Afghanistan-Taliban Crisis: Amid reports of Taliban approaching the Panjshir province, Ahmad Massoud, leader of Afghanistan’s last major outpost of anti-Taliban resistance, on Sunday said that the Panjshir valley will not be handed over to the Taliban and resistance fighters will be ready to fight back if the extremist group tries to seize. Speaking to the Dubai-based al-Arabiya television channel yesterday from his stronghold in the Panjshir valley northwest of Kabul, Massoud said, “We confronted the Soviet Union, and we will be able to confront the Taliban.”
During a telephonic conversation with news agency Reuters, Massoud said that he hoped to hold peace talks with the Islamist movement that seized power in Kabul a week ago but that his forces were ready to fight. He said, “We want to make the Taliban realise that the only way forward is through negotiation. We do not want a war to break out.” In Panjshir, the Anti-Taliban leader has gathered forces made up of remnants of regular army units and special forces as well as local militia fighters. His comments came soon after a statement on the Taliban’s Alemarah Twitter feed said hundreds of fighters were heading towards Panjshir and that Massoud had only four hours to give up Panjshir valley.
Updates to this live blog have ended.
11:55 pm: Pakistan FM Urges Taliban, Afghan Leaders For Political Settlement to Ensure Peace
Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi on Monday urged the Taliban and the Afghan leaders to work for an inclusive political settlement to ensure sustainable peace and security in the war-torn country and the region. He also stressed the “importance of the international community’s active and sustained engagement with the Afghan people”, the Foreign Office stated.
10:19 pm: 2 Passengers From Afghanistan Flight to Delhi Test Covid Positive
Two passengers out of the 146 evacuated from Afghanistan on Monday tested positive for Covid-19 after landing in Delhi. “Two people coming from Afghanistan have been found COVID positive. They have been sent to LNJP (Lok Nayak Jai Prakash Narayan) Hospital,” Rajendra Kumar, Sub Divisional Magistrate told news agency ANI… Read more
8:45 pm: PM Modi Discusses Afghanistan Crisis With German Chancellor Angela Markel
PM Modi & German Chancellor Merkel discussed the unfolding security situation in Afghanistan & its implications on the region & the world. They emphasised the importance of maintaining peace & security, with the most urgent priority being repatriation of stranded people.
The two leaders also discussed issues on the bilateral agenda, including cooperation in COVID-19 vaccines, development cooperation with a focus on climate & energy, & fostering trade & economic relations, stated PMO.
Meanwhile, Germany is also in talks to keep Kabul airport open for evacuations beyond August 31.
8:42 pm: US had evacuated 16,000 people from Kabul airport in past 24 hours, stated Pentagon, as reported by AFP.
7:34 pm: ‘Uncertain if Sikhs, Hindus in Afghanistan Will Have Any Rights’ Under Taliban Regime, Says Afghan MP
“Many people in Afghanistan don’t have travel documents. We had to wait from 12 midnight to 10 am in the hot weather. There were incidents of firing around the airport every day. 3-4 people died daily,” says Afghan MP Anarkali Kaur Honaryar in Delhi.
20 years ago, Taliban used to think that Sikhs & Hindus were not entitled to any rights as they're not Muslim. When a Taliban spox addressed media for first time, he didn't mention Sikhs & Hindus. It is uncertain whether they'll have any rights in future: Afghan MP Anarkali Kaur pic.twitter.com/k2W2WNb6Ia
— ANI (@ANI) August 23, 2021
7:31 pm: Taliban Asks Afghan Imams to ‘Keep People Calm’, Clear ‘Baseless’ Propaganda
Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid on Monday addressed a gathering of clerics in Afghanistan and urged them to “clear the baseless propaganda”, adding they are responsible for keeping their constituents calm.
“Imams, keep your people calm, we should indoctrinate people to support the Islamic government and Islamic Emirates of Afghanistan,” he said.
5:47 pm: Taliban Says ‘No New Govt Until Last US Soldier Leaves Afghanistan’
Taliban sources have told news agency AFP that there will be “no new government until last US soldier leaves Afghanistan”. Taliban spokesperson has also warned the US of “consequences” if the Afghan pullout, i.e., the US troops withdrawal agreement, is extended. Earlier today, US president Joe Biden hinted that the August 31 deadline for US forces to exit Afghanistan may be extended, owing to global pressure.
5:22 pm: Pakistan Gets Assurance Against Taliban Attacks
Pakistan’s interior minister says the Taliban have assured that they will not allow the outlawed Pakistani Taliban — a separate militant group from the one in Afghanistan — to use Afghan soil for attacks against Pakistan. The development comes after some of the leaders and members of the Pakistani Taliban or Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (a separate militant group from the one in Afghanistan), were freed from Afghan prisons.
3:56 pm: Taliban forces said they have recaptured three districts – Bano, Deh Saleh, Pul e-Hesar in Baghlan province of northern Afghanistan – that fell to local militia groups last week.
3:00 pm: The Indian government has called an all-party meeting on Thursday (August 26) to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan.
2:50 pm: Two persons out of 146 people who have returned to India from Afghanistan today have tested positive for COVID-19, said Rajinder Kumar, Nodal Officer (Delhi govt) for COVID-19 testing of Afghanistan returnees.
2:40 pm: Vice President Kamala Harris vows the US’ “enduring engagement” in Asia, offering reassurances of Washington’s commitment to the region following the withdrawal from Afghanistan. “The reason I am here is because the US is a global leader, and we take that role seriously”
2:30 pm: US Vice President Kamala Harris said on Monday during a visit to Singapore that the United States was focusing on evacuation efforts taking place in Afghanistan and that there would be plenty of time to analyse the context of the troop withdrawal.
02:15 pm:
VIDEO: @AFP on the ground at Kabul airport.
