Afghanistan: Taliban take Kabul as Westerners flee

At least five people have been killed at the passenger terminal of Kabul airport, according to reports, as panicked Afghans attempt to flee the country in the wake of the Taliban takeover of the capital.

The Wall Street Journal and Reuters cited witnesses who saw bloodied bodies lying on the ground, although it is unclear whether they were killed by gunfire or stampede.

The US military took over Kabul airport on Monday morning in a bid to manage a chaotic evacuation of residents. 

Video footage from Monday morning showed people trying to climb the outside of passenger stairs and running across the tarmac as they tried to get on board flights out of the country, while US troops fired bullets into the air to deter civilians from trying to board a plane.

The militants completed their takeover on Sunday, sweeping unopposed into Kabul and occupying the presidential palace less than two weeks after taking their first Afghan city.

President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday as the Taliban entered the capital, saying he wanted to “avoid bloodshed.” Reports claim that he has now flown to Tajikistan.

On Sunday, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem said, “the war is over in the country”, and emphasised that the Taliban wanted a peaceful transition of power. He said they respected womens’ rights and freedom for minorities under sharia law.

Naeem emphasised that the Taliban did not want to rule the country in isolation and said: “We ask all countries and entities to sit with us to settle any issues.”

Another spokesperson said the Taliban is now holding talks aimed at forming an “open, inclusive Islamic government” in Afghanistan.

Western governments have rapidly accelerated plans to evacuate thousands of citizens amid fears they could become trapped.

The US is sending another 1,000 troops to Kabul to assist the safe withdrawal of US nationals and Afghan support staff, while 600 UK troops are expected to take part in Operation Pitting, to assist in the evacuation of UK nationals remaining in Afghanistan.

More than 60 countries have issued a joint statement saying Afghans and international citizens who want to leave Afghanistan must be allowed to depart and that airports and border crossings must remain open.

Countries including the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea and Qatar said in a joint statement that “those in positions of power and authority across Afghanistan bear responsibility – and accountability – for the protection of human life and property, and for the immediate restoration of security and civil order”.

The rapid takeover of Kabul has led to severe criticism of both Boris Johnson and Joe Biden for their handling of the withdrawal of Western troops, with former President Donald Trump calling on Biden to “resign in disgrace”.

There are fears that the Taliban victory could create catastrophic consequences for the Afghan population and a return to hard-line Islamist government.  

In a statement, Boris Johnson conceded that the Taliban would be Afghanistan’s next rulers, and pledged to do “everything we can to prevent Afghanistan from becoming a breeding ground for terrorists”. He also called on allies not to recognise the Taliban.

He said: “We’ve known for a long time that this was the way things would go. This was a mission whose military component really ended for the UK in 2014. What we’re dealing with now is the very likely advent of a new regime in Kabul.”

Parliament will be recalled on Wednesday for a statement by the PM and a debate on the situation in Afghanistan. 

President Biden is yet to make a statement. However, Antony Blinken, America’s top diplomat, has defended the US mission in Afghanistan. 

He said: “We went into Afghanistan 20 years ago with one mission in mind, and that was to deal with the people who attacked us on 9/11, and that mission has been successful.”