After 20-year lull, Taliban take charge of Afghanistan

With Taliban having taken over Afghanistan’s capital on Sunday, the embattled government collapsed and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country drawing curtains on a costly 20-year U.S. campaign to rebuild the country.

Hyderabad:The Taliban took control of Kabul on Sunday amid minimal resistance as President Ashraf Ghani fled the country causing the government to collapse and thousands of people to flee. The terror outfit's return to power in Afghanistan comes after being dormant for 20 years, thereby drawing curtains on the US' two-decade-long campaign to rebuild the war-torn nation. Taliban fighters deployed all over Kabul took control of abandoned police posts, reports said, adding that residents complained of looting in several areas of the city, including the diplomatic district. Messages popped up on social media advising people to stay locked inside their homes.

Ghani on Sunday gave up as the Taliban formed an interim government after talks between the Afghanistan government and Taliban negotiators. According to sources, Ali Ahmad Jalali is likely to be appointed as the head of the new interim government. Jalali was the country's interior minister from January 2003 to September 2005.

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Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told a Qatar-based media agency that they are "awaiting a peaceful transfer of Kabul city". He declined to divulge any information pertaining to the possible negotiations between them and the government. On being asked about what kind of agreement the Taliban wanted, Shaheen acknowledged that they sought an unconditional surrender by the Afghan government.

Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, Taliban’s lead negotiator who had held talks with the government, congratulated all of Afghanistan for the victory. Baradar, in a video uploaded on social media, gave an assurance that peace shall prevail and better future awaited the countrymen.

Read:Tense Kabul residents wait for Taliban control of capital

According to two senior US officials, commercial flight operations were stopped following the gunfire at the Kabul airport, and evacuations continued on military flights. The US Embassy in Kabul on its website had issued a security alert stating the airport was taking fire and informed the US citizens to take cover.