The&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;called on Afghanistan's imams to urge unity when they hold their first Friday prayers since the Islamist group seized control of the country, as protests against the takeover spread to more cities on Thursday, including the capital, Kabul.

Several people were killed when&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;militants fired on a crowd in the eastern city of Asadabad, a witness said. Another witness reported gunshots near a rally in Kabul, but they appeared to be&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;firing into the air.

On the day Afghanistan celebrates its independence from British control in 1919, a social media video showed a crowd of men and women in Kabul waving black, red and green national flags.

"Our flag, our identity," they shouted.

At some protests elsewhere, media reported people tearing down the&nbsp;Taliban's white flag.

A&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Some demonstrations were small, but combined with the desperate scramble of thousands of people seeking to flee the country they underline the challenge the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;face in governing.

Kabul has been largely calm, but 12 people have been killed in and around the airport, NATO and&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;officials said.

The US&nbsp;military said&nbsp;more than 5,200 American troops were guarding Kabul airport, where multiple gates to the facility are now open, while US&nbsp;fighter jets were flying over the city to ensure security for the evacuation operation for diplomats and civilians including some Afghan citizens.

State Department spokesman Ned Price said 6,000 "fully processed" people were currently at the Kabul airport and would soon be boarding planes. A source told Reuters that White House officials told a congressional briefing that the United States already had evacuated 6,741 people, including 1,792 American citizens and legal permanent residents.

The&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;swiftly conquered Afghanistan as the US&nbsp;and other foreign troops withdrew, surprising even their own leaders and leaving power vacuums in many places.

The&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;urged unity ahead of Friday prayers, calling on imams to persuade people not to leave Afghanistan.

Since seizing Kabul on Sunday, the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;have presented a more moderate face, saying they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect the rights of women&nbsp;within the framework of Islamic law.

When in power from 1996-2001, they severely restricted women's rights, staged public executions and blew up ancient Buddhist statues. They were ousted in a 2001 US-led invasion.

BLACKLIST

A report by a Norwegian intelligence group said the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;had begun rounding up Afghans on a blacklist&nbsp;of people linked to Afghanistan's previous administration or US-led forces that supported it. Complaints by some Afghan journalists&nbsp;have cast doubt on assurances that independent media would be allowed.

A US&nbsp;lawmaker said the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;were using files from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, to identify Afghans who worked for the United States.

"They are methodically ramping up efforts to round those folks up," said Representative Jason Crow, who has been leading efforts in the US&nbsp;Congress to accelerate the evacuation of American-affiliated Afghans. "I've had people send me pictures of&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;outside their apartment complexes, searching for them."

Crow voiced concern that the U.S. government may end the evacuation operation on Aug. 31, leaving more than 100,000 at-risk Afghans and family members in danger of&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;reprisals.

Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn said they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them from being targeted amid the&nbsp;Taliban's takeover.

It was unclear if the Asadabad casualties resulted from&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;firing or from a stampede.

"Hundreds of people came out on the streets," witness Mohammed Salim said. "At first I was scared and didn't want to go, but when I saw one of my neighbours joined in, I took out the flag I have at home. Several people were killed and injured in the stampede and firing by the&nbsp;Taliban."

Protests flared in the city of Jalalabad and in Paktia province, also in the east.

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who said on Tuesday he was the "legitimate caretaker president" after President Ashraf Ghani fled, wrote on Twitter: "Salute those who carry the national flag and thus stand for dignity of the nation."

Ahmad Massoud, son of guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was killed by suspected al Qaeda militants in 2001, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that he is "ready to follow in my father's footsteps, with mujahideen fighters who are prepared to once again take on the&nbsp;Taliban."

LIMITED LEVERAGE

US&nbsp;President Joe Biden said the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;must decide if they want international recognition.

"Do they want to be recognized by the international community as being a legitimate government? I'm not sure they do," Biden said in a TV interview.

White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview with NBC News that the United States is "laser-focused" on "the potential for a terrorist attack" by a group like Islamic State amid the evacuation.

"We will get any American who wants to get to the airport and who we get in contact with who says: 'I want to get out and get on a plane,' we will make that happen," Sullivan said.

