is due to the blessings of your sacrifices. It is due to the sacrifices of our mujahideen. Due to the sincerity, perseverance, and patience of our elders, we gained our freedom." He congratulated them and said that he hopes Afghanistan will never again be occupied and will be a free, prosperous country inhabited by Afghans and that there will be an Islamic government in place. Also read | 'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report Adding a word of caution to his congratulatory message he said "However, I still ask you to be very careful in behaving with people. The nation has suffered a lot, and they have been repressed because of the occupation, have seen problems for 20 years, and can no longer tolerate misbehaviour." Finally, he noted that ensuring that Afghans are treated properly by the military is important, proclaiming, "we are the servants of the nation", and that the Taliban is not there to dominate the people. Also read | As Taliban gain complete control of Afghanistan, Kabul residents hold on to hope for a 'peaceful' future In spite of this the people, however, remain sceptical of the future they face. As the Taliban celebrated the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan residents of Kabul fear a return to the Taliban's infamous 1996-2001 rule where women and girls especially were treated harshly. A minute before midnight, the last US forces left on C-17 aircraft, ending Washington's embarrassing departure from Afghanistan and bringing an end to a war that ironically left the Islamist militia stronger than it was in 2001. (With inputs from agencies)

Taliban spokesperson asks soldiers to 'treat the people well', citizens however remain sceptic

Tuesday was the first day that the hardline Islamist Taliban have been in total control of Afghanistan.&nbsp;

As the group celebrates the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan&nbsp;residents of Kabul fear a return of the earlier infamous rule of the Taliban.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/surrender-or-die-taliban-pin-chilling-letters-on-doors-says-report-409709" hreflang="en">'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report</a>

Between 1996-2001, the group was notorious for its treatment of girls and women and a brutal justice system.&nbsp;

Even though the Taliban have repeatedly promised a more tolerant government the Mujahid has continued with the earlier theme.&nbsp;

An Afghan resident says that the government must be inclusive and acceptable for Afghans.&nbsp;

However, some residents were concerned by the Taliban's celebratory gunfire overnight, but many continue to hold hope that now that the US has withdrawn completely the Taliban will stay true to its word and bring about nationwide peace.

Also read |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/explainer-what-is-badri-313-unit-talibans-so-called-special-force-409665" hreflang="en">Explainer: What is Badri 313 unit? Taliban's so-called 'special force'</a>

The United States' longest military conflict ended on Monday night with the withdrawal of its forces from Kabul's airport.&nbsp;In its frenzied airlift, more than 123,000 people fled life under the Taliban.

In a shocking turnaround from the 2001 US force invasion of the country, as soon as the US left the Taliban fighters swept into the airport and fired weapons in jubilation across the city.

"Congratulations to Afghanistan... this victory belongs to us all," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the runway of the airport, adding that&nbsp;the Taliban victory was a "lesson for other invaders".

"We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all," he said.

Mujahid also insisted Taliban security forces would "be gentle and nice".

(With inputs from agencies)

Tuesday was the first day that the hardline Islamist Taliban have been in total control of Afghanistan. As the group celebrates the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan residents of Kabul fear a return of the earlier infamous rule of the Taliban.

Tuesday was the first day that the hardline Islamist Taliban have been in total control of Afghanistan. As the group celebrates the withdrawal of US troops, many Afghan residents of Kabul fear a return of the earlier infamous rule of the Taliban. Also read | 'Surrender or die': Taliban pin chilling letters on doors, says report Between 1996-2001, the group was notorious for its treatment of girls and women and a brutal justice system. Even though the Taliban have repeatedly promised a more tolerant government the Mujahid has continued with the earlier theme. An Afghan resident says that the government must be inclusive and acceptable for Afghans. However, some residents were concerned by the Taliban's celebratory gunfire overnight, but many continue to hold hope that now that the US has withdrawn completely the Taliban will stay true to its word and bring about nationwide peace. Also read | Explainer: What is Badri 313 unit? Taliban's so-called 'special force' The United States' longest military conflict ended on Monday night with the withdrawal of its forces from Kabul's airport. In its frenzied airlift, more than 123,000 people fled life under the Taliban. In a shocking turnaround from the 2001 US force invasion of the country, as soon as the US left the Taliban fighters swept into the airport and fired weapons in jubilation across the city. "Congratulations to Afghanistan... this victory belongs to us all," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told reporters hours later on the runway of the airport, adding that the Taliban victory was a "lesson for other invaders". "We want to have good relations with the US and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all," he said. Mujahid also insisted Taliban security forces would "be gentle and nice". (With inputs from agencies)

As Taliban gain complete control of Afghanistan, Kabul residents hold on to hope for a 'peaceful' future

It was a moment of joy when Hossain Rasouli, an <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-paralympics-ipc-president-says-welcoming-afghanistan-athletes-best-moment-of-games-409404">athlete from Afghanistan</a>, appeared on track at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 and&nbsp;pointed towards the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee logo on his white vest on Tuesday (August 31).&nbsp;

Rasouli was competing in the men's T47 long jump final and his name was at 13th place on the start list. Although, he finished last but definitely spread a message of hope on one of the most decorated global platforms.&nbsp;

Rasouli, whose left hand was amputated after a mine explosion, finally made the much-awaited appearance of Afghanistan's appearance at the Tokyo Paralympic&nbsp;Games.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shahid-afridi-makes-glaring-remark-says-taliban-outfit-have-entered-afghanistan-with-positive-mindset-409575">Shahid Afridi makes glaring remark, says Taliban outfit have entered Afghanistan with 'positive mindset'</a>

As he was too late to compete in his favoured T47 100m event, he entered the long jump final and recorded jumps of 4.37, 4.21 and 4.46. It did not win him a medal, but the attempts were long enough to cross physical, mental and political hurdles.&nbsp;

Another long jumper Roderick Townsend said he didn't feel rivalry but "joy" as he said Rasouli's participation was symbolic and this is what &nbsp;Paralympic Games "stands for".&nbsp;

Rasouli is one of the two Paralympians who were evacuated from Afghanistan, arriving in Tokyo with team-mate Zakia Khudadadi on Saturday (August 29), after catching a secret flight from Paris one week after being evacuated from Kabul.&nbsp;

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El velocista afgano Hossain Rasouli salta en los Paralímpicos de Tokio<a href="https://t.co/AVPgRNDID9">https://t.co/AVPgRNDID9</a> <a href="https://t.co/Xg34p39QJD">pic.twitter.com/Xg34p39QJD</a>
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The best 13th place ever: Afghanistan Paralympian, Hossain Rasouli, a 100 metre runner who missed his event because he was fleeing the Taliban in Kabul, competes in the long jump instead and sets a PB💪 <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Tokyo2020?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Tokyo2020</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Paralympics?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Paralympics</a> <a href="https://t.co/cdC0RVmK5l">pic.twitter.com/cdC0RVmK5l</a>
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<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/tokyo-paralympics-ipc-says-afghan-athletes-well-being-is-top-priority-no-media-access-during-games-409155">Rasouli</a> left the stadium without speaking to reporters officials have said&nbsp;Afghan Paralympians will not be speaking to the media during the Paralympic Games. &nbsp;

A couple of days ago, Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said he was able to see the Afghan athletes in person after they arrived, and promised that the IPC would "provide everything in our capacity" to ensure "the safest" and "calmest" environment for them to focus on their competitions.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/us-completes-military-withdrawal-from-afghanistan-409541">US completes military withdrawal from Afghanistan</a>

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The athletes were due to arrive in Tokyo on August 17 but they could not travel to Japan after the Taliban took control over the country, routing government forces.&nbsp;

They had missed the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on Tuesday (August 24), however, their country's flag was carried during the event, spreading a "message of solidarity and peace".&nbsp;

Khudadadi will make her first appearance in the women's taekwondo K44 -49kg category on Thursday.

It was a moment of joy when Hossain Rasouli, an athlete from Afghanistan, appeared on track at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 and pointed towards the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee logo on his white vest on Tuesday (August 31).

It was a moment of joy when Hossain Rasouli, an athlete from Afghanistan, appeared on track at the ongoing Tokyo Paralympic Games 2020 and pointed towards the Afghanistan Paralympic Committee logo on his white vest on Tuesday (August 31). Rasouli was competing in the men's T47 long jump final and his name was at 13th place on the start list. Although, he finished last but definitely spread a message of hope on one of the most decorated global platforms. Rasouli, whose left hand was amputated after a mine explosion, finally made the much-awaited appearance of Afghanistan's appearance at the Tokyo Paralympic Games. ALSO READ | Shahid Afridi makes glaring remark, says Taliban outfit have entered Afghanistan with 'positive mindset' As he was too late to compete in his favoured T47 100m event, he entered the long jump final and recorded jumps of 4.37, 4.21 and 4.46. It did not win him a medal, but the attempts were long enough to cross physical, mental and political hurdles. Another long jumper Roderick Townsend said he didn't feel rivalry but "joy" as he said Rasouli's participation was symbolic and this is what Paralympic Games "stands for". Rasouli is one of the two Paralympians who were evacuated from Afghanistan, arriving in Tokyo with team-mate Zakia Khudadadi on Saturday (August 29), after catching a secret flight from Paris one week after being evacuated from Kabul. El velocista afgano Hossain Rasouli salta en los Paralímpicos de Tokiohttps://t.co/AVPgRNDID9 pic.twitter.com/Xg34p39QJD — Meta de Pulso (@meta_pulso) August 31, 2021 × The best 13th place ever: Afghanistan Paralympian, Hossain Rasouli, a 100 metre runner who missed his event because he was fleeing the Taliban in Kabul, competes in the long jump instead and sets a PB💪 #Tokyo2020 #Paralympics pic.twitter.com/cdC0RVmK5l — Tracey Holmes (@TraceyLeeHolmes) August 31, 2021 × Rasouli left the stadium without speaking to reporters officials have said Afghan Paralympians will not be speaking to the media during the Paralympic Games. A couple of days ago, Andrew Parsons, the president of the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) said he was able to see the Afghan athletes in person after they arrived, and promised that the IPC would "provide everything in our capacity" to ensure "the safest" and "calmest" environment for them to focus on their competitions. ALSO READ | US completes military withdrawal from Afghanistan Watch: × The athletes were due to arrive in Tokyo on August 17 but they could not travel to Japan after the Taliban took control over the country, routing government forces. They had missed the opening ceremony of the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games on Tuesday (August 24), however, their country's flag was carried during the event, spreading a "message of solidarity and peace". Khudadadi will make her first appearance in the women's taekwondo K44 -49kg category on Thursday.

