Just days after the Taliban took over Afghanistan, it was met with first protests in Jalalabad on Wednesday, 18 August, where people took down the black on white Taliban flag. The protest was met by force as Taliban members fired at the crowd, leading to the death of at least three people.
Just 115 km from Kabul, a Taliban flag was replaced at a roundabout with the black, red, and green flag of the overthrown Afghan government.
The British government recognised Afghan independence after the end of the third Anglo-Afghan war in 1919. Jalalabad is considered the traditional hub of celebrations of the annual independence day, which took place every year on 19 August.
The Taliban have reportedly been removing the Afghanistan flag to replace it with theirs at several locations throughout Afghanistan. While, most of the people have put up with it, Jalalabad has displayed resistance.
Moreover, Jalalabad wasn’t the only place where the Taliban flag was replaced. Just outside Jalalabad, firing was also reported from a central square in Daronta district, Al Jazeera reported.
This comes after assurances of safety and 'general amnesty', from Taliban spokespersons, adding that the Taliban will not take revenge against those who supported the US-backed alliance.
Abdul Ali Mazari's Statue Destroyed
On Wednesday, a statue depicting Abdul Ali Mazari, a prominent Shia Muslim militia leader who died in 1995 fighting against the Taliban, was destroyed in central Bamiyan province, Al Jazeera reported.
Background
On Sunday, 15 August, the Taliban took over the presidential palace in Afghanistan, striking the last nail in the coffin for the US-backed government.
Before the supposed 'peaceful transfer of power', President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, conceding that the Taliban had won the 20-year war, while Taliban terrorists made their way to the presidential palace in Kabul.
(With inputs from Al Jazeera)
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