The Taliban has declared war to be over in Afghanistan after the terror outfit seized the capital Kabul and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country saying that he wanted to avoid bloodshed. Panic and terror swept Kabul on Monday morning as heavily armed Taliban commanders took control of the deserted presidential palace and western nations struggled to evacuate their citizens. The Kabul airport was in chaos after hundreds of Afghan citizens were seen desperate to leave the country fearing their lives.
US diplomats were rushed by helicopter to the airport from their embassy. Meanwhile, US military officials have said that the Kabul International airport has been closed down for commercial flights as military evacuations continue in the city.
A Taliban representative has told Al Jazeera that the outfit will soon declare the 'Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan' from the presidential palace and form a new government in Afghanistan.
Mohammad Naeem, a spokesperson for the Taliban Political office has called for peaceful international relations.
He said, “Thanks to God, the war is over in the country.”
“We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people. We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others.”
Defeating the US military after 20 years of being dormant, the Taliban has alerted the government employees in Afghanistan and citizens to return to the way they were before under the Taliban rule.
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"Make a fresh start. Beware of bribery, embezzlement, arrogance, corruption, laziness and indifference," the official said.
Meanwhile, footage of a large number of Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace has been surfacing around.
Just hours after stepping down as Afghanistan’s president, Ashraf Ghani escaped the country, stating that it wanted to avoid bloodshed.
On late Sunday, Ashraf Ghani in a Facebook post said it was a hard choice "leaving the dear country that I dedicated my life to protecting the past 20 years".
Ashraf Ghani in an official statement said: "If there were still countless countrymen martyred and they would face destruction and destruction of Kabul city, the result would have been a big human disaster in this 6 million city. Taliban have made it to remove me, they're here to attack all Kabul and the people of Kabul.”
Further, he added that it was best to evade carnage without disclosing the details of his current location.
"Taliban have won a judgment of sword and guns and now they're responsible for protecting countrymen's honour, wealth and self-esteem...Never in history has dry power given legitimacy to anyone and won't give it to them. Necessary for the Taliban to assure all people, nations, different sectors, sisters and women of Afghanistan to win the legitimacy and hearts of the people. Make a clear plan to do and share it with the public. I'll always continue to serve my nation with intellectual moments and a plan to develop," Ashraf Ghani added.
Sources have said that Ashraf Ghani has left in his private jet for Dushanbe, Tajikistan capital,
Meanwhile, sources informed that Ghani has arrived at a US airbase in Oman and is presumed to travel to America on a US plane shortly from Oman.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) will conduct a meeting on Monday to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan.
Major flights from the United Arab Emirates, British Airways have ordered the suspension of their airspace until further notice due to the deteriorating security situation in the war-torn nation.
India, meantime, is evacuating its staff from its embassy in Kabul and all the stranded Indian nationals there.
"The government is closely monitoring fast-paced developments in Afghanistan. We will not put the lives of our staff at the Indian Embassy in Kabul at any risk," said a source.
Also Read: Afghanistan Crisis: President Ashraf Ghani leaves country with his team as Taliban seizes Kabul
After the Taliban took control of the capital, Amrullah Saleh, First Vice President of Afghanistan said that he will never surrender to the Taliban terrorists.
Taking to Twitter, he said, “I will never, ever & under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray the soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won't disappoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER.”