#VIDEO | The Taliban arrive in Kabul and besiege the capital after a lightning offensive

The United States begins the evacuation of its embassy while the Afghan Interior Minister assures that there will be a peaceful transfer of power to a “transitional government”.

The Taliban have arrived in Kabul and besieged the Afghan capital, after this Sunday morning Jalalabad fell, the other great city that was still in the hands of the Government of Afghanistan. The lightning offensive of the fundamentalists threatens to cause the fall of the Executive. The Afghan Interior Minister has already announced that they are working for a peaceful handover of power to a “transitional government”. The Islamist militia is besieging the city on all fronts, but according to Reuters, the leadership of the insurgent guerrilla has asked its soldiers to avoid violence in the capture of the capital.

“We do not want a single innocent Afghan civilian injured or killed while we take power, but we have not declared a ceasefire,” said a Taliban chief who is in Doha (Qatar), where talks were being held for the ceasefire. hostilities. A spokesman for the militia assures that they are negotiating with the Government the “peaceful surrender” of Kabul.

Afghanistan’s acting Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal has confirmed the start of negotiations with the Taliban to hand over power to a transitional government. In an appearance, he indicated that “the transfer of power to the transitional government will take place in a safe and peaceful environment,” according to the Afghan network Tolo News, cited by Efe. A spokesman for the insurgents has assured, according to Reuters, that the militia also seeks a peaceful transition of power to take place in the coming days.

The minister has also confirmed that a preliminary agreement has been reached with the militias to prevent an armed offensive in the capital, a densely populated city that adds to its 4.4 million inhabitants citizens displaced by the conflict who have sought refuge. on its streets in recent weeks.

The situation is one of panic in Kabul, according to Efe, with the Afghan authorities asking all officials to leave their jobs and go home, while shops and banks close, with traffic paralyzed by heavy traffic jams.

The Taliban fighters are ordered not to enter the Afghan capital and to stay at the entrances to Kabul, according to a militia spokesman in statements collected by France Presse (AFP) on Sunday.

“The Islamic Emirate orders all its forces to remain at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city,” Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesman for the Islamist militias, tweeted. Shortly before, residents of the capital had pointed out the presence of the Taliban in the city. “There are Taliban fighters in our neighborhood, but there is no fighting,” a citizen told AFP.

According to Reuters, shots have been heard at various points around Kabul. “The country’s security forces, in coordination with international partners, control the security situation in Kabul,” the office of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Twitter.

The president is maintaining urgent contacts with Zalmay Khalilzad, the US special envoy in Afghanistan, and with senior NATO officials, according to sources in his Cabinet.

The Taliban are asking Afghans not to leave the country out of fear. They assure that they do not intend to take revenge on anyone and that all those who have served in the government security forces and in the army will be forgiven.

Hospitals and the airport will continue to operate and emergency supplies will not be interrupted, a Taliban spokesman was quoted as saying by Reuters. Foreigners in Kabul will be able to leave the city if they wish.

Evacuation of international personnel and collaborators

The evacuation of diplomatic personnel and collaborators has accelerated and the United States has already begun to evacuate its Embassy with helicopters that connect with the airport, after sending troops to protect the personnel. Last week, US intelligence estimated that it would take the Taliban at least three months to reach Kabul. This Saturday it was still believed that they had at least another 72 hours before they conquered the city.

Members of essential US teams work from the Kabul airport, according to US sources. NATO officers and other European personnel have been transferred to safe places in the capital.

The UK Government has stated that they are currently working to protect British staff and help former employees travel to the UK. The German Army will begin preparations on Monday to evacuate its citizens, embassy staff and local workers from Afghanistan without waiting for the mandate of Parliament, reports the daily Bild.

After taking Jalalabad this Sunday morning, Pakistan has closed its border with Afghanistan, a territory that is now under Taliban control, as reported by Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmad. The only point of departure from the country at the moment is the Kabul airport, still under government control.

Since US President Joe Biden announced last April the withdrawal of all his troops from the country after 20 years of war before the symbolic date of September 11, the Taliban have taken the country at breakneck speed. At the beginning of May the guerrillas began a major offensive in Helmand province. By mid-July, insurgents controlled half of the country’s districts, according to a US general. On August 6, the southern city of Zaranj became the first provincial capital to fall to the militia. Since then, they have taken one after another in a blitzkrieg offensive until arriving in Kabul this Sunday.

From El País.