Afghanistan News highlights: India, others reaffirm not to recognise govt imposed through use of force

Taliban insurgents tightened their grip on Afghanistan on Friday, wresting control of the second- and third-biggest cities as Western embassies prepared to send in troops to help evacuate staff from the capital, Kabul. The Islamist militants now control about two-thirds of Afghanistan. Reports say that the militant group has captured Herat and Kandahar, the country’s second and third largest cities after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital on Thursday, as the United States and Britain said they would send thousands of troops to help evacuate their embassy staff. Stay tuned on DH for latest updates.

One of India's friends in Afghanistan detained by Taliban, two others vow to keep fighting

The Taliban has detained Mohammad Ismail Khan, one of New Delhi’s ‘old friends’ in Afghanistan, on Friday, as its militants occupied Herat, a provincial capital in the northwestern region of the country, and took control of the Salma Dam, which the Government of India had built spending over Rs 1,775 crore.

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NATO says to support Afghan govt 'as much as possible'

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said on Friday the alliance would keep its civilian diplomatic presence in Afghanistan as it tries to support the Afghan government and security forces in the face of the Taliban's offensive.

"Our aim remains to support the Afghan government and security forces as much as possible. The security of our personnel is paramount. NATO will maintain our diplomatic presence in Kabul, and continue to adjust as necessary," Stoltenberg said, in a statement following a meeting of NATO envoys.

US rushes in troops to speed up evacuations in Afghanistan amid Taliban conquest

Rapid Taliban conquests across Afghanistan led the Biden administration on Friday to rush 3,000 fresh troops to the Kabul airport to help with a partial evacuation of the US Embassy in the capital and send thousands more to the region, to be on standby and speed airlifts for Afghans who worked with the American military.

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India, several other nations reaffirm not to recognise govt imposed through use of force in Afghanistan

India, Germany, Qatar, Turkey and several other nations have reaffirmed to not recognise any government in Afghanistan that is imposed through the use of military force and called for an immediate end to violence and attacks in the war-torn country. A statement issued by Qatar on Friday following two separate meetings on Afghanistan in Doha said the participating countries agreed that the Afghan peace process needs to be accelerated as a matter of "great urgency".

Taliban fighters stand guard over surrendered Afghan security members forces in the city of Ghazni, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Credit: AP Photo

Denmark and Norway to shut embassies in Afghanistan, evacuate staff

Denmark and Norway said on Friday they are closing their embassies in Kabul for now because of the worsening security situation in Afghanistan, and evacuating their staff.

The Taliban tightened their grip on Afghanistan on Friday, wresting control of its second and third biggest cities while Western embassies prepared to send in troops to help evacuate staff from the capital.

"We have decided to temporarily close our embassy in Kabul," Danish foreign minister Jeppe Kofod told journalists, adding that the evacuation would be closely coordinated with Norway, with which it shares a compound.

Germany to cut Kabul embassy staff to 'absolute minimum'

Germany is slashing staff levels at its embassy in Kabul to an "absolute minimum", Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Friday as Taliban militants advance on the Afghan capital.

"We will reduce personnel of the German embassy in Kabul in the coming days to the operative absolute minimum," he told reporters. "We will send a crisis support team to Kabul to help us boost security precautions" during the evacuation.

UK PM holding crisis talks on Afghanistan: Downing Street

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson convened crisis talks on Afghanistan on Friday, his office said, as the Taliban seized more major cities across the country.

A Downing Street spokesperson said Johnson had called a meeting of the COBR emergencies committee to discuss the current situation, which follows the withdrawal of US-led forces.

Prague says it will not suspend deportations to Afghanistan

The Czech Republic will continue with deportations of unsuccessful asylum seekers back to Afghanistan despite the deteriorating security situation, Interior Minister Jan Hamacek was quoted as saying on Friday.

Taliban fighters walk at the Herat Citadel in the city of Herat, western Afghanistan in this screen grab taken from an undated video from social media uploaded.

Credit: Reuters Photo

Iran calls for safety of diplomats in Taliban-seized Herat

Iran's foreign ministry called Friday for security guarantees for its diplomats in Herat, after Taliban militants seized the western city in neighbouring Afghanistan.

"The Islamic republic is concerned over the escalating violence in Afghanistan, and in light of the Taliban taking control of Herat, calls for guarantees of complete safety for its diplomatic missions and the lives of its staff," foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh tweeted.

Afghan official: Taliban take capital of Ghor province

An Afghan official says the Taliban have captured the provincial capital of the western province of Ghor.

The head of the provincial council says the city of Feroz Koh fell to the insurgents on Friday.