About two dozen US&nbsp;diplomats in Afghanistan sent an internal cable last month warning Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the potential fall of Kabul to the&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;as US&nbsp;troops withdrew from the country, The Wall Street Journal reported.

G7 foreign ministers called for a united&nbsp;international response to prevent the crisis from worsening, in comments echoed by countries including Russia.&nbsp;China said the world should support, not pressure, Afghanistan.

A&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;official said they could not be blamed for the chaos at Kabul airport. In one scene captured on social media, a small girl was hoisted over the airport's perimeter wall and handed to a US&nbsp;soldier.

Under a pact negotiated by former President Donald Trump's administration, the United States agreed to withdraw its forces in exchange for a&nbsp;Taliban&nbsp;guarantee not to attack departing foreign forces or let Afghanistan be used for terrorist attacks.

The Taliban called on Afghanistan's imams to urge unity when they hold their first Friday prayers since the Islamist group seized control of the country, as protests against the takeover spread to more cities on Thursday, including the capital, Kabul.

The Taliban called on Afghanistan's imams to urge unity when they hold their first Friday prayers since the Islamist group seized control of the country, as protests against the takeover spread to more cities on Thursday, including the capital, Kabul. Several people were killed when Taliban militants fired on a crowd in the eastern city of Asadabad, a witness said. Another witness reported gunshots near a rally in Kabul, but they appeared to be Taliban firing into the air. On the day Afghanistan celebrates its independence from British control in 1919, a social media video showed a crowd of men and women in Kabul waving black, red and green national flags. "Our flag, our identity," they shouted. At some protests elsewhere, media reported people tearing down the Taliban's white flag. A Taliban spokesman was not immediately available for comment. Some demonstrations were small, but combined with the desperate scramble of thousands of people seeking to flee the country they underline the challenge the Taliban face in governing. Kabul has been largely calm, but 12 people have been killed in and around the airport, NATO and Taliban officials said. The US military said more than 5,200 American troops were guarding Kabul airport, where multiple gates to the facility are now open, while US fighter jets were flying over the city to ensure security for the evacuation operation for diplomats and civilians including some Afghan citizens. State Department spokesman Ned Price said 6,000 "fully processed" people were currently at the Kabul airport and would soon be boarding planes. A source told Reuters that White House officials told a congressional briefing that the United States already had evacuated 6,741 people, including 1,792 American citizens and legal permanent residents. The Taliban swiftly conquered Afghanistan as the US and other foreign troops withdrew, surprising even their own leaders and leaving power vacuums in many places. The Taliban urged unity ahead of Friday prayers, calling on imams to persuade people not to leave Afghanistan. Since seizing Kabul on Sunday, the Taliban have presented a more moderate face, saying they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. When in power from 1996-2001, they severely restricted women's rights, staged public executions and blew up ancient Buddhist statues. They were ousted in a 2001 US-led invasion. BLACKLIST A report by a Norwegian intelligence group said the Taliban had begun rounding up Afghans on a blacklist of people linked to Afghanistan's previous administration or US-led forces that supported it. Complaints by some Afghan journalists have cast doubt on assurances that independent media would be allowed. A US lawmaker said the Taliban were using files from Afghanistan's intelligence agency, the National Directorate of Security, to identify Afghans who worked for the United States. "They are methodically ramping up efforts to round those folks up," said Representative Jason Crow, who has been leading efforts in the US Congress to accelerate the evacuation of American-affiliated Afghans. "I've had people send me pictures of Taliban outside their apartment complexes, searching for them." Crow voiced concern that the U.S. government may end the evacuation operation on Aug. 31, leaving more than 100,000 at-risk Afghans and family members in danger of Taliban reprisals. Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn said they had moved to secure the accounts of Afghan citizens to protect them from being targeted amid the Taliban's takeover. It was unclear if the Asadabad casualties resulted from Taliban firing or from a stampede. "Hundreds of people came out on the streets," witness Mohammed Salim said. "At first I was scared and didn't want to go, but when I saw one of my neighbours joined in, I took out the flag I have at home. Several people were killed and injured in the stampede and firing by the Taliban." Protests flared in the city of Jalalabad and in Paktia province, also in the east. First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who said on Tuesday he was the "legitimate caretaker president" after President Ashraf Ghani fled, wrote on Twitter: "Salute those who carry the national flag and thus stand for dignity of the nation." Ahmad Massoud, son of guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was killed by suspected al Qaeda militants in 2001, wrote in a Washington Post op-ed that he is "ready to follow in my father's footsteps, with mujahideen fighters who are prepared to once again take on the Taliban." LIMITED LEVERAGE US President Joe Biden said the Taliban must decide if they want international recognition. "Do they want to be recognized by the international community as being a legitimate government? I'm not sure they do," Biden said in a TV interview. White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said in an interview with NBC News that the United States is "laser-focused" on "the potential for a terrorist attack" by a group like Islamic State amid the evacuation. "We will get any American who wants to get to the airport and who we get in contact with who says: 'I want to get out and get on a plane,' we will make that happen," Sullivan said. About two dozen US diplomats in Afghanistan sent an internal cable last month warning Secretary of State Antony Blinken of the potential fall of Kabul to the Taliban as US troops withdrew from the country, The Wall Street Journal reported. G7 foreign ministers called for a united international response to prevent the crisis from worsening, in comments echoed by countries including Russia. China said the world should support, not pressure, Afghanistan. A Taliban official said they could not be blamed for the chaos at Kabul airport. In one scene captured on social media, a small girl was hoisted over the airport's perimeter wall and handed to a US soldier. Under a pact negotiated by former President Donald Trump's administration, the United States agreed to withdraw its forces in exchange for a Taliban guarantee not to attack departing foreign forces or let Afghanistan be used for terrorist attacks.

