‘War in Afghanistan is over’, Taliban spokesman declares after Presidential Palace takeover

As per details, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem in an interview with Al Jazeera TV said, "Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the mujahideen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years".

“Thanks to God, the war is over in the country,” he added.

The spokesman further added, “We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people”.

"We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others," he added.

Spokesperson Mohammed Naeem stated that the Taliban would clarify the type of the government and the rule that will prevail soon.

Talking about international relations, Mohammed Naeem said that the organisation seeks to maintain peaceful communication with foreign countries.

On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country as the Islamist militants entered the city, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave flooded Kabul airport.

The Taliban spokesperson further indicated that the organisation was willing to engage in dialogue with Afghan figures and grant them protection.

The United States joins the international community in affirming that Afghans and international citizens who wish to depart must be allowed to do so. Roads, airports, and border crossing must remain open, and calm must be maintained. https://t.co/lsNdsPETsW

— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) August 16, 2021

It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after lightning sweep that ended in Kabul.

Hundreds of Afghans invaded the airport's runways in the dark, pulling luggage and jostling for a place on one of the last commercial flights to leave the country before U.S. forces took over air traffic control on Sunday.

Some local social media users in Kabul branded Ghani, who did not disclose his location, a coward for leaving them in chaos. A tweet from the verified account of the Afghan Embassy in India said: "We are all banging our heads in shame."

Meanwhile, United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Taliban and all other parties to exercise the utmost restraint, and expressed particular concern about the future of women and girls in Afghanistan.

European nations, including France, Germany and the Netherlands, also said they were working to get citizens as well as some Afghan employees out of the country.

CREDIT: AL JAZEERA