Taliban Conducting Door-to-Door Search for Opponents & Their Kin: Report
Catch all the live updates on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan here.
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A leaked document says that the Taliban has been conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" to their opponents – persons who worked with the US and NATO forces alongside the Afghanistan government – news agency AFP reported on Friday, 20 August.
Meanwhile, quoting government sources, NDTV reported that the Taliban searched the closed Indian consulates in Kandahar and Herat on Wednesday, looking for documents and taking away vehicles parked there.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar said the immediate issue for all countries is the repatriation of their nationals.
Several people were killed in Afghanistan's Asadabad during a rally to mark the country's Independence Day on Thursday. Reports pointed to firing by the Taliban and a stampede, though it's not clear what caused the deaths.
At least three people died and a dozen others were injured as a protest took place in support of the national flag in Jalalabad city on Wednesday, reports said
Protests were also witnessed in Kabul, with people carrying the national flag
The United States said on Wednesday the Taliban were reneging on pledges to allow Afghans, who worked with the United States and its allies, out of the country
Former President Ashraf Ghani in a video message posted on Facebook said that he had no intention of remaining in exile in the UAE and was "in talks" to return home
The Taliban on Tuesday said it did not have enmity towards anyone and based on their leader's orders, it had pardoned everyone, TOLONews reported
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'Events in Afghanistan Have Enhanced Global Concerns of Security': EAM Jaishankar at UNSC Meet
“Events unfolding in Afghanistan have naturally enhanced global concerns about their implications for both regional and international security. The heightened activities of the proscribed Haqqani Network justifies this growing anxiety,” External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said at the UNSC meeting on Thursday.
Speaking about India's relations with Afghanistan, the foreign minister stated, “In terms of the longer perspective, we have a historical relationship with the Afghan people and I think that relationship will continue to guide our thoughts and outlook.”
Taliban Conducts Search Door-to-Door Search for US, NATO Workers
The Taliban has been conducting "targeted door-to-door visits" to their opponents – persons who worked with US and NATO forces alongside the Afghanistan government – according to a confidential document of the UN seen by news agency AFP.
The search and target mission comes as a contradiction to the Taliban's previous promises of safety and amnesty for all.
Afghan Woman Journalist Says Barred From Working at TV Station
An Afghan woman journalist has said she was barred from working at her TV station after the Taliban took control of the country, and pleaded for help in a video posted online.
Wearing a hijab and showing her office card, well-known news anchor Shabnam Dawran said "our lives are under threat" in the clip on social media, reported AFP.
Taliban Kill DW Journalist's Relative While Hunting For Him
Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have shot and killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him, the German public broadcaster had said.
The terrorists were conducting a house-to-house search for the journalist, who now works in Germany, DW said on Thursday.
A second relative was seriously wounded but others were able to escape, it said, without giving details of the incident.
China Can Contribute To Afghanistan's Development, Says Taliban Spokesman: Report
China has played a constructive role in promoting peace and reconciliation in Afghanistan and is welcome to contribute to the rebuilding of the country, Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Chinese state media.
"China is a big country with a huge economy and capacity - I think they can play a very big role in the rebuilding, rehabilitation, reconstruction of Afghanistan," Shaheen told CGTN television in an interview late on Thursday.
Taliban Ask Imams to Urge People Not to Flee Afghanistan
The Taliban have asked Afghan imams to try to counter negative reports about the group during the first Friday prayers and also urge people not to try to flee the country, reports said.
The Taliban said it hoped imams across the country would promote the benefits of the Islamic system and urge unity.
In a message on Thursday, the Taliban said the imams should "encourage our compatriots to work for the development of the country, and not to try to leave the country" and answer "the negative propaganda of the enemy".
EAM Jaishankar Meets Qatar Counterpart, Discusses Afghanistan Situation
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met the Deputy PM and Minister of Foreign Affairs of Qatar, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani, during his stopover in Doha and discussed the situation in Afghanistan.