Afghan athlete Hossain Rasouli's participation at Tokyo Paralympics is an insignia of hope and courage

The British government acknowledged that more can be done to help and assist Afghan nationals and their families settle in&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;as they escape from Afghanistan following its takeover by the Taliban.

Britain&nbsp;earlier announced plans to welcome up to 5,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban during the first year of a new resettlement programme that will prioritise women, girls and religious and other minorities.

"Approximately only 5% of councils have declined to sign up to our relocation and assistance scheme and close to a third of councils have already stepped up to support new arrivals, but we know there is more that can be done for those that have risked their lives supporting us", a UK government spokesperson said in an emailed statement late on Friday.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/heart-wrenching-details-of-some-of-the-13-us-troops-killed-in-afghan-bombings-409001">Heart wrenching details of some of the 13 US troops killed in Afghan bombings</a>

"This is why we are calling on all councils who have not yet come forward with a firm offer of support to help Afghan nationals and their families as they build a new life here in safety", the spokesperson said.

The Telegraph newspaper reported earlier that around 30 councils have refused to take any Afghan refugees who have arrived in the UK after fleeing the Taliban.

An initial request from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to local authorities was met with push back from around 10% of England's 333 councils, the newspaper had reported.

"We do not recognise these figures", the government spokesperson said in response to the report.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/south-asia/un-issues-urgent-appeal-to-help-drought-hit-afghan-farmers-408993">UN issues urgent appeal to help drought-hit Afghan farmers</a>

"Councils in England, Scotland and Wales will have access to a share of an additional £5 million to help them provide the necessary housing and support to Afghans who have worked for this country in Afghanistan, but who now face threats of persecution or worse," the statement added.

The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August from a U.S.-backed government, sending thousands fleeing and potentially heralding a return to the militants' austere and autocratic rule of two decades ago.

Britain&nbsp;has so far evacuated more than more than 14,500 Afghan and British nationals, the defence ministry said late on Friday.

The British government acknowledged that more can be done to help and assist Afghan nationals and their families settle in Britain as they escape from Afghanistan following its takeover by the Taliban.

The British government acknowledged that more can be done to help and assist Afghan nationals and their families settle in Britain as they escape from Afghanistan following its takeover by the Taliban. Britain earlier announced plans to welcome up to 5,000 Afghans fleeing the Taliban during the first year of a new resettlement programme that will prioritise women, girls and religious and other minorities. "Approximately only 5% of councils have declined to sign up to our relocation and assistance scheme and close to a third of councils have already stepped up to support new arrivals, but we know there is more that can be done for those that have risked their lives supporting us", a UK government spokesperson said in an emailed statement late on Friday. ALSO READ | Heart wrenching details of some of the 13 US troops killed in Afghan bombings "This is why we are calling on all councils who have not yet come forward with a firm offer of support to help Afghan nationals and their families as they build a new life here in safety", the spokesperson said. The Telegraph newspaper reported earlier that around 30 councils have refused to take any Afghan refugees who have arrived in the UK after fleeing the Taliban. An initial request from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government to local authorities was met with push back from around 10% of England's 333 councils, the newspaper had reported. "We do not recognise these figures", the government spokesperson said in response to the report. ALSO READ | UN issues urgent appeal to help drought-hit Afghan farmers "Councils in England, Scotland and Wales will have access to a share of an additional £5 million to help them provide the necessary housing and support to Afghans who have worked for this country in Afghanistan, but who now face threats of persecution or worse," the statement added. The Taliban seized power in Afghanistan in mid-August from a U.S.-backed government, sending thousands fleeing and potentially heralding a return to the militants' austere and autocratic rule of two decades ago. Britain has so far evacuated more than more than 14,500 Afghan and British nationals, the defence ministry said late on Friday.

UK says more can be done for Afghans who have arrived in Britain

Afghan Sikhs who reached India thanked the government for their safe evacuation from Afghanistan. The Indian government is working day and night to evacuate its citizen from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country and also chalk out a plan to proceed after deadly bomb blasts outside Kabul airport disrupted the evacuation process.&nbsp;

To ease the process, India opened the window of E-visas for the tenure of six months for Afghan nationals.&nbsp;

So far, India has airlifted 565 people from Afghanistan including&nbsp;citizens and embassy personnel. According to an official in the Ministry Of External Affairs (MEA), dozens of Afghans including Afghan Sikhs and Hindus have also been evacuated.&nbsp;

ALSO READ | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/momentous-feat-pm-modi-hails-indias-10-million-covid-19-vaccine-doses-in-single-day-408962">'Momentous feat': PM Modi hails India's 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in single day</a>

Recently, Afghan Sikhs who reached Ludhiana in Punjab thanked the Indian government for their safe evacuation from war-torn Afghanistan. They also opened up about ordeals they faced in Afghanistan.&nbsp;

One of them, Gurdit Singh used to run a grocery shop in Kabul and is family has been living in Afghanistan for sixty years. They are among the Sikh families that have been brought to India from Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "The situation is very critical after the Taliban occupation of Afghanistan. There is open firing in every street and lane. There is a panic among the people. Be it Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, everyone wants to leave Afghanistan. People are waiting with their children outside the airport to leave Afghanistan."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/indian-capital-reopens-schools-for-classes-ix-to-xii-from-september-1-408959">Indian Capital reopens schools for classes IX to XII from September 1</a>

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"People were in distress even 21 years ago during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But this time, people want to leave the country. There is so much rush to the airport that half an hour drive is taking 18 hours," he said.&nbsp;

"We decided to leave everything and come to India. There is no better country in the world than India where people of all religions live in peace and harmony. We are grateful to the Government of India," he added.&nbsp;

He said that over 100 Sikhs and Hindus are still stranded in a gurdwara in Kabul. "We request the Government to bring them to India as soon as possible so that their lives can be saved," he urged.&nbsp;

India is also holding discussions on the position of Afghans who are already here for health checkups and studies, etc before the Taliban seized power in Kabul.&nbsp;

(inputs from agencies)

Afghan Sikhs who reached India thanked the government for their safe evacuation from Afghanistan. The Indian government is working day and night to evacuate its citizen from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country and also chalk out a plan to proceed after deadly bomb blasts outside Kabul airport disrupted the evacuation process.

Afghan Sikhs who reached India thanked the government for their safe evacuation from Afghanistan. The Indian government is working day and night to evacuate its citizen from Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country and also chalk out a plan to proceed after deadly bomb blasts outside Kabul airport disrupted the evacuation process. To ease the process, India opened the window of E-visas for the tenure of six months for Afghan nationals. So far, India has airlifted 565 people from Afghanistan including citizens and embassy personnel. According to an official in the Ministry Of External Affairs (MEA), dozens of Afghans including Afghan Sikhs and Hindus have also been evacuated. ALSO READ | 'Momentous feat': PM Modi hails India's 10 million COVID-19 vaccine doses in single day Recently, Afghan Sikhs who reached Ludhiana in Punjab thanked the Indian government for their safe evacuation from war-torn Afghanistan. They also opened up about ordeals they faced in Afghanistan. One of them, Gurdit Singh used to run a grocery shop in Kabul and is family has been living in Afghanistan for sixty years. They are among the Sikh families that have been brought to India from Afghanistan. Speaking to ANI, Singh said, "The situation is very critical after the Taliban occupation of Afghanistan. There is open firing in every street and lane. There is a panic among the people. Be it Hindu, Sikh or Muslim, everyone wants to leave Afghanistan. People are waiting with their children outside the airport to leave Afghanistan." ALSO READ | Indian Capital reopens schools for classes IX to XII from September 1 Watch: × "People were in distress even 21 years ago during the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. But this time, people want to leave the country. There is so much rush to the airport that half an hour drive is taking 18 hours," he said. "We decided to leave everything and come to India. There is no better country in the world than India where people of all religions live in peace and harmony. We are grateful to the Government of India," he added. He said that over 100 Sikhs and Hindus are still stranded in a gurdwara in Kabul. "We request the Government to bring them to India as soon as possible so that their lives can be saved," he urged. India is also holding discussions on the position of Afghans who are already here for health checkups and studies, etc before the Taliban seized power in Kabul. (inputs from agencies)

'No better country in world than India': Sikhs evacuated from Afghanistan thank Indian government

Former Afghan vice-president Amrullah&nbsp;Saleh has said that&nbsp;ISIS- Khorasan has roots in the Taliban and Haqqani network operating in Kabul.

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Every evidence we have in hand shows that IS-K cells have their roots in Talibs &amp; Haqqani network particularly the ones operating in Kabul. Talibs denying links with ISIS is identical/similar to denial of Pak on Quetta Shura. Talibs hv leanred vry well from the master. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a>
— Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) <a href="https://twitter.com/AmrullahSaleh2/status/1431078856207785984?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">August 27, 2021</a></blockquote>
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It comes after several blasts outside Kabul airport, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover.

Claiming responsibility for the attack,&nbsp;Islamic State (ISIS) said one of its suicide bombers targeted "translators and collaborators with the American army."

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The blasts came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport. But that advice went largely unheeded by Afghans desperate to escape the country in the last few days of an American-led evacuation before the US&nbsp;officially ends its 20-year presence on Aug. 31.

What is Islamic State-Khorasan?

ISIS-K is an independent and self-proclaimed branch of&nbsp;Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This terrorist group includes breakaway fighters from the Pakistani Taliban group who joined the militants of Afghanistan and announced their own rule in Syria and Iraq in 2014.