The lightning advance by the Taliban comes weeks before the U.S. is set to withdraw its last remaining forces.

Taliban take provincial capital 50 km (30 miles) south of Kabul: Local Official

The Taliban captured the provincial capital of Logar province Friday, just 50 km (30 miles) from Kabul, effectively opening a path to the seat of the nation.

"Now the Taliban are 100 percent in control. There is no fighting at the moment. Most of the officials fled to Kabul," lawmaker Saeed Qaribullah Sadat told AFP.

A stranded Afghan family waits for the reopening of the Pakistan-Afghanistan border crossing point in Chaman on August 13, 2021, after the Taliban took control of the Afghan border town in a rapid offensive across the country.

Credit: AFP Photo

Dutch may have to close Kabul embassy, will bring back some Afghan staff

The Dutch government said on Friday it may have to close its embassy in Kabul and was working quickly to bring back some of its local Afghan staff in light of the collapsing security situation in Afghanistan.

Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag told reporters in The Hague that the Netherlands intends to keep its embassy open as long as possible, but this could prove untenable if Kabul came under Taliban siege or was captured by the Islamist insurgents.

A spokeswoman for the Dutch Foreign Ministry confirmed a drawdown of embassy employees was underway but would not say how many Dutch staff remained, citing security concerns.

"We are evaluating all options," said Tessa van Staden.

Pakistan security forces clash with Afghans at Chaman border shut by Taliban

Pakistani border and security personnel clashed with hundreds of Afghans wanting to cross into Afghanistan from a key border crossing in Chaman closed by Taliban in the restive Balochistan province.

Hundreds of Afghans had gathered on the Pakistan side of the Chaman border wanting to cross over but the Taliban who have captured the Spin Boldak area are not allowing anyone to cross until some of their demands were met by the Pakistani authorities, sources said.

The Taliban militants have closed the Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing since last week, demanding that the Pakistani authorities allow visa-free travel for Afghans.

The Taliban want the Pakistani authorities to allow those Afghans to cross the border who have an Afghan ID card or a Pakistani-issued refugee registration card.

Smoke rises after fighting between the Taliban and Afghan security personnel, in Kandahar, southwest of Kabul, Afghanistan.

Credit: AP Photo

UK says US pullout from Afghanistan a 'mistake'

Britain on Friday slammed the US troop withdrawal from Afghanistan, warning the Taliban's resurgence would create a breeding ground for extremists that threatened the world.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace on Thursday announced that some 600 troops would help evacuate British nationals from the country, as the Islamists seize more control.

But he told Sky News television the US decision to withdraw troops "leaves a very big problem on the ground", handing momentum to the Taliban.

Afghan women bankers forced from roles as Taliban takes control

As the Taliban sweeps across Afghanistan, there are signs the militant group is going back on a promise allowing women to work, according to interviews with female bank employees forced out of their jobs.

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US, UK sending troops to evacuate nationals as Taliban advance across Afghanistan

The United States and Britain ordered the deployment Friday of thousands of troops to Afghanistan to evacuate their nationals, as the Taliban overran more key regional cities in an offensive that has left the capital dangerously exposed.

The orders came as the Taliban took control of Kandahar, the nation's second biggest city in the insurgency's heartland, leaving only Kabul and pockets of other territory in government hands.

They were also closer to taking Logar province, at the gates of Kabul, with a Taliban spokesman saying insurgents had captured the police headquarters and city jail in the capital, Pul-e-Alam.

Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle along the roadside in Kandahar on August 13, 2021.

Credit: AFP Photo

Taliban sweep across Afghanistan''s south, take 3 more cities

The Taliban have captured another three provincial capitals in southern Afghanistan, including in Helmand, the scene of some of the heaviest fighting in the past two decades, as the insurgents press a lightning offensive that is gradually encircling the capital, Kabul.

The loss of Helmand's provincial capital comes after years of toil and blood spilled by American, British and allied NATO forces. Hundreds of foreign troops were killed there over the course of the nearly two-decade war.

The insurgents have taken more than a dozen provincial capitals in recent days and now control more than two-thirds of the country just weeks before the U.S. plans to withdraw its last troops.

Ghost soldiers emblematic of a problem that has plagued Afghanistan's security for decades — corruption

Western coalition forces have not fully withdrawn from Afghanistan yet, but the majority of the country including the second and third largest cities of Kandahar and Herat are under Taliban control.

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Australia urgently evacuates Afghans threatened by Taliban

Australia is working urgently with the United States to evacuate the last Afghans who helped Australian troops and diplomats as Taliban insurgents make rapid territorial gains across Afghanistan, Prime Minister Scott Morrison said Friday.

