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The insurgents’ blitz continued forward of the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces from the nation after twenty years of battle.
Listed here are the dwell updates from at the moment.
Taliban orders fighters to enter Kabul to stop looting: spokesman
The Taliban has ordered its fighters to enter the Afghan capital Kabul to stop looting after native police abandoned their posts, a spokesman for the militant group stated on Sunday.
The assertion by Zabihullah Mujahid got here shortly after a number one Afghan peace envoy stated President Ashraf Ghani had left the nation
Blinken says Kabul embassy workers being moved to airport
US embassy workers in Kabul have been being moved Sunday to the airport as Taliban forces advance on the Afghan capital, Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated.
“It is why we had forces available to ensure we might do that in a secure and orderly style. The compound itself, people are leaving there and going to the airport,” Mr. Blinken informed ABC.
State Dept says violence in Afghanistan not in keeping with U.S.-Taliban peace deal
America says ranges of violence in Afghanistan are unacceptably excessive and never in keeping with the U.S.-Taliban peace settlement, U.S. State Division spokesperson Ned Value stated.
“Actually the degrees of violence, don’t seem in keeping with what the Taliban pledged in that settlement,” Value informed reporters in reference to the Settlement for Bringing Peace to Afghanistan signed in 2020.
Political resolution in Afghanistan ‘extra pressing than ever’: NATO
NATO stated on Sunday that discovering a political resolution to Afghanistan battle was extra urgent “than ever” because the Taliban stood poised to take energy on the outskirts of Kabul.
“We help Afghan efforts to discover a political resolution to the battle, which is now extra pressing than ever,” an official on the 30-nation alliance informed AFP.
The official stated “NATO is consistently assessing developments in Afghanistan” following a lightning sweep by the insurgents to the sting of the capital.
“We’re serving to to take care of operations at Kabul airport to maintain Afghanistan linked with the world,” the official stated.
“We additionally keep our diplomatic presence in Kabul. The safety of our personnel is paramount, and we proceed to regulate as obligatory.”
Afghan delegation to fulfill Taliban in Qatar on Sunday, says govt negotiator
An Afghanistan authorities delegation, together with senior official Abdullah Abdullah, will journey to Qatar on Sunday to fulfill with representatives of the Taliban, an Afghanistan negotiator stated.
Fawzi Koofi, a member of the Kabul negotiating staff, confirmed to Reuters the delegation would meet with the Taliban within the Gulf state after the militant group earlier entered Kabul.
A supply conversant in the matter informed Reuters the Afghan delegation and Taliban representatives would focus on a transition of energy, including that U.S. officers would even be concerned.
Afghan President Ghani urges authorities forces to take care of Kabul legislation and order
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani urged authorities forces on Sunday to take care of safety in Kabul, after the Taliban paused their sweeping advance on the outskirts of the capital, inflicting widespread panic.
“It’s our duty and we are going to do it in the very best method. Anybody who thinks about chaos, plunder or looting shall be tackled with power,” he stated in a video launched to media. – AFP
Evacuation of Indian workers
India has put in place contingency plans to evacuate lots of of its officers and residents from Kabul that has been gripped by worry and panic following studies of Taliban fighters coming into the outskirts of the Afghan capital metropolis on Sunday.
Individuals conversant in the event stated the federal government is not going to put the lives of its staffers on the Indian embassy and Indian residents in Kabul at any threat and plans have already been finalised in case they require emergency evacuation.
“The federal government is carefully monitoring the fast-paced developments in Afghanistan. We is not going to put the lives of our workers on the Indian embassy in Kabul at any threat,” stated one of many individuals cited above. – PTI
Pope requires ‘options,’ peace in Afghanistan
Pope Francis stated Sunday that he shares “the unanimous concern for the state of affairs in Afghanistan” as Taliban fighters sweep throughout the war-torn nation.
He spoke because the Taliban entered the outskirts of Kabul, the Afghan capital, and stated they have been awaiting a “peaceable switch” of the town.
From a window overlooking St. Peter’s Sq., the pope requested for prayers “in order that the clamor of weapons could stop and options could also be discovered on the negotiating desk.” He added that “solely on this approach, could the battered inhabitants of the nation — women and men, aged and kids — return to their houses and dwell in peace and security, with full mutual respect.”
UK parliament to be recalled subsequent week to debate Afghanistan
The British parliament shall be recalled from its summer season recess subsequent week to debate the state of affairs in Afghanistan, a supply at Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Downing Avenue workplace stated on Sunday, as Taliban insurgents entered Kabul.
The entry into the capital caps a lightning advance by the Islamist militants, who have been ousted 20 years in the past by the USA after the Sept. 11 assaults.
Britain’s inside ministry stated earlier that it was working to guard its residents and assist different eligible former UK workers to go away Afghanistan. – Reuters
Afghan forces give up Bagram air base to Taliban
An Afghan official says forces at Bagram air base, residence to a jail housing 5,000 inmates, have surrendered to the Taliban.
Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi stated Sunday that the give up handed the one-time American base over to the insurgents.
The jail housed each Taliban and Islamic State group fighters.
It got here because the Taliban entered the outskirts of Kabul. – AP
Russia says emergency UN assembly on Afghanistan is deliberate
Russia is working with different nations to carry an emergency UN Safety Council assembly on Afghanistan because the Taliban completes its navy takeover of the nation, international ministry official Zamir Kabulov informed Russian information businesses.