However, it gained support and acknowledgment from the central Islamic State leadership a year after its formation. The support came after the leadership was satisfied with the effect and the roots the group had established in the northeastern Afghanistan, especially in&nbsp;Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces.

Islamic State-Khorasan's relationship with&nbsp;the Taliban

IS-Khorasan and the Taliban are both rigid Sunni Islamist militants who claim to be the true flag bearers of jihad.&nbsp;

The two groups have not looked eye to eye on several matters and that has often led to a bloody fight between the two, in which the Taliban has usually been declared victorious.

Reportedly,&nbsp;Islamic State-Khorasan was also not very happy with the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan.

Former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh has said that ISIS- Khorasan has roots in the Taliban and Haqqani network operating in Kabul. Every evidence we have in hand shows that IS-K cells have their roots in Talibs & Haqqani network particularly the ones operating in Kabul.

Former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh has said that ISIS- Khorasan has roots in the Taliban and Haqqani network operating in Kabul. Every evidence we have in hand shows that IS-K cells have their roots in Talibs & Haqqani network particularly the ones operating in Kabul. Talibs denying links with ISIS is identical/similar to denial of Pak on Quetta Shura. Talibs hv leanred vry well from the master. #Kabul — Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 27, 2021 × It comes after several blasts outside Kabul airport, transforming a scene of desperation into one of horror in the waning days of an airlift for those fleeing the Taliban takeover. Claiming responsibility for the attack, Islamic State (ISIS) said one of its suicide bombers targeted "translators and collaborators with the American army." The blasts came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport. But that advice went largely unheeded by Afghans desperate to escape the country in the last few days of an American-led evacuation before the US officially ends its 20-year presence on Aug. 31. What is Islamic State-Khorasan? ISIS-K is an independent and self-proclaimed branch of Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant. This terrorist group includes breakaway fighters from the Pakistani Taliban group who joined the militants of Afghanistan and announced their own rule in Syria and Iraq in 2014. However, it gained support and acknowledgment from the central Islamic State leadership a year after its formation. The support came after the leadership was satisfied with the effect and the roots the group had established in the northeastern Afghanistan, especially in Kunar, Nangarhar and Nuristan provinces. Islamic State-Khorasan's relationship with the Taliban IS-Khorasan and the Taliban are both rigid Sunni Islamist militants who claim to be the true flag bearers of jihad. The two groups have not looked eye to eye on several matters and that has often led to a bloody fight between the two, in which the Taliban has usually been declared victorious. Reportedly, Islamic State-Khorasan was also not very happy with the Taliban's takeover in Afghanistan.

Former Afghan vice-president Amrullah Saleh says ISIS- Khorasan has roots in Taliban and Haqqani network operating in Kabul

Britain said Friday that its&nbsp;forces have entered the final stages of evacuating people from Kabul and the process will end&nbsp;"in a matter of hours".

''We will process those people that we have brought with us, the 1,000 people approximately inside the airfield now,"&nbsp;&nbsp;defence minister Ben Wallace said in a statement.

&nbsp;"And we will seek a way to continue to find a few people in the crowd, where we can, but overall the main processing has now closed and we have a matter of hours."

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Wallace later told Sky News television that Thursday's attack at the airport, which killed 85 people including 13 US&nbsp;soldiers, had not sped up&nbsp;Britain's timetable for ending the evacuation operation.

He said the threat of further attacks would grow as the operation neared its conclusion.

So far,&nbsp;Britain&nbsp;has evacuated more than 13,700 British nationals and Afghans, representing the second biggest airlift by the country's air force after the Berlin Airlift in 1949, the ministry said.

Twin suicide bombs ripped through crowds outside Kabul airport on Thursday, killing scores of people including 13 US troops and deepening panic in the final days of an already frenzied evacuation effort from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan.

The bombings, claimed by the Islamic State group, left scenes of carnage outside the airport where thousands of Afghans desperate to flee their country had massed despite a flurry of foreign government warnings, made just hours before, that a major terror attack was imminent. 
&nbsp;

Britain said Friday that its forces have entered the final stages of evacuating people from Kabul and the process will end "in a matter of hours". ''We will process those people that we have brought with us, the 1,000 people approximately inside the airfield now," defence minister Ben Wallace said in a statement.

Britain said Friday that its forces have entered the final stages of evacuating people from Kabul and the process will end "in a matter of hours". ''We will process those people that we have brought with us, the 1,000 people approximately inside the airfield now," defence minister Ben Wallace said in a statement. "And we will seek a way to continue to find a few people in the crowd, where we can, but overall the main processing has now closed and we have a matter of hours." Wallace later told Sky News television that Thursday's attack at the airport, which killed 85 people including 13 US soldiers, had not sped up Britain's timetable for ending the evacuation operation. He said the threat of further attacks would grow as the operation neared its conclusion. So far, Britain has evacuated more than 13,700 British nationals and Afghans, representing the second biggest airlift by the country's air force after the Berlin Airlift in 1949, the ministry said. Twin suicide bombs ripped through crowds outside Kabul airport on Thursday, killing scores of people including 13 US troops and deepening panic in the final days of an already frenzied evacuation effort from Taliban-controlled Afghanistan. The bombings, claimed by the Islamic State group, left scenes of carnage outside the airport where thousands of Afghans desperate to flee their country had massed despite a flurry of foreign government warnings, made just hours before, that a major terror attack was imminent.

Britain to end evacuations from Afghanistan 'in a matter of hours,' says defence minister

The students of Seminaries came as sweeping wave to conquer entire Afghanistan in just two weeks in the most unprecedented manner. They have claimed the power in erstwhile Gandhara Kingdom and are now negotiating with Afghan leaders to establish a legitimate government. &nbsp;India being a big stakeholder in the development of Afghanistan must watch things carefully. So far Indian government has not opened its cards and is watching the developments carefully. Relations with the power centres of Afghanistan is of great importance for India and hence any development on this turf is to be watched carefully.

India had a diplomatic setback when despite of being the most important country in South Asia, it was kept away from Doha as well as Moscow talks. This affected the relationship and mutual understanding with Taliban. With China flexing its muscles now in central Asia, it becomes important for India to have a clear-cut policy towards Taliban. It had reverse aspect too. Having a fair relation with India is also in on the cards for Taliban since they are struggling for legitimacy. Any action against the biggest democracy of the world will spoil their dreams. Further, they are cash-strapped and are unable to run a country. Countries are not run with the gun slinging to the shoulder but by effective utilisation of resources and human capital. They will need not only financial but also the diplomatic support from the world. If they do not get it, their regime will be short-lived. Taliban must prove that they are no longer a terrorist organisation which looks difficult after twin bombings at Kabul Airport on&nbsp;August 26 2021. However, present day they are in power and with Taliban being in power corridors, India must look for four major aspects before opening its cards.&nbsp;

 
Taliban’s Proximity with Pakistan 
First and foremost, concern is the proximity of Taliban with Pakistan ISI and their government. Taliban was raised on the platform of Fanatic Islam and&nbsp;Terrorism. It is a universal truth that Taliban is not only the creation of Pakistan butcurrently being run on ISI directives. It was further evident in recent events where ISI officials accompanied Taliban during search of Indian Consulates in Herat &amp; Kandahar. Pakistan and India have long pending issues, have fought four wars and thus, Pakistan would never like Taliban to be favouring India. It will also try to create unrest and promote terror activities in India using Taliban. On the other hand, Taliban also has to prove that it is no longer a puppet of Pakistan. The label of a Pakistan sponsored terror organisation will ruin its plans of getting legitimacy.

 
Indian Investments &amp; bilateral trade with Afghanistan&nbsp; 
Over last few years, India has invested heavily in Afghanistan to the tunes of about 3 billion USD. Nearly all of it was developmental assistance in the form of more than 40 projects. There is a long list including Salma Dam in Herat, Zaranj-Delaram Highway, Afghan Parliament, Restoration of Stor Palace &amp;many more in the fields of Power, Transmission, Health, Sanitation as well as Education. There were several other projects are currently in pipeline including Shahtoot Dam near Kabul. Since Afghanistan is a landlocked country, India also established a supply chain network connecting Chabahar Port to Afghanistan. With Taliban in power, there are serious threats looming over the upcoming projects and India must be cautious of every Taliban move. Safety and continuation of Indian interests is a prime concern.&nbsp;

Further, India has been the biggest export market for Afghanistan and a major source of revenue for the hill country. In year 2020-21, the bilateral trade was close to 1.7 billion USD which was a major source of revenue for Afghanistan and in case Indo-Taliban relations sour, it will be a financial catastrophe for government of Afghanistan.&nbsp;

Involvement in Terror activities&nbsp; 
Taliban are closely associated with most of the notorious Islamic terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, Lashkar-E-Toiba, Jaish-E-Muhammad and many more. Yesterday’s Kabul bombing in which more than 80 innocent lives were lost is a clear example of this. Taliban 1.0 or 2.0, both have established their regime on the very foundation of fear, terror, blood and brutality. Notorious terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, Ayeman Al Zawahiri, Maulana Massoud Azhar and Hafiz Saeed enjoyed proximity with top Taliban leaders. Their relationship with Islamic State was brought out in various UN security council reports too. There are high chances that present day Taliban Seminaries may become breeding grounds for terrorists causing disturbances in India. Although Taliban is desperate for legitimacy and their spokesperson has been reiterating that this will be a new chapter of their rule which will be devoid of terrorism, but India needs to watch their deeds first. Knowing Taliban’s proximity with Islamic State and the sequence of events, it is near impossible to believe that they were not involved in Kabul bombings yesterday. India has a clear policy against terrorism and has reiterated time and again that “Blood and Diplomacy can not go together”. So to make a start, onus lies on Taliban first.&nbsp;

Global Posturing&nbsp; 
Any Indian reaction against Taliban led power centres in Afghanistan will also be dependent upon global posturing. Concurrently, most of the world has not yet recognised Taliban as a legitimate government and everyone is looking at each other. There are serious allegations of human rights violation, ultra-fanatic attitude, Lunatic, Anti-democracy, and being a puppet of Pakistan against Taliban and theymustfulfil the expectations of the world first. Kabul bombings will also change the global outlook towards Taliban as it is perceived that they are the ones behind such a brutal attack. India is the biggest democracy of the world and hence while keeping India on its wrong side will be detrimental for Taliban, India also must see the flow of water in Kabul River and the global posturing before establishing relationship with Taliban.&nbsp;

Over last few months, India has been reluctant to open communication channels with Taliban owing to their attitude, proximity with Terror sympathisers and ultra-fanatic attitude. With them in power, there are mutual expectations from both sides. While Taliban wants legitimacy and a better economy, India wants safety of its past, present, and future investments, humanitarian approach from Taliban and their changed attitude towards terror related activities. Since Taliban is in dire need, they will have to prove themselves first before India makes a move. Taliban must prove to the world that they are no longer a terrorist organisation and are not dancing to the tunes of Pakistan ISI. They also must induce comfort levels to the world with relation to humanitarian approach.&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

The students of Seminaries came as sweeping wave to conquer entire Afghanistan in just two weeks in the most unprecedented manner. They have claimed the power in erstwhile Gandhara Kingdom and are now negotiating with Afghan leaders to establish a legitimate government.

