Afghanistan Taliban Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: US President Joe Biden To Address Nation As Situation In Kabul Remains Tense
Afghanistan Taliban Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: The US troops fired shots in the air at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport as the crowd mobbed the tarmac on Monday.
Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson, whose country holds the rotating G7 presidency, on Monday called for the grouping's leaders to discuss Afghanistan and to prevent a humanitarian fall-out from the Taliban takeover, news agency AFP reported.
Downing Street said PM Johnson "outlined his intention to host a virtual meeting... in the coming days", during a call to French President Emmanuel Macron when he stressed the need for a "unified approach" to the situation.
"For the last 20 years, terrorist organizations such as the Islamic States & Al-Qaeda have gathered & developed in Afghanistan, posting a serious threat to international & regional peace & security. Afghanistan must never again become a haven for terrorists": China's Dy Permanent Rep to UN Geng Shuang
"This is the bottom line that must be held firmly for any future political solution in Afghanistan. We hope that Talibani Afghanistan is going to live its commitment & make a clean break from terrorist organizations," he added.
(ANI Photo)
All military and civilian flights halted at Kabul airport, reports news agency AFP quoting Pentagon.
"If there is zero-tolerance for terrorism in all its forms & manifestations & it's ensured that Afghan territory isn't used by terrorist groups to threaten or attack any other country, then Afghanistan's neighbours & region would feel safer": India's Ambassador to UN, TS Tirumurti said at the UNSC meeting, as quoted by ANI.
"We have seen very unfortunate scenes at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul that is widespread panic among the people. Women & children are in distress. Incidents of firing have been reported from the city including the airport": India's Ambassador to UN added.
(ANI Photo)
"As a neighbour of Afghanistan, as a friend of its people, the current situation prevailing in the country is of great concern to us in India. Afghan men, women, & children are living under a constant state of fear. Before the current crisis unfolded, India had ongoing development projects in every one of 34 provinces of Afghanistan. We call upon parties concerned to maintain law & order, ensure safety & security of all concerned including UN diplomatic & consular personnel": India's Ambassador to UN stated.
"Today, I'm speaking on behalf of millions of people in Afghanistan. I'm speaking of millions of Afghan girls & women who're about to lose their freedom to go to school & to participate in political-economic & social life": Representative of Afghan said at emergency UNSC meeting.
(ANI Photo)
"Taliban is not honouring their promises & commitments made in their statements at Doha & at other international forums. Residents are living in absolute fear": Ghulam M Isaczai, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Afghanistan to UN added.
US President Joe Biden will address the nation on Afghanistan tonight, news agency ANI informed.
Earlier, US Ambassador told the UN that "US promises to be generous & resettling Afghans in our own country, & I'm heartened by pledges we've seen from other nations to do the same. We urge Afghanistan's neighbors & others to give refuge - temporary or permanent to Afghans attempting to flee".
"We're deeply concerned that aid is not flowing to people in crisis. As per World Food Programme, over 500 tonnes of aid are currently sitting at border crossings taken over by Taliban. These aid deliveries must resume immediately": US Ambassador to UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield added.
Meanwhile, US soldiers killed two armed men at Kabul airport, in Afghanistan, AFP quoted Pentagon as informing.
"We (international community) must speak in one voice to uphold human rights in Afghanistan. I call upon Taliban & all parties to respect & protect international humanitarian law & rights & freedom of all persons": UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at UNSC meeting on Afghanistan, ANI reported.
"We are receiving chilling reports of restrictions on human rights throughout the country. I'm particularly concerned by account of mounting human rights violations against women & girls of Afghanistan who fear a return of the darkest days," he added
"The international community must unite to ensure that Afghanistan is never again used as a platform or safe haven for terrorist organizations": UN Secretary-General António Guterres said.
"I urge the UNSC & international community to stand together, act together & work together use all tools at their disposal to suppress the global terrorist threat in Afghanistan & to guarantee that basic human rights will be respected": he added.
"Afghans are proud people. They have known generations of war and hardship. They deserve our full support. The following days will be pivotal. The world is watching. We can not and must not abandon the people of Afghanistan," the UN Secretary-General said at UNSC meeting.
"I urge all parties especially the Taliban to exercise utmost restraint to protect lives and to ensure that humanitarian needs can be met. The conflict has forced hundreds of thousands from their homes": UN Secretary-General António Guterres said at emergency UNSC meeting on Afghanistan.
"The capital city (Kabul) has seen a huge influx of internally displaced persons from provinces across the country (Afghanistan) where they felt insecure & fled during the fighting. I remind all parties of their obligations to protect civilians": UN Secretary-General António Guterres added.
"We'll facilitate repatriation to India of those who wish to leave Afghanistan. There are also a number of Afghans who've been our partners in the promotion of our mutual developmental, educational and people-to-people endeavours. We will stand by them": MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said, as quoted by ANI.
"Commercial operations from Kabul airport have been suspended today. This has forced a pause in our repatriation efforts. We are awaiting the resumption of flights to restart the process," he stated.
"The security situation in Kabul, Afghanistan has deteriorated significantly in the last few days. We've been issuing periodic advisories for the safety and security of Indian nationals, including calling for their immediate return to India": MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said as quoted by ANI.
"We had circulated emergency contact numbers and had also been extending assistance to community members. We're aware that there are still some Indian nationals in Afghanistan who wish to return and we're in touch with them," he added.
