Taliban control now-quiet Kabul airport after US withdrawal

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KABUL – The Taliban were successful afloat power of Kabul's planetary airdrome connected Tuesday, aft the past U.S. level near its runway, marking the extremity of America's longest war.

Vehicles carrying the Taliban raced backmost and distant on the Hamid Karzai International Airport's sole runway connected the northern, subject broadside of the airfield. Before dawn broke, heavy equipped Taliban fighters walked done hangars, passing immoderate of the 7 CH-46 helicopters the State Department utilized successful its evacuations earlier rendering them unflyable.

Taliban leaders aboriginal symbolically walked crossed the runway, marking their triumph portion flanked by fighters of the insurgents' elite Badri unit.

“The satellite should person learned its acquisition and this is the enjoyable infinitesimal of victory," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid said successful a livestream posted by a militant.

Mujahid besides addressed the gathered members of the Badri unit. “I anticipation you beryllium precise cautious successful dealing with the nation," helium said. “Our federation has suffered warfare and penetration and the radical bash not person much tolerance.”

At the extremity of his remarks, the Badri fighters shouted: “God is the greatest!”

Later speaking to Al-Jazeera Arabic connected the tarmac, Mujahid rejected having a caretaker authorities and insisted that Kabul remained safe.

“There volition beryllium information successful Kabul and radical should not beryllium concerned," helium said.

In different interrogation with Afghan authorities television, Mujahid besides discussed restarting operations astatine the airport, which remains a cardinal mode retired for those wanting to permission the country.

“Our method squad volition beryllium checking the method and logistical needs of the airport,” helium said. “If we are capable to hole everything connected our own, past we won’t request immoderate help. If determination is request for method oregon logistics assistance to repair the destruction, past we mightiness inquire assistance from Qatar oregon Turkey.”

He didn't elaborate connected what was destroyed. Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, the caput of U.S. military's Central Command, earlier said troops “demilitarized” the strategy truthful it tin ne'er beryllium utilized again. Officials said troops did not stroke up instrumentality successful bid to guarantee they near the airdrome workable for aboriginal flights, erstwhile those statesman again. In addition, McKenzie said the U.S. besides disabled 27 Humvees and 73 craft truthful they cannot beryllium utilized again.

Taliban fighters draped their achromatic flags implicit barriers astatine the airdrome arsenic others guarded the civilian broadside of the airfield. Inside the terminal, respective twelve suitcases and pieces of luggage were near strewn crossed the floor, seemingly near down successful the chaos. Clothes and shoes besides were scattered. A poster of Ahmad Shah Massoud, the famed anti-Taliban fighter, had been destroyed.

“Afghanistan is yet free," said Hekmatullah Wasiq, different Taliban official. "The subject and civilian broadside are with america and successful control. Hopefully, we volition beryllium announcing our Cabinet. Everything is peaceful. Everything is safe.”

Wasiq besides urged radical to instrumentality to enactment and reiterated the Taliban pledge offering a wide amnesty. “People person to beryllium patient,” helium said. "Slowly we volition get everything backmost to normal. It volition instrumentality time.”

The airdrome had seen chaotic and deadly scenes since the Taliban blitzed crossed Afghanistan and took Kabul connected Aug. 15. Thousands of Afghans besieged the airport, immoderate falling to their decease aft desperately hanging onto the broadside of an American C-17 subject cargo jet. Last week, an Islamic State termination onslaught astatine an airdrome gross killed astatine slightest 169 Afghans and 13 U.S. work members.

But connected Tuesday, aft a nighttime that saw the Taliban occurrence triumphantly into the air, guards present blearily connected work kept retired the funny and those inactive someway hoping to drawback a formation out.

“After 20 years we person defeated the Americans," said Mohammad Islam, a Taliban defender astatine the airdrome from Logar province, cradling a Kalashnikov rifle. “They person near and present our state is free.”

“It’s wide what we want. We privation Shariah (Islamic law), bid and stability,” helium added.

Mohammad Naeem, a spokesperson for the Taliban's governmental bureau successful Qatar, likewise praised the takeover successful an online video aboriginal Tuesday.

“Thank God each the occupiers person near our state completely," helium said, congratulating fighters by referring to them arsenic mujahedeen, oregon beatified warriors. “This triumph was fixed to america by God. It was owed to 20 years of sacrifice by the mujahedeen and its leaders. Many mujahedeen sacrificed their lives.”

Zalmay Khalilzad, the U.S. peculiar typical who oversaw America’s talks with the Taliban, wrote connected Twitter that “Afghans look a infinitesimal of determination & opportunity” aft the withdrawal.

“Their country’s aboriginal is successful their hands. They volition take their way successful afloat sovereignty,” helium wrote. “This is the accidental to bring their warfare to an extremity arsenic well.”

But the Taliban look what could beryllium a bid of large crises arsenic they afloat instrumentality implicit the government. The bulk of the billions of dollars Afghanistan holds successful overseas reserves is present frozen successful America, pressuring its now-depreciating Afghani currency. Banks person implemented withdrawal controls, fearing runs connected their deposits successful the uncertainty. Civil servants crossed the state accidental they haven't received their wage successful months.

Medical instrumentality remains successful abbreviated supply, portion thousands who fled the Taliban's beforehand stay surviving successful squalid conditions. A large drought besides has chopped into the country's nutrient supplies, making its imports adjacent much important and raising the hazard of radical going hungry.

During the evacuation, U.S. forces helped evacuate implicit 120,000 U.S. citizens, foreigners and Afghans, according to the White House, making it the largest airlift successful the past of the American military. Coalition forces besides evacuated their citizens and Afghans. But for each who got out, overseas nations and the U.S. acknowledged they didn't evacuate each who wanted to go.

At the airport's eastbound gate, a fistful of Afghans inactive tried their luck to get in, hoping for immoderate flight. As of now, however, commercialized airlines are not flying into the airdrome and it remains unclear who volition instrumentality implicit managing the country's airspace. On their mode out, the U.S. subject warned pilots the airdrome was “uncontrolled” and “no aerial postulation power oregon airdrome work are available."

Several of those trying to travel into the airdrome came from Kandahar province, the Taliban heartland successful confederate Afghanistan that saw immoderate of the war's fiercest fighting. One of the men, Hekmatullah, who similar galore Afghans goes by 1 name, carried paperwork helium said showed helium worked arsenic a translator.

Hekmatullah said helium had waited 4 days for an accidental to leave.

“But present I don’t cognize what chances I have,” helium said.

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Akhgar reported from Istanbul. Associated Press writer Jon Gambrell successful Dubai, United Arab Emirates, contributed to this report.

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