The students of Seminaries came as sweeping wave to conquer entire Afghanistan in just two weeks in the most unprecedented manner. They have claimed the power in erstwhile Gandhara Kingdom and are now negotiating with Afghan leaders to establish a legitimate government. India being a big stakeholder in the development of Afghanistan must watch things carefully. So far Indian government has not opened its cards and is watching the developments carefully. Relations with the power centres of Afghanistan is of great importance for India and hence any development on this turf is to be watched carefully. India had a diplomatic setback when despite of being the most important country in South Asia, it was kept away from Doha as well as Moscow talks. This affected the relationship and mutual understanding with Taliban. With China flexing its muscles now in central Asia, it becomes important for India to have a clear-cut policy towards Taliban. It had reverse aspect too. Having a fair relation with India is also in on the cards for Taliban since they are struggling for legitimacy. Any action against the biggest democracy of the world will spoil their dreams. Further, they are cash-strapped and are unable to run a country. Countries are not run with the gun slinging to the shoulder but by effective utilisation of resources and human capital. They will need not only financial but also the diplomatic support from the world. If they do not get it, their regime will be short-lived. Taliban must prove that they are no longer a terrorist organisation which looks difficult after twin bombings at Kabul Airport on August 26 2021. However, present day they are in power and with Taliban being in power corridors, India must look for four major aspects before opening its cards. Taliban’s Proximity with Pakistan First and foremost, concern is the proximity of Taliban with Pakistan ISI and their government. Taliban was raised on the platform of Fanatic Islam and Terrorism. It is a universal truth that Taliban is not only the creation of Pakistan butcurrently being run on ISI directives. It was further evident in recent events where ISI officials accompanied Taliban during search of Indian Consulates in Herat & Kandahar. Pakistan and India have long pending issues, have fought four wars and thus, Pakistan would never like Taliban to be favouring India. It will also try to create unrest and promote terror activities in India using Taliban. On the other hand, Taliban also has to prove that it is no longer a puppet of Pakistan. The label of a Pakistan sponsored terror organisation will ruin its plans of getting legitimacy. Indian Investments & bilateral trade with Afghanistan Over last few years, India has invested heavily in Afghanistan to the tunes of about 3 billion USD. Nearly all of it was developmental assistance in the form of more than 40 projects. There is a long list including Salma Dam in Herat, Zaranj-Delaram Highway, Afghan Parliament, Restoration of Stor Palace &many more in the fields of Power, Transmission, Health, Sanitation as well as Education. There were several other projects are currently in pipeline including Shahtoot Dam near Kabul. Since Afghanistan is a landlocked country, India also established a supply chain network connecting Chabahar Port to Afghanistan. With Taliban in power, there are serious threats looming over the upcoming projects and India must be cautious of every Taliban move. Safety and continuation of Indian interests is a prime concern. Further, India has been the biggest export market for Afghanistan and a major source of revenue for the hill country. In year 2020-21, the bilateral trade was close to 1.7 billion USD which was a major source of revenue for Afghanistan and in case Indo-Taliban relations sour, it will be a financial catastrophe for government of Afghanistan. Involvement in Terror activities Taliban are closely associated with most of the notorious Islamic terrorist organisations like Al-Qaeda, Islamic State, Lashkar-E-Toiba, Jaish-E-Muhammad and many more. Yesterday’s Kabul bombing in which more than 80 innocent lives were lost is a clear example of this. Taliban 1.0 or 2.0, both have established their regime on the very foundation of fear, terror, blood and brutality. Notorious terrorists like Osama Bin Laden, Ayeman Al Zawahiri, Maulana Massoud Azhar and Hafiz Saeed enjoyed proximity with top Taliban leaders. Their relationship with Islamic State was brought out in various UN security council reports too. There are high chances that present day Taliban Seminaries may become breeding grounds for terrorists causing disturbances in India. Although Taliban is desperate for legitimacy and their spokesperson has been reiterating that this will be a new chapter of their rule which will be devoid of terrorism, but India needs to watch their deeds first. Knowing Taliban’s proximity with Islamic State and the sequence of events, it is near impossible to believe that they were not involved in Kabul bombings yesterday. India has a clear policy against terrorism and has reiterated time and again that “Blood and Diplomacy can not go together”. So to make a start, onus lies on Taliban first. Global Posturing Any Indian reaction against Taliban led power centres in Afghanistan will also be dependent upon global posturing. Concurrently, most of the world has not yet recognised Taliban as a legitimate government and everyone is looking at each other. There are serious allegations of human rights violation, ultra-fanatic attitude, Lunatic, Anti-democracy, and being a puppet of Pakistan against Taliban and theymustfulfil the expectations of the world first. Kabul bombings will also change the global outlook towards Taliban as it is perceived that they are the ones behind such a brutal attack. India is the biggest democracy of the world and hence while keeping India on its wrong side will be detrimental for Taliban, India also must see the flow of water in Kabul River and the global posturing before establishing relationship with Taliban. Over last few months, India has been reluctant to open communication channels with Taliban owing to their attitude, proximity with Terror sympathisers and ultra-fanatic attitude. With them in power, there are mutual expectations from both sides. While Taliban wants legitimacy and a better economy, India wants safety of its past, present, and future investments, humanitarian approach from Taliban and their changed attitude towards terror related activities. Since Taliban is in dire need, they will have to prove themselves first before India makes a move. Taliban must prove to the world that they are no longer a terrorist organisation and are not dancing to the tunes of Pakistan ISI. They also must induce comfort levels to the world with relation to humanitarian approach.

Opinion | Indo-Taliban relations: A saga of blood, terror, power and legitimacy

Pentagon has said that the&nbsp;threat persists after ISIS-K claimed&nbsp;responsibility for the deadly double attack at Kabul airport.

An attack in Kabul claimed by Islamic State killed 12 US&nbsp;troops on Thursday and wounded 15 others, a top US&nbsp;general said, adding US&nbsp;forces were prepared for more attacks even as the evacuation continued.

At least two explosions tore through crowds that have thronged the Kabul airport gates desperate to leave Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power almost two weeks ago ahead of President Joe Biden's August&nbsp;31 deadline to pull out US&nbsp;troops.

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kabul-airport-blast-dual-blasts-hit-kabul-evacuation-408656/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

In a statement, Islamic State claimed responsibility and said one of its suicide bombers had targeted "translators and collaborators with the American army."

US&nbsp;General Frank McKenzie, head of US&nbsp;Central Command, told reporters in a briefing that the threat from Islamic State persisted alongside "other active threat streams."

"We believe it is their desire to continue these attacks and we expect those attacks to continue and we're doing everything we can to be prepared for those attacks," McKenzie said.

"Given the success of the ISIS bombers today, you can expect more attempts between now and such time as the Americans depart the airport area for good," said Richard Fontaine, the Chief Executive Officer for the Washington think-tank the Center for a New American Security.

A massive airlift of foreign nationals and their families as well as some Afghans has been under way since the day before Taliban forces captured Kabul on Aug. 15, capping a swift advance across the country as U.S. and allied troops withdrew.

The United States has been racing to carry out the airlift before its military is set to fully withdraw from the country by Aug. 31. There was no indication from the White House that Biden plans to change the Aug. 31 withdrawal target as a result of the attacks, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters.

McKenzie said the evacuation mission was not going to stop.

"I think we can continue to conduct our mission, even while we are receiving attacks like this," he said, adding that U.S. forces would "go after" the perpetrators of Thursday's attack.

A Taliban official said at least 13 people including children had been killed and 52 were wounded, though it was clear from video footage that the final toll would be higher.

US&nbsp;officials have said there are about 5,200 American troops providing security at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The attacks came after the United States and allies urged Afghans to leave the area around the airport because of a threat by Islamic State militants.

The US&nbsp;military death toll in the Afghanistan war since 2001 stood at roughly 2,500.

In an alert issued on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Kabul had advised citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and said those already at the gates should leave immediately, citing unspecified "security threats."

Islamic State is opposed by the United States and the Taliban.

Biden was in a meeting with security officials about the situation in Afghanistan, when the explosions were reported, according to a person familiar with the matter.

Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored events via video links.

A Western diplomat in Kabul said that areas outside the airport gates had been "incredibly crowded" again despite the latest warnings.

The United States and its allies have mounted one of the biggest air evacuations in history, bringing out about 95,700 people, including 13,400 on Wednesday, the White House said on Thursday.

Blinken said on Wednesday that there were still about 1,500 US&nbsp;citizens in Afghanistan, and that at least 4,500 US&nbsp;citizens had already been evacuated from the country.

(With inputs from agencies)

Pentagon has said that the threat persists after ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the deadly double attack at Kabul airport. An attack in Kabul claimed by Islamic State killed 12 US troops on Thursday and wounded 15 others, a top US general said, adding US forces were prepared for more attacks even as the evacuation continued.

