Many Afghan journalists and activists have gone into “hiding” the day after Taliban fighters took control of the capital, Kabul. One RFE/RL Radio Azadi reporter, whose identity could not be revealed for security reasons, sees “a dark future” ahead. He said there were reports of Taliban militants going “house-to-house” and shooting people in the
Taliban going door to door looking for government employees, taking down names/addresses, disarming people, taking them away, beating musicians, destroying instruments, etc. Taliban fighters beating musicians and destroying their instruments as they go door-to-door searching peoples’ homes in #Kabul, several residents told me. History repeating itself. Taliban banned music during its brutal former regime. —
By RFE/RL’s Radio Azadi August 16, 2021 Seven people have been reported killed as thousands of Afghans flooded the runways and terminals of the Kabul airport amid chaos, attempting to leave after Taliban militants seized control of the country ahead of the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces after a presence of nearly two decades. The Pentagon
By Golnaz Esfandiari Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 16, 2021 Abdul Ghani Baradar, known as Mullah Baradar, is a co-founder of the Taliban and senior leader of the militant Islamist group who is expected to hold a top role in governing Afghanistan in the wake of the Taliban’s takeover of the country. Baradar — the most
Jamie Dettmer VOA News August 16, 2021 The rapid Taliban offensive across Afghanistan that culminated Sunday with the flight of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was meticulously planned and executed with ruthless efficiency, say Western military experts. And they note the Islamist militants appeared to have learned from their tactical mistake in the mid-1990s, when they
Ariana: In a bid to reassure the nation, the Taliban on Monday called on all government employees, including women, to return to work. The deputy head of the Taliban’s political office in Qatar Abdul Salam Hanafi stressed that diplomatic missions, and military and civilian government employees can work alongside the Taliban without any concerns and
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 16, 2021 A senior Russian official says the country’s ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, will hold talks with Taliban representatives on August 17 to discuss the security of Russian citizens and embassy personnel. Russian presidential envoy Zamir Kabulov told the radio station Ekho Moskvy on August 16 that Zhirnov will
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 16, 2021 The sudden seizure of Kabul by Taliban militants after they made rapid advances across the country has triggered sharp criticism of the U.S. policy in Afghanistan, where Washington ultimately failed to build a democratic government capable of withstanding the insurgents despite spending billions of dollars and providing two
Frud Bezhan Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty August 15, 2021 The situation in the Afghan capital, Kabul, is changing rapidly as the Taliban has moved into the city and taken over parts of it, including the Presidential Palace. This happened as Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and security forces in the city melted away.