Armed Taliban entered Afghanistan’s Tolo News compound in Kabul on Monday. They collected government-issued weapons before leaving with the “guarantee” of keeping the facilities “safe,” the television network posted on its official Twitter account.
The incident took place hours after the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan’s presidential palace following the escape of President Ashraf Ghani to a Central Asian country.
The Taliban entered the TOLOnews compound in Kabul, checked the weapons of security personnel, collected the government-issued guns, and agreed to keep the combination safe.
Meanwhile, thousands of Afghans were seen gathering at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, the only exit point from the country not yet under Taliban control, in a last-ditch effort to leave the war-torn nation including when the administration closed civil airspace over Afghanistan.
In the chaos that followed, at least five people were killed at the airport earlier in the day, Reuters news agency reported, citing eyewitnesses who said US troops stationed there fired into the air to prevent frantic locals from boarding a civilian plane.
On the other hand, the US State Department announced on Monday that the administration of the Kabul airport is in the hands of US forces.
Images shared on various social media platforms showed hundreds of people running down the airport runway. US soldiers fired warning shots into the air. Crowds were seen trying to board a plane as many clung to the railings of a staircase leading to an airport.
Eric is a professional news editor, writer, and blogger for the last 10 years. He is working with NewsGater as an off-beat news editor cum writer.