“We’re engaged on this,” Kabulov stated, including that the assembly will happen.
Russia is certainly one of 5 everlasting members of the UN Safety Council, together with the USA, Britain, France, and China.
Kabulov additionally stated Moscow doesn’t plan to evacuate its embassy in Kabul, saying the Taliban had provided Russia and different nations — which he didn’t title — safety assurances for his or her missions in Afghanistan. – AFP
Taliban negotiators head to presidential palace
An Afghan official tells The Related Press that Taliban negotiators are heading to the presidential palace to organize for a “switch” of energy.
The official, who spoke on situation of anonymity due to worry of reprisals, stated Sunday that the objective was a peaceable handing over of the federal government to the Taliban.
Additionally learn | Timeline: The Taliban’s speedy advance throughout Afghanistan
Kabul
The Taliban fighters on Sunday, August 15, 2021, entered the outskirts of Kabul whereas panicked employees fled authorities places of work and helicopters landed on the U.S. Embassy within the Afghan capital because the militants’ additional tightened their grip on the nation.
In the meantime, Taliban fighters have been ordered to attend on the gates of Kabul and never enter the town, an rebel spokesman stated, after the entire collapse of the nation’s safety forces.
“The Islamic Emirate instructs all its forces to face on the gates of Kabul, to not attempt to enter the town,” a spokesman for the Taliban tweeted, though some residents reported insurgents had peacefully entered some outer suburbs.
Three Afghan officers informed The Related Press that the Taliban have been within the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman within the capital. The militants later pledged to not take the capital “by power” as sporadic gunfire could possibly be heard within the capital.
Jalalabad
The Taliban seized the town of Jalalabad early August 15, slicing off Afghanistan’s more and more remoted capital Kabul to the east.
The collapse of Jalalabad, which had been the final main metropolis standing moreover Kabul, leaves Afghanistan’s central authorities in command of simply the capital and 7 different provincial capitals. In a nationwide offensive that has taken simply over every week, the Taliban has defeated, co-opted or despatched Afghan safety forces fleeing from huge swathes of the nation, even with some air help by the U.S. navy.
Additionally learn: The Hindu Explains | Are the Taliban getting ready to victory?
Khost
An Afghan official and the Taliban say the militants have seized the provincial capital of Khost.
That leaves Afghanistan’s central authorities in command of simply Kabul and 5 different provincial capitals in another country’s 34.
Albania to shelter Afghans headed for US
Albania’s prime minister says his nation will quickly shelter lots of of Afghans who labored with the Western peacekeeping navy forces and at the moment are threatened by the Taliban.
On his Fb web page, Edi Rama stated the U.S. authorities had requested Albania to function a “transit place for a sure variety of Afghan political emigrants who’ve the USA as their ultimate vacation spot.”

Taliban fighters pose on the again of a car within the metropolis of Herat, west of Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021, after they took this province from Afghan authorities.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
“Little doubt we will not say no,” he stated.
He added that the Albanian authorities has additionally responded positively to requests from two U.S. NGOs to shelter lots of of Afghan intellectuals and girls activists who’ve been threatened with execution by the Taliban.
U.Okay.’s ambassador to Afghanistan to be airlifted
British media are reporting that the U.Okay.’s ambassador to Afghanistan is to be airlifted in another country by Monday night amid fears that the Taliban might seize the airport imminently.
The Overseas Workplace had supposed for Laurie Bristow and a small staff of officers to stay on the airport with different worldwide diplomats. However the Sunday Telegraph reported that their departure had been introduced ahead. The Overseas Workplace declined remark.
Final week the protection ministry stated 600 British troops have been being deployed to Kabul to assist evacuate some 3,000 British nationals and about 2,000 Afghans who labored with British forces.
Mazar-e-Sharif
On August 14, 2021, the Taliban captured a big, closely defended metropolis in northern Afghanistan in a significant setback for the federal government.
The autumn of Mazar-e-Sharif, the nation’s fourth largest metropolis, which Afghan forces and two highly effective former warlords had pledged to defend, handed the insurgents management over all of northern Afghanistan.
Afghan President vows to ‘remobilise’ forces

Passengers stroll to the departures terminal of Hamid Karzai Worldwide Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan, Saturday, Aug. 14, 2021.
| Photograph Credit score: AP
Afghanistan’s beleaguered President vowed on Saturday to stop additional bloodshed, as Taliban fighters closed in on Kabul after routing his armed forces over the previous 10 days.
In a recorded handle to the nation — his first because the Taliban launched their sweeping offensive — Ashraf Ghani stated he wished to cease the violence “as a historic mission”.
“I cannot let the imposed battle on folks trigger extra deaths,” he stated.
U.S. troops arrive in Afghan capital to help evacuations
American troops have flown into Kabul to assist evacuate embassy personnel and different civilians within the Afghan capital, a U.S. official stated on Saturday, a day after Taliban insurgents seized the nation’s second- and third-biggest cities.
The Pentagon has stated two battalions of Marines and one infantry battalion will arrive in Kabul by Sunday night, involving about 3,000 troops.
“They’ve arrived, their arrival will proceed ‘until tomorrow,” the U.S. official informed Reuters on situation of anonymity.
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