Taliban call on Afghanistan's imams to urge unity as protests spread to Kabul

A protest in Kabul turned&nbsp;violent and left&nbsp;seven people dead and at least ten injured. &nbsp;

This morning, two days after the deadly attack which killed at least 90 people and injured more than 500, people took to the streets of Kabul to protest against the deteriorating security scenario in the country.&nbsp;

The Afghan police initially used water cannons and tear gas to block the protest and then resorted to automatic gunfire into the air. A journalist from the Afghan media TOLOnews, said that protesters pelted stones against security forces.&nbsp;

It is still unclear how the protesters have died, but sources on the ground said that police forces started firing live bullets against the crowd.&nbsp;

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An ugly image from today&#39;s protest in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> : Police shooting live bullets. <a href="https://t.co/raISFSRgi9">pic.twitter.com/raISFSRgi9</a>
&mdash; Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) <a href="https://twitter.com/tahirqadiry/status/870555113273864192">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Angry protesters are trying 2 make into <a href="https://twitter.com/ARG_AFG">@ARG_AFG</a> where they are resisted by firefighters. Police have reportedly detained many protesters <a href="https://t.co/QqTU9UZO2G">pic.twitter.com/QqTU9UZO2G</a>
&mdash; Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) <a href="https://twitter.com/tahirqadiry/status/870541451117158401">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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According to Reuters there were approximately 1,000 people carrying pictures of victims.&nbsp;

TOLOnews said that protestors were chanting slogans against the government and its two main leaders, President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. A participant was holding out of a car window a banner reading &quot;Ghani! Abdullah! Resign! Resign!&quot;, along with a picture of bloodstained children.&nbsp;

Demonstrators, most of whom are residents of Kabul,&nbsp;criticised the government for not being able&nbsp;to secure the country and assuring safety for its people. They demanded the resignation of the head of the National Security Council and of the National Directorate of Security.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Kabul?src=hash">#Kabul</a> - Police stop Kabul protestors from marching towards the Presidential Palace - Video <a href="https://t.co/dkpQ0wsP9h">pic.twitter.com/dkpQ0wsP9h</a>
&mdash; TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) <a href="https://twitter.com/TOLOnews/status/870560076674760704">June 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Afghanistan&#39;s capital city has lately witnessed an increasing number of attacks and memories of relative peace are quickly fading away. Wednesday&#39;s attack happened in the heart of the city where several embassies are located. &nbsp;

The fact that the explosive-laden sewage tank managed to cross security checkpoints raised immediate concerns on the effectiveness of the safety measures active in the city.&nbsp;

