Afghanistan News highlights: Evacuation dialogue with Taliban does not mean recognition, says Emmanuel Macron

The United States issued a warning for the Kabul area, saying there is a 'specific, credible threat' near the airport. Earlier, President Joe Biden had said that an attack is "highly likely" in the region, and that the IS extremists who were responsible for the earlier blasts that killed scores of people, including 13 US service members, can expect more strikes in the coming days. An explosion was heard in the vicinity of Kabul airport, which Afghan police confirmed was a rocket attack that killed a child. Later, US officials told Reuters that a drone strike hit IS-K targets. Stay tuned for live updates.

Evacuation dialogue with Taliban does not mean recognition: Macron

We want to maintain Afghanistan's trade, political ties with India: Taliban leader

The Taliban wants to maintain Afghanistan's trade, economic and political relations with India, senior leader of the outfit Sher Mohammad Abbas Stanekzai has said while describing it as an important country in the region.

In a video address in Pashto, Stanekzai said consultations with various groups and political parties are going on to form a government in Kabul that will have representations from people from "different walks of life".

US President Joe Biden(R) attends the dignified transfer of the remains of a fallen service member at Dover Air Force Base in Dover, Delaware, one of the 13 members of the US military killed in Afghanistan last week. Credit: AFP Photo

Turkey cannot take new refugee burden, foreign minister says

Turkey cannot take the burden of a new migrant wave from Afghanistan, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said on Sunday after talks with his German counterpart.

"As Turkey, we have sufficiently carried out our moral and humanitarian responsibilities regarding migration," Cavusoglu said, speaking in a joint news conference with German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas. "It is out of the question for us to take an additional refugee burden," Cavusoglu said.

Turkey currently hosts 3.7 million Syrian refugees as part of a 2016 deal with the European Union.

US evacuates over 5,500 American nationals from Afghanistan: Official

The US has safely evacuated more than 5,500 American nationals from Afghanistan including about 50 people in the last day and there are nearly 250 Americans who are trying to leave the war-torn country, the State Department said on Sunday.

Chaos has enveloped Kabul after Afghanistan's government collapsed and the Taliban seized control on August 14.

Militant fire across Afghan border kills two Pakistan soldiers, says army

Militant fire from across the border in Afghanistan killed two Pakistani soldiers on Sunday, the army said.

The army said it retaliated and killed two or three attackers.

The incident in Pakistan's Bajaur district is the first of its kind reported since the Taliban took over Afghanistan.

Biden pays respects to US troops killed in Afghanistan

President Joe Biden met in solemn privacy Sunday with the families of the 13 US troops killed in the suicide attack near the Kabul airport as the remains of their loved ones returned to US soil from Afghanistan.

Biden and first lady Jill Biden were also to attend the “dignified transfer” of the fallen troops while at Dover Air Force Base, a military ritual of receiving the remains of those killed in foreign combat.

The dead ranged in age from 20 to 31, and came from California and Massachusetts and states in between.

Women allowed to attend university under Taliban rule, says acting minister

Afghan women will be allowed to study at university but there would be a ban on mixed classes under their rule, the Taliban's acting higher education minister said on Sunday.

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Private convoy helps evacuate 147 people from Kabul: German Foreign Office

A privately organised convoy reached the airport in Kabul with 147 people in need of protection, all of whom were evacuated Sunday morning, according to Germany's Foreign Office.

Those evacuated via the convoy, which was operated by a German security contractor, included local staff for the German government and employees of the contractor.

The operation was conducted with help from US forces, and in close communication with the German Foreign Office.

Six people including four children killed in Kabul rocket attack, according to a report by Ariana News quoting eyewitnesses

Why 'so-called liberals' silent on Taliban's mistreatment of Afghani women, kids: BJP Mahila Morcha chief

BJP's Mahila Morcha president Vanathi Srinivasan on Sunday asked why India's "so-called liberal society" has been silent over the issue of mistreatment of Afghanistan's women and children by the Taliban in the name of religion. She was talking to reporters here.