Pentagon has said that the threat persists after ISIS-K claimed responsibility for the deadly double attack at Kabul airport. An attack in Kabul claimed by Islamic State killed 12 US troops on Thursday and wounded 15 others, a top US general said, adding US forces were prepared for more attacks even as the evacuation continued. At least two explosions tore through crowds that have thronged the Kabul airport gates desperate to leave Afghanistan since the Taliban seized power almost two weeks ago ahead of President Joe Biden's August 31 deadline to pull out US troops. In a statement, Islamic State claimed responsibility and said one of its suicide bombers had targeted "translators and collaborators with the American army." US General Frank McKenzie, head of US Central Command, told reporters in a briefing that the threat from Islamic State persisted alongside "other active threat streams." "We believe it is their desire to continue these attacks and we expect those attacks to continue and we're doing everything we can to be prepared for those attacks," McKenzie said. "Given the success of the ISIS bombers today, you can expect more attempts between now and such time as the Americans depart the airport area for good," said Richard Fontaine, the Chief Executive Officer for the Washington think-tank the Center for a New American Security. A massive airlift of foreign nationals and their families as well as some Afghans has been under way since the day before Taliban forces captured Kabul on Aug. 15, capping a swift advance across the country as U.S. and allied troops withdrew. The United States has been racing to carry out the airlift before its military is set to fully withdraw from the country by Aug. 31. There was no indication from the White House that Biden plans to change the Aug. 31 withdrawal target as a result of the attacks, a source familiar with the situation told Reuters. McKenzie said the evacuation mission was not going to stop. "I think we can continue to conduct our mission, even while we are receiving attacks like this," he said, adding that U.S. forces would "go after" the perpetrators of Thursday's attack. A Taliban official said at least 13 people including children had been killed and 52 were wounded, though it was clear from video footage that the final toll would be higher. US officials have said there are about 5,200 American troops providing security at Kabul's Hamid Karzai International Airport. The attacks came after the United States and allies urged Afghans to leave the area around the airport because of a threat by Islamic State militants. The US military death toll in the Afghanistan war since 2001 stood at roughly 2,500. In an alert issued on Wednesday, the US Embassy in Kabul had advised citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and said those already at the gates should leave immediately, citing unspecified "security threats." Islamic State is opposed by the United States and the Taliban. Biden was in a meeting with security officials about the situation in Afghanistan, when the explosions were reported, according to a person familiar with the matter. Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin, Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman General Mark Milley and Vice President Kamala Harris monitored events via video links. A Western diplomat in Kabul said that areas outside the airport gates had been "incredibly crowded" again despite the latest warnings. The United States and its allies have mounted one of the biggest air evacuations in history, bringing out about 95,700 people, including 13,400 on Wednesday, the White House said on Thursday. Blinken said on Wednesday that there were still about 1,500 US citizens in Afghanistan, and that at least 4,500 US citizens had already been evacuated from the country. (With inputs from agencies)

Pentagon says threat persists after suicide bombings at Kabul airport

Islamic State struck the crowded gates of&nbsp;Kabul&nbsp;airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and at least 13 US&nbsp;troops, disrupting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee.

The blasts came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport. But that advice went largely unheeded by Afghans desperate to escape the country in the last few days of an American-led evacuation before the US&nbsp;officially ends its 20-year presence on August&nbsp;31.

Prior to that, the worst single-day toll also involved a helicopter. On June 28, 2005, three Navy SEALs were killed in a firefight after being flown in to the mountains of the eastern Kunar province.&nbsp;

<div class="videoWrapper trancodeVideo"><iframe allowfullscreen="" autoplay="1" class="includeVideo" frameborder="0" height="350" src="https://www.wionews.com/videos/kabul-airport-blast-isis-bomber-carried-out-attack-408632/embed" style="width:100%;max-width:560px;" width="560"></iframe></div>

A helicopter loaded with reinforcements that was sent to help one SEAL still alive on the ground and recover the bodies of the three was shot down, killing 16 on board.&nbsp;

Firefights

Other major losses include a firefight between scores of Taliban fighters and US troops in Wanat in Nurestan province in July 2008, which saw nine US troops killed.

Fifteen months later, in October 2009, eight Americans died in a similar battle with hundreds of Taliban fighters in Kamdesh, also in Nurestan province.&nbsp;

Perceived allies&nbsp;

The war has also seen high tolls from attacks by perceived allies on the Americans.

On April 27, 2011 eight members of the US Air Force and one US civilian were shot dead in Kabul airport by an Afghan pilot.

And on December 30, 2009, a "triple-agent" whom US intelligence thought was on their side killed seven CIA officers and contractors, along with two others, at a CIA facility in eastern Afghanistan known as Camp Chapman.

(With inputs from agencies)

Islamic State struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and at least 13 US troops, disrupting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee.

Islamic State struck the crowded gates of Kabul airport in a suicide bomb attack on Thursday, killing scores of civilians and at least 13 US troops, disrupting the airlift of tens of thousands of Afghans desperate to flee. The blasts came hours after Western officials warned of a major attack, urging people to leave the airport. But that advice went largely unheeded by Afghans desperate to escape the country in the last few days of an American-led evacuation before the US officially ends its 20-year presence on August 31. Prior to that, the worst single-day toll also involved a helicopter. On June 28, 2005, three Navy SEALs were killed in a firefight after being flown in to the mountains of the eastern Kunar province. A helicopter loaded with reinforcements that was sent to help one SEAL still alive on the ground and recover the bodies of the three was shot down, killing 16 on board. Firefights Other major losses include a firefight between scores of Taliban fighters and US troops in Wanat in Nurestan province in July 2008, which saw nine US troops killed. Fifteen months later, in October 2009, eight Americans died in a similar battle with hundreds of Taliban fighters in Kamdesh, also in Nurestan province. Perceived allies The war has also seen high tolls from attacks by perceived allies on the Americans. On April 27, 2011 eight members of the US Air Force and one US civilian were shot dead in Kabul airport by an Afghan pilot. And on December 30, 2009, a "triple-agent" whom US intelligence thought was on their side killed seven CIA officers and contractors, along with two others, at a CIA facility in eastern Afghanistan known as Camp Chapman. (With inputs from agencies)

Why is Kabul airport attack worst US loss in Afghanistan since 2011?

Top Bangladeshi Sufi leader Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary has said that "Taliban doesn't represents Islam" and "scholars need to make it loud and clear".

Speaking exclusively to WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent, Sidhant Sibal, Maizbhandary said, "anyone who sees what is happening in Afghanistan and rise of Taliban as revival of Islam, they are absolutely wrong, perspective is wrong and nothing to do with Islam."

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary is the joint secretary general of Bangladesh's tariqat federation, a Sufi political party that is also part of the ruling alliance.

He is a member of the Maizbhandar Shariff, which is the largest Sufi group in Bangladesh.

His father is the chief of the sufi group, which has millions of followers not only in Bangladesh but across the world.

During the conversation, he said, "Taliban is a radical organisation.....one of the impacts is in terms of security, on youth. It's a cause of concern for subcontinent, not just Bangladesh or India."

&nbsp;

Here is the full interview.

WION: The economy of Bangladesh has seen continuous growth in recent years. On social indicators also, Bangladesh is a star performer. But 50 years ago, during the birth of Bangladesh, the country and its people faced tremendous odds, wide-spread massacres, atrocities on minority communities, intellectuals, etc. How did Bangladesh overcome the challenges posed by those against the spirit of the Liberation War of 1971?

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: We are celebrating 50 years of Independence, and under the current government and the current leadership of Bangladeshi Awami league, leadership of PM Shiekh Hasina, Bangladesh has grown tremendously in terms of economy and overall development of the country. It has gone far and as you have seen from international organisations, Bangladesh is emerging a tiger in terms of economy. Country is faring much better and will continue to grow under the current leadership.

WION: The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated rapidly in the last few days and Taliban has declared the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. In the context of what we know about the previous Taliban regime, how do you see the evolving situation?

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: We have to go a little bit back in history, in the subcontinent, and Bangladesh. We see the anti-liberation forces, supported by Pakistan and trying to do something or other against Bangladesh or value of Bangladesh. Although the country is developing fast, we are a growing in economy, there is the anti-liberation forces, houses of Jamaat, who are coming with ill motive. It seems to be nurtured by international forces, there is always of possibility of forces, as you said the Taliban which has come up. This will not only have impact on Bangladesh, but overall subcontinent, due to the radical mentality and it's a fact that Taliban is a radical organisation. What we have seen in past, and seeing now, and one impact will be security on local population in Afghanistan and impact on subcontinent in terms of security, on youth. It's a cause of concern for subcontinent, not just Bangladesh or India.

WION: &nbsp;Taliban is known to adhere to a rigid, extreme and fundamentalist idea of Islam. Whereas, religious life in the subcontinent, and in Bangladesh, is deeply rooted in the concept of tolerance, brotherhood and spirituality. As the head of a Sufi order yourself, do you feel that the philosophy propounded by Taliban so far is at odds with the prevailing belief system of the subcontinent and also Bangladesh?

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: My father is the chairman of the Tariqat federation, Maizbhabdar sharif. So we will be working on his footsteps. Two ways of looking into the development: what Taliban stands for, who they are, what their belief and ideology. As a student of counter-terrorism, we look into the whole picture from a different perspective, and make it clear: Taliban does not represent Islam. We have to make it clear. Scholars sometimes get scared to say this because of death threats, but this is a fact that the Taliban do not represent Islam. And anyone who sees what is happening in Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban as a revival of Islam, they are absolutely wrong, perspective is wrong and nothing to do with Islam. Basically, what the Taliban is teaching is their own ideology of what they understand of Sharia. Basically, something of their own.

Nowhere it can be seen that they represent Islam or represent Muslim society. The message has to go loud and clear, that what is happening in Afghanistan and its impact on the subcontinent will be harsh because, apart from governments, civil society has to play a big role, important in terms of how things should shape up. The impact of the Taliban should be looked into in various manner, impact on youth and how the education system is nurturing and how people are seeing Taliban.