Australia shut its Kabul embassy in May and withdrew the last of its troops in June as US and NATO forces pulled out of the Afghanistan conflict after 20 years.

(AP)

People standing atop an armoured vehicle celebrate as it drives through Shaheedan Square, in the city of Kandahar, Afghanistan in this screengrab taken from a video from social media uploaded on August 13, 2021. Credit: Taliban Handout/Reuters

Taliban detain veteran militia leader in Afghanistan's Herat, Ismail Khan: Provincial council member

(Reuters)

What next for Afghanistan as Taliban rise again?

Afghanistan is on the precipice and the nation's security forces have all but collapsed after being battered by a Taliban offensive they were unable to halt.

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Afghan women bankers forced from roles as Taliban takes control

As the Taliban sweeps across Afghanistan, there are signs the militant group is going back on a promise allowing women to work, according to interviews with female bank employees forced out of their jobs.

The Taliban, which imposed strict Islamic law and barred women from work when it ruled Afghanistan between 1996-2001, has repeatedly said the rights of women will be protected should it return to power in Kabul.

But the United States and others fear the Islamist group would roll back many of the freedoms granted to women over the last two decades, including the right to work and study.

(Reuters)

Iran asks Taliban to ensure safety of diplomats in Herat

Iran's Foreign Ministry on Friday urged the Taliban to ensure the safety of its diplomats and staff at its consulate in the western Afghan city of Herat, which the Taliban has said it has captured.

"Considering (the) Taliban's dominance over the city of Herat, we draw their serious attention to ensuring the complete safety and health of diplomats and diplomatic facilities," Iran's Foreign Ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh said on Twitter.

Reuters

The US is sending 3,000 troops back to Afghanistan to begin evacuations. With the Taliban sweeping across the country, US officials say Kabul could fall in 30 days: US media

(ANI)

After US, UK, Canada to send troops to Afghanistan: Reports

'We could be back' in Afghanistan if al Qaeda returns, UK defence minister says

Britain could return to Afghanistan if the country starts hosting al Qaeda in a way that threatens the West, defence minister Ben Wallace said on Friday.

Asked if the UK would ever send troops back to Afghanistan again, Wallace told LBC Radio: "I'm going to leave every option open. If the Taliban have a message from last time, you start hosting al Qaeda, you start attacking the West, or countries like that, we could be back."

(Reuters)

In this picture taken on August 13, 2021, Taliban fighters are pictured in a vehicle along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege. Credit: AFP Photo

Thousands of American soldiers being sent to Afghanistan to evacuate embassy staff from Kabul as the Taliban push towards the city has revived painful US memories of the fall of Saigon.

A photo that immortalised America's defeat in Vietnam, showing evacuees boarding a helicopter on the roof of a building, spread fast on social networks after the United States announced the emergency deployment on Thursday.

"The latest news of a further drawdown at our Embassy and a hasty deployment of military forces seem like preparations for the fall of Kabul," leading Republican lawmaker Mitch McConnell said.

(AFP)

Afghanistan is tipping into civil war, British defence minister says

Afghanistan is tipping towards civil war and the West must understand that the Taliban is not a single entity but a title for a myriad of competing interests, Britain's defence minister said on Friday.

"Britain found that out in the 1830s, that it is a country led by warlords and led by different provinces and tribes, and you end up, if you're not very careful in a civil war, and I think we are heading towards a civil war," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told the BBC.

Reuters

'Lion of Herat' silent as his Afghan city falls to Taliban

A month ago, one of Afghanistan's most famous warlords vowed to defend his city from the Taliban as he called for locals to join the fight.

Ismail Khan, 75, has for decades been a force in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city that is of huge strategic value partly due to its close proximity to Iran.

But on Friday, after government forces had left the city and Taliban militants had taken control without a battle, the "Lion of Herat" was nowhere to be seen.

Hours after seizing the city, a group of insurgents pulled down an Afghan flag from a police station as cars and bicycles passed in seemingly normal traffic.

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In this picture taken on August 13, 2021, Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle along the roadside in Herat, Afghanistan's third biggest city, after government forces pulled out the day before following weeks of being under siege.

Credit: AFP Photo

India won't recognise govt imposed by force in Afghanistan: US spokesperson

Under the looming threat of a Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, India has joined 11 countries to oppose any military solution to the conflict in that country and declare it will not recognise any government imposed by force, according to US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price.

He told reporters on Thursday that India participated in a meeting hosted by the US and Qatar at which the participating countries "agreed, first and foremost, that the peace process needs to be accelerated. And they also agreed, importantly, that they will not recognise any government that is imposed through military force."