"By watching the videos coming out these days, we can find out how the Taliban is treating the women and children of Afghanistan in the name of religion. Why is the so-called liberal society (in India), which talks loudly about women's freedom and their rights, not raising its voice?" she said.

US carried out military strike in Kabul, officials say

The United States carried out a military strike on Sunday in Kabul, two US officials told Reuters.

The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the strike targeted suspected IS-K militants. They said they were citing initial information and cautioned it could change.

Witnesses reported an explosion near Kabul airport and television footage showed black smoke rising into the sky. There was no immediate word on casualties.

Two witnesses said the blast appeared to have been caused by a rocket that struck a house in an area to the northern side of the airport, but there was no immediate confirmation.

(Reuters)

The officials told Reuters that the strike was carried out by a drone and against a car rigged with explosives that was believed to have been looking to target Kabul airport.

US carried out military strike in Kabul against suspected IS-K militants, according to a report by Reuters quoting unnamed US officials.

Rocket hits near Kabul airport, kills child: Afghan police

An Afghan police chief says a rocket has struck a neighbourhood northwest of Kabul's international airport amid the US evacuation there, killing a child.

Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one name, says the rocket struck Sunday afternoon.

No group immediately claimed the attack.

(AP)

Taliban fighters patrol a street in Kabul on August 29, 2021, as suicide bomb threats hung over the final phase of the US military's airlift operation from Kabul, with President Joe Biden warning another attack was highly likely before the evacuations end. Credit: AFP Photo

A rocket set a house on fire, no casualties were reported, according to a report by Shamshad news quoting eyewitnesses.

Rocket hits house near Kabul airport, according to local reports.

Blast heard in Afghan capital Kabul, AFP journalists report.

The reported explosion took place near Kabul airport, according to a report by Al Jazeera.

The US has evacuated and helped facilitate the evacuation of approximately 2,900 people from Kabul in the last 24 hours

Since August 14, the US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 1,14,400 people and roughly 120,000 since end of July.

Loud explosion heard in Kabul according to early unconfirmed reports by local media organisations.

Biden to receive bodies of US troops killed in Afghanistan

US President Joe Biden was heading to Dover Air Force Base on Sunday to honor members of the US military killed in a suicide bomb attack during the evacuation of civilians from Kabul airport last week.

An Islamic State suicide bombing just outside Kabul airport on Thursday killed scores of Afghans and 13 American troops.

UK government slammed over Afghan exit as hundreds left behind

The UK government on Sunday faced a torrent of criticism after its hurried withdrawal from Afghanistan ended, leaving hundreds eligible for relocation behind.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson hailed a mission "unlike anything we have seen in our lifetimes" after the UK airlifted over 15,000 people in the last two weeks.

Turkey's Erdogan cool to Taliban securing Kabul airport

President Recep Tayyip Erdogan poured cold water Sunday over a plan in which Turkey operates Kabul airport and the Taliban provides security, adding Ankara would be in a tough position if another attack occurs.

Turkey had long planned to help secure and run the Afghan capital's airport, but appeared to drop the idea when it started Wednesday to withdraw its approximately 500 non-combat troops from Afghanistan.

Changes in Afghanistan a challenge for India: Rajnath Singh

The changing power equation in Afghanistan is a challenge for India, prompting a rethink of strategy and the Quad initiative underscored it, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said on Sunday.

The Defence Ministry is seriously considering the formation of Integrated Battle Groups (IBGs) as quick decision-making is a key aspect during war time, he said addressing the Defence Servicee and Staff College at nearby Wellington.

Turkey ready to provide all kinds of support for Afghanistan's recovery if it adopts similar attitude, according to a report by Anadolu Agency quoting President Erdogan.

UK's Johnson defends Kabul airlift as criticism grows

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson defended Britain's airlift out of Kabul on Sunday and praised the troops for their mission after criticism grew that the government had been "asleep on watch" in Afghanistan.