From a counter-terror point of view, if a percentage of population looking into Taliban as revival of Islam or representative of Islam is large, then there is a problem. Narrative has to go out, by proper Islamic scholar, like look that if you have nothing to be excited about and Taliban do&nbsp;not represent Islam and their&nbsp;belief of Islam and in general no mazhab or ideology, in general Muslim or Islam don't go by their teaching. The message has to go loud and clear, so that impact is not the way we are thinking it to be. To come up with security impact which will be there, since there is worry about the current situation, the situation is one big problem, and policy level of ideology, and we need to safeguard younger generation from this ideology, which will be the biggest challenge. How do we safeguard our younger generation, against this radical organisation, known for brutality, for killing, their linkage with other terror organisations, important to safeguard from them.

WION: You have pointed out correctly that the liberal sufi values of Islam are deeply ingrained in the subcontinent. But yet, we have seen that extreme ideologies attract youth from around the world. Bangladesh has also had to tackle the phenomenon of misguided youth getting influenced by radical religious thoughts and traveling to fight for so-called jihad. Do you see that the current context may lead to a recurrence of this phenomenon and if so, how will it impact Bangladesh?

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: This has to be the most important question for India and Bangladesh, and for everyone and the world. Youth is the future of any country. We need to know, we don't have to go to challenge the govt that what India is doing, or Bangladesh government is doing. It's not always the role of the government. It's the cumulative role of the government, of the civil society, and different organisations to safeguard.

Bangladesh and India government are doing extremely well in terms of bringing the youth upfront and I have respect for both governments. The largest youth population belongs to Asia-- India and Bangladesh. We have to go beyond the capacity of governments, what you and I are going, what our parents are teaching, school systems, and role of social media, its impact on youth. For example, the govt of Bangladesh has done a lot of youth from digital Bangladesh to empowering of youth at the policy level, to job creation. Youth of Bangladesh has been given lot of preference but governments have limits. Religion is a very sensitive subject, you have to take lot of caution. Current Bangladesh government has always focused on inter-religious harmony and we are the country were Hindus, Buddhism, Christians and Muslims are living together. Anti-liberation forces like Jamaat are always up to something, trying to dismantle the society, dismantle the youth and raise question about our independence.

WION: Bangladesh, like India is a country that is home to many faiths. Fundamentalist ideologies erode the fabric of society and upend inter-religious harmony. How is Bangladesh tackling the issue of influence of fundamentalist ideologies on society?

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: To understand the impact of the Taliban, you need to understand your own culture and population. Bangladesh is a diverse country. There have been issues about radicalism in Bangladesh and government has come hard on them. Government has curbed hardliners and radical entities were arrested, NGOs supported by jamaat are up to no good, calling them pious Muslims. &nbsp;Government is doing a good job, but it's up to the civil society and those working under counter-terrorism and religion to come forward. Hate speech is an issue. There is a lot of religious organisations that have come up with a lot of money. These are hardline ideologies trying to find ground and government has come hard on it. But government has limits, and these organisations cover themselves quite well. Overall, government is&nbsp;doing a great job in terms of counter-terror. Governments need to empower the right organisations and think tanks. Government doesn't preach religion but empower organisations that speak to university students. Impact of Taliban on youth by government will be looked in a security perspective but govt cant go in ways organisations or religious gurus who have to go forwards, so they need to be empowered.

WION: You strongly believe in the ideals of liberal, progressive Bangladesh. You have taken several initiatives to strengthen this thought in Bangladesh society. You have also supported modernisation of Madrasa education in Bangladesh. Please tell us more about your efforts in his regard.

Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: If we look into the context of Afghanistan, one of the major policy faults was the education system. We don't take into fact how impact education line is for the next generation. Education is not just teaching you&nbsp;alphabets, it's teaching morality, social studies, and guides the next leaders of the country. Education is the most important, and the ways it is being nurtured and if there is a leakage, Afghanistan will happen.

In terms of Bangladesh, the&nbsp;tariqat federation has&nbsp;welcomed government move to modernise madrasas. Current govt believes that if we don't make madrasa at par with English or Bengali medium, then after they graduate, they will not be in line with what society wants.

That is why modernisation of madrasa is important and it brings in science, history, language and education system is at par with other circular&nbsp;as well... its a rightful decision and good way to start. Hiccups will be there, but anti-liberation forces are always after the history of the country. Students need to be equal.

Top Bangladeshi Sufi leader Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary has said that "Taliban doesn't represents Islam" and "scholars need to make it loud and clear". Speaking exclusively to WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent, Sidhant Sibal, Maizbhandary said, "anyone who sees what is happening in Afghanistan and rise of Taliban as revival of Islam, they are absolutely wrong, perspective is wrong and nothing to do with Islam.

Top Bangladeshi Sufi leader Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary has said that "Taliban doesn't represents Islam" and "scholars need to make it loud and clear". Speaking exclusively to WION's Principal Diplomatic Correspondent, Sidhant Sibal, Maizbhandary said, "anyone who sees what is happening in Afghanistan and rise of Taliban as revival of Islam, they are absolutely wrong, perspective is wrong and nothing to do with Islam." Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary is the joint secretary general of Bangladesh's tariqat federation, a Sufi political party that is also part of the ruling alliance. He is a member of the Maizbhandar Shariff, which is the largest Sufi group in Bangladesh. His father is the chief of the sufi group, which has millions of followers not only in Bangladesh but across the world. During the conversation, he said, "Taliban is a radical organisation.....one of the impacts is in terms of security, on youth. It's a cause of concern for subcontinent, not just Bangladesh or India." Here is the full interview. WION: The economy of Bangladesh has seen continuous growth in recent years. On social indicators also, Bangladesh is a star performer. But 50 years ago, during the birth of Bangladesh, the country and its people faced tremendous odds, wide-spread massacres, atrocities on minority communities, intellectuals, etc. How did Bangladesh overcome the challenges posed by those against the spirit of the Liberation War of 1971? Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: We are celebrating 50 years of Independence, and under the current government and the current leadership of Bangladeshi Awami league, leadership of PM Shiekh Hasina, Bangladesh has grown tremendously in terms of economy and overall development of the country. It has gone far and as you have seen from international organisations, Bangladesh is emerging a tiger in terms of economy. Country is faring much better and will continue to grow under the current leadership. WION: The situation in Afghanistan has deteriorated rapidly in the last few days and Taliban has declared the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. In the context of what we know about the previous Taliban regime, how do you see the evolving situation? Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: We have to go a little bit back in history, in the subcontinent, and Bangladesh. We see the anti-liberation forces, supported by Pakistan and trying to do something or other against Bangladesh or value of Bangladesh. Although the country is developing fast, we are a growing in economy, there is the anti-liberation forces, houses of Jamaat, who are coming with ill motive. It seems to be nurtured by international forces, there is always of possibility of forces, as you said the Taliban which has come up. This will not only have impact on Bangladesh, but overall subcontinent, due to the radical mentality and it's a fact that Taliban is a radical organisation. What we have seen in past, and seeing now, and one impact will be security on local population in Afghanistan and impact on subcontinent in terms of security, on youth. It's a cause of concern for subcontinent, not just Bangladesh or India. WION: Taliban is known to adhere to a rigid, extreme and fundamentalist idea of Islam. Whereas, religious life in the subcontinent, and in Bangladesh, is deeply rooted in the concept of tolerance, brotherhood and spirituality. As the head of a Sufi order yourself, do you feel that the philosophy propounded by Taliban so far is at odds with the prevailing belief system of the subcontinent and also Bangladesh? Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: My father is the chairman of the Tariqat federation, Maizbhabdar sharif. So we will be working on his footsteps. Two ways of looking into the development: what Taliban stands for, who they are, what their belief and ideology. As a student of counter-terrorism, we look into the whole picture from a different perspective, and make it clear: Taliban does not represent Islam. We have to make it clear. Scholars sometimes get scared to say this because of death threats, but this is a fact that the Taliban do not represent Islam. And anyone who sees what is happening in Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban as a revival of Islam, they are absolutely wrong, perspective is wrong and nothing to do with Islam. Basically, what the Taliban is teaching is their own ideology of what they understand of Sharia. Basically, something of their own. Nowhere it can be seen that they represent Islam or represent Muslim society. The message has to go loud and clear, that what is happening in Afghanistan and its impact on the subcontinent will be harsh because, apart from governments, civil society has to play a big role, important in terms of how things should shape up. The impact of the Taliban should be looked into in various manner, impact on youth and how the education system is nurturing and how people are seeing Taliban. From a counter-terror point of view, if a percentage of population looking into Taliban as revival of Islam or representative of Islam is large, then there is a problem. Narrative has to go out, by proper Islamic scholar, like look that if you have nothing to be excited about and Taliban do not represent Islam and their belief of Islam and in general no mazhab or ideology, in general Muslim or Islam don't go by their teaching. The message has to go loud and clear, so that impact is not the way we are thinking it to be. To come up with security impact which will be there, since there is worry about the current situation, the situation is one big problem, and policy level of ideology, and we need to safeguard younger generation from this ideology, which will be the biggest challenge. How do we safeguard our younger generation, against this radical organisation, known for brutality, for killing, their linkage with other terror organisations, important to safeguard from them. WION: You have pointed out correctly that the liberal sufi values of Islam are deeply ingrained in the subcontinent. But yet, we have seen that extreme ideologies attract youth from around the world. Bangladesh has also had to tackle the phenomenon of misguided youth getting influenced by radical religious thoughts and traveling to fight for so-called jihad. Do you see that the current context may lead to a recurrence of this phenomenon and if so, how will it impact Bangladesh? Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: This has to be the most important question for India and Bangladesh, and for everyone and the world. Youth is the future of any country. We need to know, we don't have to go to challenge the govt that what India is doing, or Bangladesh government is doing. It's not always the role of the government. It's the cumulative role of the government, of the civil society, and different organisations to safeguard. Bangladesh and India government are doing extremely well in terms of bringing the youth upfront and I have respect for both governments. The largest youth population belongs to Asia-- India and Bangladesh. We have to go beyond the capacity of governments, what you and I are going, what our parents are teaching, school systems, and role of social media, its impact on youth. For example, the govt of Bangladesh has done a lot of youth from digital Bangladesh to empowering of youth at the policy level, to job creation. Youth of Bangladesh has been given lot of preference but governments have limits. Religion is a very sensitive subject, you have to take lot of caution. Current Bangladesh government has always focused on inter-religious harmony and we are the country were Hindus, Buddhism, Christians and Muslims are living together. Anti-liberation forces like Jamaat are always up to something, trying to dismantle the society, dismantle the youth and raise question about our independence. WION: Bangladesh, like India is a country that is home to many faiths. Fundamentalist ideologies erode the fabric of society and upend inter-religious harmony. How is Bangladesh tackling the issue of influence of fundamentalist ideologies on society? Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: To understand the impact of the Taliban, you need to understand your own culture and population. Bangladesh is a diverse country. There have been issues about radicalism in Bangladesh and government has come hard on them. Government has curbed hardliners and radical entities were arrested, NGOs supported by jamaat are up to no good, calling them pious Muslims. Government is doing a good job, but it's up to the civil society and those working under counter-terrorism and religion to come forward. Hate speech is an issue. There is a lot of religious organisations that have come up with a lot of money. These are hardline ideologies trying to find ground and government has come hard on it. But government has limits, and these organisations cover themselves quite well. Overall, government is doing a great job in terms of counter-terror. Governments need to empower the right organisations and think tanks. Government doesn't preach religion but empower organisations that speak to university students. Impact of Taliban on youth by government will be looked in a security perspective but govt cant go in ways organisations or religious gurus who have to go forwards, so they need to be empowered. WION: You strongly believe in the ideals of liberal, progressive Bangladesh. You have taken several initiatives to strengthen this thought in Bangladesh society. You have also supported modernisation of Madrasa education in Bangladesh. Please tell us more about your efforts in his regard. Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary: If we look into the context of Afghanistan, one of the major policy faults was the education system. We don't take into fact how impact education line is for the next generation. Education is not just teaching you alphabets, it's teaching morality, social studies, and guides the next leaders of the country. Education is the most important, and the ways it is being nurtured and if there is a leakage, Afghanistan will happen. In terms of Bangladesh, the tariqat federation has welcomed government move to modernise madrasas. Current govt believes that if we don't make madrasa at par with English or Bengali medium, then after they graduate, they will not be in line with what society wants. That is why modernisation of madrasa is important and it brings in science, history, language and education system is at par with other circular as well... its a rightful decision and good way to start. Hiccups will be there, but anti-liberation forces are always after the history of the country. Students need to be equal.

