KABUL: Taliban rulers in Afghanistan resumed some domestic passenger flights to and from Kabul on Sunday, while religious militia fighters intensified the assault on the last pocket of resistance still being led by fighters opposed to their government.
Anti-Taliban fighters in Panjshir province, north of the Afghan capital, are led by former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who has called for humanitarian aid to help the thousands displaced by the fighting.
A senior Taliban spokesman tweeted on Sunday that Taliban troops had passed Rokha district, one of the eight largest districts in Panjshir. Several Taliban delegations have tried to negotiate with those housed there, but talks have failed.
Saleh fled to Panjshir after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan as the Taliban marched on the capital. Lightning from fighters across the country took less than a week to surpass some 300,000 government troops, most of whom surrendered or fled.
Since taking office, the Taliban have tried to reform the group differently from its incarnation in the 1990s, when they last ruled the country and applied strict controls to the whole of society. Women and girls were denied jobs and education, men were forced to shave, and television and music were banned.
Now, the world hopes to see the face of the new government and many Afghans remain skeptical. During the weeks that came to power, the signals were mixed: government employees, including women, were asked to return to work, but some women were ordered home by lower-ranking Taliban. Universities and schools have received opening orders, but fear has alienated both students and faculty.
The women have demonstrated peacefully, some even holding talks about their rights with Taliban leaders. But some have been dispersed by Taliban special forces firing into the air.
The streets of Kabul are once again blocked by traffic, as Taliban fighters patrol with trucks and police vehicles, brandishing their automatic weapons and hoisting the white flag of the Taliban.
However, some signs of normalcy have returned: women are on the street, schools have opened and changers are working in the corners of the street. Traffic police have returned to service and giant cement barriers that sealed exclusive neighborhoods have been removed.
While Taliban leaders hold meetings and promise a government in the coming days, technical teams from Qatar and Turkey are working to make the civilian airport operational.
On Saturday, state-owned Ariana Airlines made its first domestic flights, which continued on Sunday. The airport has no radar facilities, so flights are restricted to daylight hours to allow for visual landing, said Shershah Stor, Kabul station manager.
Several countries have also provided humanitarian supplies. The Gulf of Qatar state, where the Taliban has held a political office since 2013, makes daily flights to Kabul, providing humanitarian aid to the war-weary nation. Bahrain also announced deliveries of humanitarian assistance.
Anti-Taliban fighters in Panjshir province, north of the Afghan capital, are led by former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who has called for humanitarian aid to help the thousands displaced by the fighting.
A senior Taliban spokesman tweeted on Sunday that Taliban troops had passed Rokha district, one of the eight largest districts in Panjshir. Several Taliban delegations have tried to negotiate with those housed there, but talks have failed.
Saleh fled to Panjshir after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan as the Taliban marched on the capital. Lightning from fighters across the country took less than a week to surpass some 300,000 government troops, most of whom surrendered or fled.
Since taking office, the Taliban have tried to reform the group differently from its incarnation in the 1990s, when they last ruled the country and applied strict controls to the whole of society. Women and girls were denied jobs and education, men were forced to shave, and television and music were banned.
Now, the world hopes to see the face of the new government and many Afghans remain skeptical. During the weeks that came to power, the signals were mixed: government employees, including women, were asked to return to work, but some women were ordered home by lower-ranking Taliban. Universities and schools have received opening orders, but fear has alienated both students and faculty.
The women have demonstrated peacefully, some even holding talks about their rights with Taliban leaders. But some have been dispersed by Taliban special forces firing into the air.
The streets of Kabul are once again blocked by traffic, as Taliban fighters patrol with trucks and police vehicles, brandishing their automatic weapons and hoisting the white flag of the Taliban.
However, some signs of normalcy have returned: women are on the street, schools have opened and changers are working in the corners of the street. Traffic police have returned to service and giant cement barriers that sealed exclusive neighborhoods have been removed.
While Taliban leaders hold meetings and promise a government in the coming days, technical teams from Qatar and Turkey are working to make the civilian airport operational.
On Saturday, state-owned Ariana Airlines made its first domestic flights, which continued on Sunday. The airport has no radar facilities, so flights are restricted to daylight hours to allow for visual landing, said Shershah Stor, Kabul station manager.
Several countries have also provided humanitarian supplies. The Gulf of Qatar state, where the Taliban has held a political office since 2013, makes daily flights to Kabul, providing humanitarian aid to the war-weary nation. Bahrain also announced deliveries of humanitarian assistance.