Pakistan's Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi on Monday said the international community must remain engaged with Afghanistan, asserting that Islamabad will continue to play a facilitative role to bring political settlement in the war-torn neighbouring country, which has been taken over by the Taliban in a sudden and unprecedented collapse of the government, PTI reported.
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi said with the US forces out of Afghanistan, it has offered a way to establish lasting peace in the West Asian country.
"America's military defeat and its withdrawal must become an opportunity to restore life, security, and durable peace in Afghanistan," Iran's state TV quoted Raisi as saying.
Reuters report, that Washington D.C. has accused Tehran of providing covert aid to Taliban fighters in past.
With an eye on the current turmoil in Afghanistan, questions have been raised on whether the team will be ready to participate in the upcoming T20 World Cup. But the Afghanistan Cricket Board has made it clear that the team will be ready for action when the showpiece event gets underway in Dubai.
Speaking to ANI, the Afghanistan cricket team's media manager Hikmat Hassan said there is no doubt with regards to participating in the T20 World Cup and the board is keen to go ahead with a tri-series involving Australia and West Indies to help in preparations for the showpiece event.
"Yes, we will play in the T20 World Cup. The preparations are on and the available players will be back to training in Kabul in the next few days. We are looking for a venue for the tri-series involving Australia and West Indies and that will be the best preparation for the showpiece event. We are speaking to some countries like Sri Lanka and also I think Malaysia. Let's see how that pans out.
"We are already set to play Pakistan in Hambantota and that series is also on. Also, we are planning to go ahead with the domestic T20 tournament which shall boost preparations for the players ahead of the T20 World Cup," Hassan said.
Asked if the board officials had a word with Rashid Khan or Mohammad Nabi as they are not in the country at present, he said: "We are always there to help our players and their families. We will do whatever is possible for them. Things are not affected much in Kabul, we are already back in the office, so there is nothing to worry about." (ANI)
European Union foreign ministers to hold talks on Afghanistan Tuesday amid fear and chaos, according to AFP.
Taliban entered the TOLOnews compound in Kabul, checked the weapons of the security staff, collected govt-issued weapons, agreed to keep the compound safe: Afghanistan's TOLOnews
China says willing to develop 'friendly relations' with Afghanistan's Taliban. China is the first country to support the Taliban openly.
Amid chaos and fear, Russian ambassador will meet the Taliban in Kabul on Tuesday, according to a report by AFP.
Chancellor Angela Merkel's government is planning to deploy soldiers to Afghanistan to help with the evacuation of German nationals and Afghans in danger from the Taliban, parliamentary sources say, according to AFP
At least 5 people were killed in Kabul airport as hundreds of people tried to forcibly enter planes leaving Kabul, witnesses, according to a report by Reuters
A group of Afghanistan delegations met Pakistan's External Affairs Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi in Islamabad to discuss the prevailing situation after Taliban took control of Afghanistan. According to sources, the meeting ended on a positive note.
France will evacuate its first nationals from Kabul to a base in the UAE by Monday evening, defence minister Florence Parly says, adding there were several dozen French citizens to be evacuated along "with people under our protection"
The Taliban are in control of Afghanistan and British and NATO forces will not be returning to fight the insurgents, Britain's defence minister said on Monday.
"I acknowledge that the Taliban are in control of the country," Defence Secretary Ben Wallace told Sky News. "I mean, you don't have to be a political scientist to spot that's where we're at."
Asked if Britain and NATO would return to Afghanistan, Wallace said: "That's not on the cards... we're going to go back."
Wallace said the military side of Kabul airport was secure and that Britain was doing everything it could to evacuate British citizens and Afghans with links to Britain. "Our target is ... about 1200 to 1500 exit a day in the capacity of our aeroplanes, and we'll keep that flow," he said. Britain has relocated its embassy to Kabul airport from the city.
After videos of Afghans mobbing the Kabul airport tarmac emerged on social media, the US troops fired shots in air at the airport.
US forces confirmed to Reuters that they were forced to fire in air to prevent Afghans running onto tarmac to board military flights.
This comes hours after it reported that the US military had secured the perimeter of the airport. A small group of diplomats are working from the Hamid Karzai International Airport after the embassies were evacuated on Sunday.
Taliban officials said on Monday they had received no reports of any clashes from across the country a day after the militants seized the capital, Kabul, and the U.S.-backed government collapsed.
"The situation is peaceful, as per our reports," one of the senior members of the Taliban said. They declined to be identified, as quoted by Reuters.
Air India flights that were on standby to evacuate citizens from Afghanistan cannot operate in Kabul due to airspace shutdown.
The flights were scheduled to depart from Delhi at 12:30 pm today.
Background
Afghanistan Taliban Crisis HIGHLIGHTS: The US troops fired shots in the air at Afghanistan’s Kabul airport as crowd mobbed the tarmac on Monday. US forces confirmed to Reuters that they were forced to fire in air to prevent Afghans running onto tarmac to board military flights.
On Sunday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani left the country, hours after Taliban fighters showed up on the outskirts of Kabul and their chiefs demanded transfer of power to avoid bloodshed.
Meanwhile, US State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said that Western diplomats have been evacuated from Kabul. “All Embassy personnel are located on the premises of Hamid Karzai International Airport, whose perimeter is secured by the US Military,” Price said.
More than 60 countries, including Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Republic of Korea, Qatar and the UK, have issued a joint statement saying Afghans and international citizens who want to leave Afghanistan must be allowed to depart and added that airports and border crossings must remain open. The US has said that it would deploy as many as 6,000 of its troops at the Kabul airport to ensure safe departure of its citizens and those from its friends and allies from Afghanistan.
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