'Taliban do not represent Islam,' says top Bangladeshi sufi leader Syed Tayabul Bashar Maizbhandary

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey has held its first talks with the Taliban in Kabul, adding that Ankara was still assessing the Islamist group's offer to run the Afghan capital's airport.

The Turkish leader said the talks were held at a military section of the Kabul airport where the Turkish embassy is temporarily stationed.&nbsp;

"We have held our first talks with the Taliban, which lasted 3.5 hours," Erdogan told reporters. "If necessary, we will have the opportunity to hold such talks again."

Responding to domestic criticism over Turkey's engagement with the insurgent group, Erdogan said Ankara had "no luxury" to stand idly by in the volatile region.

"You cannot know what their expectations are or what our expectations are without talking. What's diplomacy, my friend? This is diplomacy," Erdogan said.&nbsp;

Turkey had been planning to help secure and run Kabul's strategic airport, but on Wednesday, it started pulling troops out of Afghanistan -- an apparent sign of Ankara's abandoning this goal.&nbsp;

Erdogan said the Taliban now wanted to oversee security at the airport, while offering Ankara the option of running its logistics.

But he said the suicide bombs that killed at least 85 people, including 13 US troops, outside the airport during in the last days of urgent evacuation effort Thursday showed the importance of knowing the details of how the air hub will be secured.

"They said: 'We will ensure the security, you operate (the airport'. We have not made any decision on this issue yet," Erdogan said.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey has held its first talks with the Taliban in Kabul, adding that Ankara was still assessing the Islamist group's offer to run the Afghan capital's airport.

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan on Friday said Turkey has held its first talks with the Taliban in Kabul, adding that Ankara was still assessing the Islamist group's offer to run the Afghan capital's airport. The Turkish leader said the talks were held at a military section of the Kabul airport where the Turkish embassy is temporarily stationed. "We have held our first talks with the Taliban, which lasted 3.5 hours," Erdogan told reporters. "If necessary, we will have the opportunity to hold such talks again." Responding to domestic criticism over Turkey's engagement with the insurgent group, Erdogan said Ankara had "no luxury" to stand idly by in the volatile region. "You cannot know what their expectations are or what our expectations are without talking. What's diplomacy, my friend? This is diplomacy," Erdogan said. Turkey had been planning to help secure and run Kabul's strategic airport, but on Wednesday, it started pulling troops out of Afghanistan -- an apparent sign of Ankara's abandoning this goal. Erdogan said the Taliban now wanted to oversee security at the airport, while offering Ankara the option of running its logistics. But he said the suicide bombs that killed at least 85 people, including 13 US troops, outside the airport during in the last days of urgent evacuation effort Thursday showed the importance of knowing the details of how the air hub will be secured. "They said: 'We will ensure the security, you operate (the airport'. We have not made any decision on this issue yet," Erdogan said.

Turkey holds first talks with the Taliban in Kabul: Erdogan

The White House has criticised Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater, who tried to sell tickets for a chartered flight from Afghanistan for $6,500 per head.

White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: “I don’t think any human being who has a heart and soul would support efforts to profit off of people’s agony and pain if they’re trying to depart a country and fearing for their lives.”

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US defence contractor has put a price on the lives of Afghans who want to flee from <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Kabul</a>. $6500 US dollars- that's the amount one has to pay if they want to reserve a seat on a chartered flight.<a href="https://twitter.com/SaroyaHem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SaroyaHem</a> gets you more details <a href="https://t.co/hsQEOaielj">pic.twitter.com/hsQEOaielj</a>
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Prince, who is a former US Navy SEAL officer, had justified the extra cost for transporting people trapped inside their homes to the airport. He had previously called out the need to privatise the war in Afghanistan.

For Prince, the unlikely gambit represents the latest effort in a long campaign to privatise warfare. The wealthy son of an auto-parts tycoon has fielded private security contractors in conflict zones from Central Asia to Africa to the Middle East.

Prince has made headlines for years, first as chief executive of Blackwater, whose security guards fatally shot more than a dozen Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007.&nbsp;

Prince renamed the Blackwater security company and sold it in 2010, but he recently opened a company called Blackwater USA, which sells ammunition, silencers, and knives.&nbsp;

Over the past two years, he had led an unsuccessful campaign to convince former US President Donald Trump to replace US soldiers in Afghanistan with security contractors.

The White House has criticised Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater, who tried to sell tickets for a chartered flight from Afghanistan for $6,500 per head.

The White House has criticised Erik Prince, the founder of the controversial private security firm Blackwater, who tried to sell tickets for a chartered flight from Afghanistan for $6,500 per head. White House press secretary Jen Psaki said: “I don’t think any human being who has a heart and soul would support efforts to profit off of people’s agony and pain if they’re trying to depart a country and fearing for their lives.” US defence contractor has put a price on the lives of Afghans who want to flee from #Kabul. $6500 US dollars- that's the amount one has to pay if they want to reserve a seat on a chartered flight.@SaroyaHem gets you more details pic.twitter.com/hsQEOaielj — WION (@WIONews) August 27, 2021 × Prince, who is a former US Navy SEAL officer, had justified the extra cost for transporting people trapped inside their homes to the airport. He had previously called out the need to privatise the war in Afghanistan. For Prince, the unlikely gambit represents the latest effort in a long campaign to privatise warfare. The wealthy son of an auto-parts tycoon has fielded private security contractors in conflict zones from Central Asia to Africa to the Middle East. Prince has made headlines for years, first as chief executive of Blackwater, whose security guards fatally shot more than a dozen Iraqi civilians in Baghdad in 2007. Prince renamed the Blackwater security company and sold it in 2010, but he recently opened a company called Blackwater USA, which sells ammunition, silencers, and knives. Over the past two years, he had led an unsuccessful campaign to convince former US President Donald Trump to replace US soldiers in Afghanistan with security contractors.

Private security firm Blackwater's founder exploiting Afghanistan crisis and selling flight ticket for $6,500 per head

Greece does not want to become the entry point into the European Union for Afghans fleeing the escalating conflict in their homeland, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, calling for a common EU response to the crisis.

Greece was on the frontline of Europe's migration crisis in 2015, when nearly a million people fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan landed on its islands, and like other EU member states, it is nervous that developments in Afghanistan could trigger a replay of that crisis.

"We are clearly saying that we will not and cannot be the gateway of Europe for the refugees and migrants who could try to come to the European Union," Mitarachi told state television ERT.

"We cannot have millions of people leaving Afghanistan and coming to the European Union ... and certainly not through Greece," he said.

EU foreign ministers will hold a crisis meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and Greece has requested that the issue is also discussed at a meeting of EU home affairs ministers on Wednesday.

"The solution needs to be common, and it needs to be a European solution," Mitarachi said. Unity between EU member states over whether to deport failed Afghan asylum-seekers crumbled last week.

Greece does not want to become the entry point into the European Union for Afghans fleeing the escalating conflict in their homeland, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, calling for a common EU response to the crisis.

Greece does not want to become the entry point into the European Union for Afghans fleeing the escalating conflict in their homeland, Migration Minister Notis Mitarachi, calling for a common EU response to the crisis. Greece was on the frontline of Europe's migration crisis in 2015, when nearly a million people fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan landed on its islands, and like other EU member states, it is nervous that developments in Afghanistan could trigger a replay of that crisis. "We are clearly saying that we will not and cannot be the gateway of Europe for the refugees and migrants who could try to come to the European Union," Mitarachi told state television ERT. "We cannot have millions of people leaving Afghanistan and coming to the European Union ... and certainly not through Greece," he said. EU foreign ministers will hold a crisis meeting on Tuesday to discuss the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and Greece has requested that the issue is also discussed at a meeting of EU home affairs ministers on Wednesday. "The solution needs to be common, and it needs to be a European solution," Mitarachi said. Unity between EU member states over whether to deport failed Afghan asylum-seekers crumbled last week.

