Damascus-SANA
Developments in Afghanistan are accelerating the day after the Taliban entered the capital, Kabul, and took control of most government institutions, while the city’s airport witnessed a state of complete chaos as a result of thousands of people crowding and rushing to the airport runway to leave the country on board American planes sitting in it, and American forces shooting in the air to prevent people from boarding. on board.
News agencies reported that at least five people were killed as they ran under the feet of the crowds that rushed to Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul in an attempt to board US military planes at the airport to transport its citizens and employees of the US embassy, which was announced closed and the US flag was lowered from its building. The air to prevent Afghans from reaching the American planes caused panic and panic among the crowds at the airport, while videos showed groups of young men clinging to the stairs in an attempt to climb to them.
And US President Joe Biden decided yesterday to send an additional 1,000 troops to Kabul to secure the evacuation of thousands of American and Afghan civilians, according to a Pentagon official.
The tragic scenes that took place at Kabul airport today, of thousands of Afghans scrambling to get to planes and the firing of bullets by US forces to prevent them from doing so, recall what happened in the Vietnamese capital, Saigon in 1975, when the Americans abandoned their allies there.
For its part, the Civil Aviation Department of Afghanistan announced that the airspace of the capital, Kabul, was opened to military aircraft only, while civil aircraft recommended changing their course to avoid the city's airspace, while the airport authorities announced the complete suspension of commercial flights.
Meanwhile, France announced the evacuation of its nationals by this evening, and the Minister of the Armed Forces, Florence Parly, said that “the first air evacuation from Kabul organized by the French army between the Afghan capital and its base in the UAE is expected by Monday evening,” noting that there are dozens of French who should be evacuated, as well as people under French protection.
For its part, the British government announced earlier that it intends to send 600 soldiers to evacuate its nationals from Afghanistan after the deteriorating situation in the country, while Germany announced its intention to deploy soldiers to evacuate the remaining German nationals and Afghans, according to parliamentary sources.
Finland also announced that it will close its embassy in the capital, Kabul, immediately and until further notice, due to the security situation, and diplomats will be evacuated from this country.
Commenting on what happened at Kabul Airport, the Russian Foreign Ministry criticized the way US forces dealt with Afghan citizens who want to leave the country after Taliban militants took control of most areas. She responded with complete silence,” asking about human rights in this case, while Zamir Kabulov, the Russian President’s special envoy to Afghanistan, said that the Taliban’s seizure of power was not a transfer of power according to certain agreements, but rather the result of Washington’s failure in this country, explaining that the Russian ambassador to Kabul, Dmitry Zhirnov, will meet tomorrow. On Tuesday, an official from the Taliban was appointed to discuss the security of the Russian diplomatic mission in this country.
In addition, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, who left the capital yesterday with his office manager and advisor, without knowing after the country he left for, admitted that "the Taliban movement has won."
On the ground, Taliban officials announced today that the movement does not clash with government forces or civilians throughout Afghanistan, and the situation is calm.
One Taliban official said the movement had instructed its fighters in Kabul not to intimidate civilians and allow them to resume their normal activities while another official said a new Afghan government would be formed that would include those who were not members of the movement.
Mohammed Jassim