Significantly, Pakistan, which has patronised the Taliban, was also at the meeting and Price gave the impression that it was also in agreement with the declaration.

(IANS)

Herat, Afghanistan's third largest city, has mostly been taken over by Taliban insurgents, a provincial official told Reuters on Friday.

The official, Ghulam Habib Hashimo, said government forces were only in control of the airport and an army camp in the city of about 600,000 people, which is close to the border with Iran.

"Families have either left or are hiding in their houses," he said.

Taliban capture Kandahar - Afghanistan's second biggest city

The Taliban have captured Afghanistan's second biggest city of Kandahar, officials said on Friday, in the most significant setback for the US-backed government since the insurgents launched a new offensive as US forces withdraw.

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US invested in the security of Afghanistan: Antony Blinken, Lloyd Austin speak to Ashraf Ghani

The US State Department said Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin spoke to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Thursday and told him the United States "remains invested in the security and stability of Afghanistan". They also said the United States was committed to supporting a political solution.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is following with deep concern the developments in Afghanistan and hopes that the discussions between the Afghan government and the Taliban in Doha will restore the pathway to a negotiated settlement to the conflict, his spokesman has said.

(PTI)

Taliban fighters stand along the roadside in Ghazni on August 12, 2021, as Taliban move closer to Afghan capital after taking Ghazni city.

Credit: AFP Photo

Taliban say they have captured Afghan city of Lashkar Gah: Security source

The Taliban have captured the key southern city of Lashkar Gah, a senior Afghan security source told AFP on Friday, confirming a claim by the insurgents.

Military and government officials had evacuated the city after striking a deal with the militants, the security source told AFP.

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US, UK to launch evacuation flights as Taliban advance across Afghanistan

The United States and Britain ordered Friday the deployment of thousands of troops to Afghanistan to evacuate their nationals, as the Taliban overran more key regional cities in an offensive that has left the capital dangerously exposed.

The Western forces' announcements of rushed extractions came as the Taliban claimed they had taken control of Kandahar, the nation's second-biggest city in Taliban heartland, leaving only Kabul and pockets of other territory in government hands.

(AFP)

Canadian special forces will deploy to Afghanistan where Canadian staff in Kabul will be evacuated before closing, a source familiar with the plan told The Associated Press.

(AP)

Afghan government negotiators in Qatar have offered the Taliban a power-sharing deal in return for an end to fighting in the country, a government negotiating source told AFP.

Head of the Taliban delegation Abdul Salam Hanafi (R), accompanied by Taliban official (2R to L) Amir Khan Muttaqi, Shahabuddin Delawar and Abdul Latif Mansour, walks down a hotel lobby during the talks in Qatar's capital Doha on August 12, 2021. Credit: AFP Photo

UN Security Council discussing condemnation of Taliban

The UN Security Council is discussing a draft statement that would condemn Taliban attacks on cities and towns causing high civilian casualties and threaten sanctions for abuses and acts that risk Afghanistan's peace and stability, diplomats said on Thursday.

(Reuters)

Taliban claim to capture Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city

The Taliban claimed Friday to have captured Kandahar, Afghanistan's second-largest city, which would leave just the capital and pockets of other territory in the government's hands.

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Biden's 'reckless' Afghan policy leading to 'massive, predictable, and preventable disaster': Top Republican

Congress' top Republican Senator Mitch McConnell blasted President Joe Biden Thursday for a "reckless policy" towards Afghanistan, as the United States moved to evacuate embassy workers ahead of the Taliban's advance.

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Afghan security force personnel stand guard along the roadside in Herat on August 12, 2021, as Taliban took over the police headquarters in Herat, Afghanistan's third-largest city and also seized another key district capital.

Credit: AFP Photo

EU threatens Taliban with 'isolation' if seizes power

The European Union on Thursday warned the Taliban that it would face being cut off by the international community if it seized power through violence, as the insurgents sweep across Afghanistan.

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Pentagon says won't use Kabul airport for air attacks as evacuates US officials

The 3,000 US troops being deployed to the Kabul airport to help evacuate embassy staff from Afghanistan will not be used for attacks on the Taliban, the Pentagon said Thursday.

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J&K BJP leader urges PM Modi to rescue Sikhs from Afghanistan

A Jammu and Kashmir BJP leader urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday to make necessary arrangements for rescuing Sikh families from Afghanistan amid an escalating situation in that country, and ensuring their proper settlement in India.

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Good morning, readers. Welcome to your live coverage of the Afghanistan crisis!