Greece says cannot become gateway to European Union for fleeing Afghans

The Delta Variant is fueling a surge of COVID-19 cases across the world. Countries are going into lockdown, others are ramping up their vaccination efforts. But in Afghanistan, it looks like the pandemic does not exist.

A forgotten pandemic in Afghanistan

France and Netherlands are set to halt their evacuation operations from Kabul airport after the US and its allies issued terror threat warning at Kabul airport amid the&nbsp;massive airlift operation currently underway at the Hamid Karzai international airport.

French Prime Minister Jean Castex said, "We are going to continue until tomorrow evening."

Meanwhile, the Dutch government said it would stop evacuation flights from Kabul&nbsp;after being told by US forces to leave the Afghan capital's airport ahead of the withdrawal of American troops.

"The Netherlands has been informed today by the United States that it has to leave and will in all probability run the last flights later today," the Dutch foreign and defence ministers said in a letter to parliament.

As US&nbsp;President Joe Biden says he’ll stick with his deadline of August&nbsp;31 to totally withdraw troops from America’s longest war, other nations have landed flight after flight onto the single runway at Kabul’s international airport to help those fleeing.

Now some countries have begun to even pull their soldiers and diplomats out, likely signaling the beginning of the end of one of history’s largest airlifts. The Taliban have, so far, honored a pledge not to attack Western forces during the evacuation, but insist the foreign troops must be out by the deadline.

Overnight, new warnings also emerged from Western capitals about a possible threat from Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate, which likely has seen its ranks boosted by the Taliban freeing prisoners across the country. Already, military cargo planes leaving Kabul airport have launched flares to disrupt any potential surface-to-air missile fire as fleeing Afghan troops abandoned heavy weapons and equipment across the country in their collapse following America’s withdrawal of troops.

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Western nations warned their citizens Thursday to immediately leave the surrounds of Kabul airport over a terrorist threat, as thousands of people try to reach a dwindling number of&nbsp;evacuation&nbsp;flights.

Nearly 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have fled Afghanistan via the US-led airlift since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement took control of the country on August 15.

Despite the harrowing scenes, the Taliban have ruled out any extension to next Tuesday's deadline to pull out foreign troops, describing it as "a red line".

"They have planes, they have the airport, they should get their citizens and contractors out of here," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

Turkey, which had more than 500 non-combat troops stationed in Afghanistan, said Wednesday it had started pulling out its forces.

The withdrawal signalled an apparent abandonment of the plans it had been negotiating to help secure Kabul's strategic airport after the American departure.

France and Netherlands are set to halt their evacuation operations from Kabul airport after the US and its allies issued terror threat warning at Kabul airport amid the massive airlift operation currently underway at the Hamid Karzai international airport.

France and Netherlands are set to halt their evacuation operations from Kabul airport after the US and its allies issued terror threat warning at Kabul airport amid the massive airlift operation currently underway at the Hamid Karzai international airport. French Prime Minister Jean Castex said, "We are going to continue until tomorrow evening." Meanwhile, the Dutch government said it would stop evacuation flights from Kabul after being told by US forces to leave the Afghan capital's airport ahead of the withdrawal of American troops. "The Netherlands has been informed today by the United States that it has to leave and will in all probability run the last flights later today," the Dutch foreign and defence ministers said in a letter to parliament. As US President Joe Biden says he’ll stick with his deadline of August 31 to totally withdraw troops from America’s longest war, other nations have landed flight after flight onto the single runway at Kabul’s international airport to help those fleeing. Now some countries have begun to even pull their soldiers and diplomats out, likely signaling the beginning of the end of one of history’s largest airlifts. The Taliban have, so far, honored a pledge not to attack Western forces during the evacuation, but insist the foreign troops must be out by the deadline. Overnight, new warnings also emerged from Western capitals about a possible threat from Afghanistan’s Islamic State affiliate, which likely has seen its ranks boosted by the Taliban freeing prisoners across the country. Already, military cargo planes leaving Kabul airport have launched flares to disrupt any potential surface-to-air missile fire as fleeing Afghan troops abandoned heavy weapons and equipment across the country in their collapse following America’s withdrawal of troops. Western nations warned their citizens Thursday to immediately leave the surrounds of Kabul airport over a terrorist threat, as thousands of people try to reach a dwindling number of evacuation flights. Nearly 90,000 Afghans and foreigners have fled Afghanistan via the US-led airlift since the hardline Islamist Taliban movement took control of the country on August 15. Despite the harrowing scenes, the Taliban have ruled out any extension to next Tuesday's deadline to pull out foreign troops, describing it as "a red line". "They have planes, they have the airport, they should get their citizens and contractors out of here," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. Turkey, which had more than 500 non-combat troops stationed in Afghanistan, said Wednesday it had started pulling out its forces. The withdrawal signalled an apparent abandonment of the plans it had been negotiating to help secure Kabul's strategic airport after the American departure.

France, Netherlands to halt evacuation from Kabul airport after dire warning

Who is governing Afghanistan now? If you search online for the official websites, the Ashraf Ghani administration is 'still in charge', not the Taliban which took control of Kabul more than a week ago.

When a change of regime happens these days, it's almost customary for the government websites to change too, with the old administration's digital existence scrubbed out.

That's normal. But what happened in the past few days in Afghanistan is far from normal.

There were visuals of Taliban fighters taking down portraits of Ghani as the group marched towards Kabul. But the pictures are not out&nbsp;from the cyber space.

The government websites in Afghanistan are portraying a picture of calm and normalcy amid the&nbsp;looming humanitarian crisis.

The Afghan president's website shows a picture of Ghani and US President Joe Biden side by side. It was last updated on July 23.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

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The Afghan government collapsed on August 15 as the US and its allies withdrew troops two decades after they ousted the Taliban in the weeks after September&nbsp;11, 2001, attacks on the US by al Qaeda militants, whose leaders had found safe haven in Taliban-ruled&nbsp;Afghanistan.

Leaders of the Taliban, who have sought to show a more moderate face since capturing Kabul, have begun talks on forming a government that have included discussions with some old enemies, including former President Hamid Karzai.

On Tuesday, reports said Taliban has named a former Guantanamo detainee&nbsp;Abdul Qayyum Zakir as the new regime’s acting defence minister.&nbsp;

But the website of old defence ministry is still intact as on Wednesday.

It shows a picture of Afghanistan Armed Forces holding latest technology weapons.&nbsp;It was last updated on August 9, with a press release on '579 Taliban terrorists killed'.

&nbsp;

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Similarly, Afghanistan's foreign ministry shows former minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Kabul Ross Wilson, to discuss security developments in the country.

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Tens of thousands of Afghans fearing persecution have thronged Kabul's airport since the takeover.

They include the country's best and brightest.

The lucky ones securing seats on flights, mostly arranged by Western governments, that have so far evacuated at least 70,000 people.

The Taliban on Tuesday asked the US to stop urging talented Afghans to leave the country.

But clearly, those who were managing the country's official website have either fled, or are in hiding.

The ghosts of an uprooted government remain in cyber space. It is emblematic of a variety of things: the flight of information technology professionals, a lack of command and control structure, a government still in the making and under discussion, a constantly evolving crisis, the old regime making it appear it's still in charge, or the new regime simply not knowing who has the keys to take down these websites.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Who is governing Afghanistan now? If you search online for the official websites, the Ashraf Ghani administration is 'still in charge', not the Taliban which took control of Kabul more than a week ago.

Who is governing Afghanistan now? If you search online for the official websites, the Ashraf Ghani administration is 'still in charge', not the Taliban which took control of Kabul more than a week ago. When a change of regime happens these days, it's almost customary for the government websites to change too, with the old administration's digital existence scrubbed out. That's normal. But what happened in the past few days in Afghanistan is far from normal. There were visuals of Taliban fighters taking down portraits of Ghani as the group marched towards Kabul. But the pictures are not out from the cyber space. The government websites in Afghanistan are portraying a picture of calm and normalcy amid the looming humanitarian crisis. The Afghan president's website shows a picture of Ghani and US President Joe Biden side by side. It was last updated on July 23. The Afghan government collapsed on August 15 as the US and its allies withdrew troops two decades after they ousted the Taliban in the weeks after September 11, 2001, attacks on the US by al Qaeda militants, whose leaders had found safe haven in Taliban-ruled Afghanistan. Leaders of the Taliban, who have sought to show a more moderate face since capturing Kabul, have begun talks on forming a government that have included discussions with some old enemies, including former President Hamid Karzai. On Tuesday, reports said Taliban has named a former Guantanamo detainee Abdul Qayyum Zakir as the new regime’s acting defence minister. But the website of old defence ministry is still intact as on Wednesday. It shows a picture of Afghanistan Armed Forces holding latest technology weapons. It was last updated on August 9, with a press release on '579 Taliban terrorists killed'. Similarly, Afghanistan's foreign ministry shows former minister of Foreign Affairs Mohammad Haneef Atmar met with Chargé d'Affaires of the US Embassy in Kabul Ross Wilson, to discuss security developments in the country. Tens of thousands of Afghans fearing persecution have thronged Kabul's airport since the takeover. They include the country's best and brightest. The lucky ones securing seats on flights, mostly arranged by Western governments, that have so far evacuated at least 70,000 people. The Taliban on Tuesday asked the US to stop urging talented Afghans to leave the country. But clearly, those who were managing the country's official website have either fled, or are in hiding. The ghosts of an uprooted government remain in cyber space. It is emblematic of a variety of things: the flight of information technology professionals, a lack of command and control structure, a government still in the making and under discussion, a constantly evolving crisis, the old regime making it appear it's still in charge, or the new regime simply not knowing who has the keys to take down these websites.

All is well in cyberspace: Websites of ousted Afghanistan govt  are still up a week after Taliban takeover