Lack of security is becoming perhaps the most pressing issue for the Afghan government, which is losing ground to a renewed Taliban offensive. According to the US top commander in Afghanistan, Lt&nbsp;Gen&nbsp;John Nicholson, the central government controls only 60 per cent of the country. &nbsp;

The overall situation could deteriorate further if the Afghan government decides to go ahead with its decision of hanging as many as eleven convicted leaders of both the Taliban and&nbsp;the Haqqani network, which President Ghani believes to have masterminded the massacre. Anas Haqqani, operational leader of the namesake organisation is not among the prisoners to be executed.

Retaliation is an integral part of the Taliban history and they are likely to react if the government decides to kill members of their movement.&nbsp;

The Afghan national army and the country&#39;s security forces struggle to oppose the insurgents, opium production is increasing and the US and the NATO decided to increase their presence in the country. President Ashraf Ghani is facing the most difficult moment of his presidency, gripped between a growing discontent and the necessity of foreign aid. &nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Police fired on protesters demanding resignation of President Ghani and top security officers after Wednesday's suicide attack killed 90 in Kabul

A protest in Kabul turned violent and left seven people dead and at least ten injured. This morning, two days after the deadly attack which killed at least 90 people and injured more than 500, people took to the streets of Kabul to protest against the deteriorating security scenario in the country. The Afghan police initially used water cannons and tear gas to block the protest and then resorted to automatic gunfire into the air. A journalist from the Afghan media TOLOnews, said that protesters pelted stones against security forces. It is still unclear how the protesters have died, but sources on the ground said that police forces started firing live bullets against the crowd. An ugly image from today's protest in #Kabul : Police shooting live bullets. pic.twitter.com/raISFSRgi9 — Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) June 2, 2017 × Angry protesters are trying 2 make into @ARG_AFG where they are resisted by firefighters. Police have reportedly detained many protesters pic.twitter.com/QqTU9UZO2G — Tahir Qadiry (@tahirqadiry) June 2, 2017 × According to Reuters there were approximately 1,000 people carrying pictures of victims. TOLOnews said that protestors were chanting slogans against the government and its two main leaders, President Ashraf Ghani and CEO Abdullah Abdullah. A participant was holding out of a car window a banner reading "Ghani! Abdullah! Resign! Resign!", along with a picture of bloodstained children. Demonstrators, most of whom are residents of Kabul, criticised the government for not being able to secure the country and assuring safety for its people. They demanded the resignation of the head of the National Security Council and of the National Directorate of Security. #Kabul - Police stop Kabul protestors from marching towards the Presidential Palace - Video pic.twitter.com/dkpQ0wsP9h — TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) June 2, 2017 × Afghanistan's capital city has lately witnessed an increasing number of attacks and memories of relative peace are quickly fading away. Wednesday's attack happened in the heart of the city where several embassies are located. The fact that the explosive-laden sewage tank managed to cross security checkpoints raised immediate concerns on the effectiveness of the safety measures active in the city. Lack of security is becoming perhaps the most pressing issue for the Afghan government, which is losing ground to a renewed Taliban offensive. According to the US top commander in Afghanistan, Lt Gen John Nicholson, the central government controls only 60 per cent of the country. The overall situation could deteriorate further if the Afghan government decides to go ahead with its decision of hanging as many as eleven convicted leaders of both the Taliban and the Haqqani network, which President Ghani believes to have masterminded the massacre. Anas Haqqani, operational leader of the namesake organisation is not among the prisoners to be executed. Retaliation is an integral part of the Taliban history and they are likely to react if the government decides to kill members of their movement. The Afghan national army and the country's security forces struggle to oppose the insurgents, opium production is increasing and the US and the NATO decided to increase their presence in the country. President Ashraf Ghani is facing the most difficult moment of his presidency, gripped between a growing discontent and the necessity of foreign aid. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Afghanistan: 7 dead as protests erupt in Kabul against worsening security scenario

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Taliban call on Afghanistan's imams to urge unity as protests spread to Kabul

Afghanistan: 7 dead as protests erupt in Kabul against worsening security scenario