The Taliban closed Kabul airport on Saturday to most Afghans waiting to be evacuated and most NATO countries withdrew their troops after two decades in Afghanistan, ending a frantic airlift that Western leaders acknowledged that it continued to leave behind many of its citizens and local allies.
The United States, which says continuous flights have evacuated more than 100,000 people since the Taliban seized Kabul on August 15, maintained the airlift before the withdrawal deadline set by President Joe Biden for Tuesday.
Taliban forces were occupying some positions inside the airport, ready to take control peacefully while U.S. forces depart, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said. The Pentagon stressed on Friday that the Taliban, which now controls Afghanistan, had no control over any operations at the airport.
Outside the airport, the Taliban deployed more forces on Saturday to prevent large crowds from gathering after a devastating suicide attack two days earlier.
More checkpoints were set up on the roads leading to the airport, some by uniformed Taliban fighters equipped with Humvees and night-vision goggles who confiscated them from Afghan security forces. The areas where large crowds had gathered over the past two weeks in hopes of fleeing the country were now mostly empty.
Thursday’s suicide attack, which killed 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. soldiers, was the work of the Islamic State group’s Afghan subsidiary. There was concern that ISIS, which is much more radical than the Taliban, could attack again.
The U.S. military said Saturday it killed an Islamic State militant in the early hours of the morning in a drone strike after U.S. President Joe Biden promised swift retaliation.
An Afghan working as a translator for the U.S. military said he was with a group of people on leave who tried to arrive at the airport Friday night. After going through three checkpoints, they were arrested in a room. An argument ensued and the Taliban said the Americans had told them to let only American passport holders pass.
Meanwhile, Afghans are facing a new economic crisis, as many Western governments have denied support to the Taliban government.
We recommend:
In Kabul, hundreds of Afghans protested on Saturday in front of a bank branch and others formed long lines at ATMs.
Among the protesters at the New Bank in Kabul were many officials demanding their salary, noting that they had not been paid for the past three to six months. Although the banks reopened three days ago, no one has been able to withdraw cash. ATMs continue to operate with a limit of about $ 200 every 24 hours, which contributes to the formation of long queues.
Afghanistan is heavily dependent on international aid, which covered about 75% of the Western-backed government budget. The Taliban said it wants to maintain a good relationship with the international community and promised a more moderate executive than in its previous stage in power, but many Afghans are deeply skeptical.
On the other hand, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warned that the worsening drought threatens the support of more than seven million people. He said Afghans are also suffering from the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic and displacement from recent fighting.
The Taliban has encouraged Afghans to remain promising amnesty even to those who fought against them. In addition, they announced that commercial flights will resume once the withdrawal from the United States is completed, but it is unclear whether the airlines will want to operate in the country.