Terrified Afghans continue to try to flee the country after the Taliban takeover, overwhelming the evacuation operation at the airport and leading to tragic scenes in which at least eight people have died pic.twitter.com/ZZCjy2M7ab
— AFP News Agency (@AFP) August 23, 2021
2:00 pm: The Taliban will not extend an August 31 deadline for Western forces to leave Afghanistan, two sources in the Islamist group told Reuters on Monday. The sources, however, said no Western government or official had approached the Taliban to extend the deadline, said the Reuters report.
01:15 pm: “In view of developments in Afghanistan, PM Modi has instructed that MEA to brief Floor Leaders of political parties. Minister of Parliamentary Affairs Pralhad Joshi will be intimating further details,” tweets External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar
12: 30 pm: British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask US President Joe Biden to extend the evacuation deadline from Afghanistan when Group of Seven leaders discusses the crisis on Tuesday, two UK ministers said.
12:00 pm: Stranded Indian nationals and 46 Afghan Hindus and Sikhs, with 3 Sri Guru Granth Sahib, are currently inside Hamid Karzai International Airport, Kabul, and are being escorted to the Indian Air Force aircraft on the ground.
11:45 am: One Afghan guard was killed and three others were injured in the battle, which also involved U.S. and German forces, the German military said on Twitter.
11:30 am: Firefight breaks out between unidentified gunmen, Western security forces and Afghan guards at the North Gate of Kabul airport on Monday, Germany’s armed forces said, as thousands of Afghans and foreigners thronged the airport, seeking to flee Taliban rule: Reuters report.
10:15 am: “There is an atmosphere of fear in Kabul. On August 14, we were evacuated to Qatar from Kabul. Few days before Aug 14, we were alerted by Indian Embassy to stay prepared to leave Afghanistan at any time,” says T Sarkar, an evacuee from Afghanistan who arrived in Delhi today.
09:45 am: A Twitter post on the Taliban’s Alemarah handle stated that hundreds of fighters were heading towards Panjshir “after local state officials refused to hand it over peacefully”. The tweet was shared along with a 14-second video clip showing number of captured trucks with the white Taliban flags moving along a highway.
WATCH:
مئات من مجاهدي #الإمارة_الإسلامية يتوجهون نحو ولاية #بنجشير للسيطرة عليها، بعد رفض مسئولي الولاية المحليين تسليمها بشكل سلمي. pic.twitter.com/FwAYBZeopq
— الإمارة الإسلامية (@alemara_ar) August 22, 2021
09:20 am: Foreign forces in Afghanistan have not sought to extend the Aug. 31 deadline they have set for leaving the country, a Taliban official told Reuters on Monday.
09:00 am: Australia willing to assist with evacuations from Afghanistan after August 31 if the United States decides to delay its withdrawal, Foreign Minister Marise Payne said on Monday.
08: 45 am: US President Joe Biden during his televised address also said that he was still planning to finalise the evacuation from Afghanistan by August 31, but left the door open to extending the deadline if necessary. Meanwhile, the Pentagon has said that it is formally seeking airlift help from commercial airlines to relocate evacuees from Afghanistan once they have gotten out of their country.
08:30 am Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri said that developments in the volatile neighbourhood are the reason why enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act is necessary. Sharing a news article, Singh tweeted, “Recent developments in our volatile neighbourhood and the way Sikhs and Hindus are going through a harrowing time are precisely why it was necessary to enact the Citizenship Amendment Act.”
08:15 am: Pakistan and its intelligence service have played a key role in fostering the Taliban and allowing it to eventually take over Afghanistan, a top Republican lawmaker has alleged, stating that it is disgusting to watch Islamabad celebrate the group’s victory that will bring “untold brutality” to Afghans.
08:00 am: India has decided to vaccinate Afghanistan returnees against polio for free as a preventive measure against the wild polio virus, Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya said on Sunday. Afghanistan and Pakistan are the only two countries in the world where polio is still endemic.
07: 35 am: “I don’t trust anybody, including you, I love you but there is not a lot of people I trust. Taliban has to make a fundamental decision,” says US President Joe Biden on being asked –do you trust them (Taliban) now?
07:25 am: A Vistara flight carrying 104 people rescued from Afghanistan reached Delhi on early Monday morning around 5.09 am from Doha.
07:15 am: During an exclusive interview with Al Jazeera, Abdul Qahar Balkhi from the Taliban’s Cultural Commission, said that the group wants to move forward and hopes stakeholders – both domestic and international – can cooperate on common interests. Speaking about the formation of government by the Taliban, he said, The consultations are ongoing, and of course it is going to be an inclusive system.”
07:05 am: We know that terrorists may seek to exploit the situation and target innocent Afghans or American troops. We’re maintaining constant vigilance to monitor and disrupt threats from any source, including ISIS and the Afghan affiliate known as ISIS-K, said US President Biden during his address from the White House.
07:00 am: Speaking about the ongoing evacuation process from Afghanistan, US President Joe Biden made an address from the White House on Sunday. He said, “There is no way to evacuate this many people without pain and loss and the heartbreaking images you see, it’s just a fact. My heart aches for those people you see. At the end of the day, if we didn’t leave Afghanistan now, when would we?”
06:30 am: A Qatar Airways flight QR578 with 30 Indian passengers reached Delhi from Doha at 1.55 am on Monday. Another Air India flight, AI 972, also reached Delhi from Doha, which includes a person coming from Afghanistan.
06:00 am: India on Sunday evacuated 392 people, including two Afghan lawmakers, in three different flights as part of its mission to bring back Indians and Afghan partners from Kabul amid a scramble by various nations to rescue their citizens from the war-ravaged country in the wake of deteriorating security situation and increasing Taliban hostilities.
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