Britain's last military flight left Kabul late on Saturday, ending a chaotic two weeks in which soldiers helped to evacuate more than 15,000 people from the crowds who descended on the capital's airport, desperate to flee the Taliban.

Johnson said Britain would not have wished to leave Afghanistan in this manner following its near 20-year presence there, but he said the armed forces should

Taliban restricts bank withdrawals to $200 per week: Report

In an official directive, the central bank of Afghanistan, De Afghanistan Bank, has ordered all private and international banks to limit withdrawal to their individual customers to $200 which equals AFS2,000 per week, said the Khaama News report.

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British Ambassador to Afghanistan Sir Laurie Bristow exits a plane after being evacuated from Kabul

Reuters Photo

Last UK troops begin arriving from Afghanistan

Military planes carrying British troops and diplomats from Kabul are landing at a UK air base after the U.K.'s two-week evacuation operation ended.

The U.K. ambassador to Afghanistan, Laurie Bristow, was among those who arrived Sunday at RAF Brize Norton northwest of London, hours after the government announced that all British personnel had left Kabul.

Britain says it has evacuated more than 15,000 U.K. citizens and vulnerable Afghans in the past two weeks but that as many as 1,100 Afghans who were entitled to come to the U.K. have been left behind.

Veteran Afghan strongmen to form new front for negotiating with Taliban

A band of veteran Afghan leaders, including two regional strongmen, are angling for talks with the Taliban and plan to meet within weeks to form a new front for holding negotiations on the country's next government, a member of a group said.

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Once wanted terrorists, now prominent Taliban members

The Taliban in a shockingly rapid move took over Afghanistan after capturing Kabul on August 15. The world's best intelligence and security establishments were in awe with the quick takeover by the banned Islamist terror group, which was ousted in 2001 following the US invasion.

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What we know about the 13 US service members killed in Kabul attack

The Department of Defense on Saturday identified the 13 members of the U.S. military who were killed in the attack on the airport in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Thursday as they worked to evacuate people to safety. They hailed from across the country — from California to Wyoming to Tennessee — and had an average age of just over 22. Eleven were Marines, one was a Navy medic and another was a member of the Army.

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US evacuates about 2,000 people from Kabul in the last 24 hours

The US has evacuated approximately 2,000 people from the Kabul airport in the last 24 hours, the White House has said, as the countdown for the end of America's longest military mission begins in Afghanistan.

Since August 14, the US has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 113,500 people. Since the end of July, it has re-located approximately 119,000 people, it said.

Taliban, US aim for swift handover of Kabul airport: Taliban official

The Taliban, Afghanistan's new rulers, and the departing U.S. forces are aiming for a swift handover of Kabul airport, a Taliban official told Reuters on Sunday.

"We are waiting for the final nod from the Americans to secure full control over Kabul airport," the official said on condition of anonymity.

He said the militants, who seized control of the capital on Aug. 15 after a lightning advance against the Western-backed government, had a team of technical experts and highly qualified engineers ready to take over the airport.

Reuters

Over 1,000 people are still inside Kabul airport waiting to evacuated, says the official.

American forces have entered final phase of evacuation at Kabul airport, western security official tells Reuters.

Final UK plane carrying military leaves Kabul

The UK on Saturday flew out the last of its military from Afghanistan, concluding its pullout while leaving hundreds of Afghans eligible for resettlement behind.

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Taliban prepare to set up new Afghan government

The Taliban said on Saturday they would announce a new government for Afghanistan in the coming week and expected the economic turbulence and sharp currency falls that followed their take-over of the city two weeks ago to subside quickly.

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Biden says another attack likely, pledges more strikes

President Joe Biden vowed to keep up airstrikes against the Islamic extremist group whose suicide bombing at the Kabul airport killed scores of Afghans and 13 American service members. Another terror attack, he said, is “highly likely” this weekend as the US winds down its evacuation.

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US warns of 'specific, credible threat' near Kabul airport

The United States warned Saturday of a "specific, credible threat" near Kabul airport and urged its citizens to leave the area, days after a deadly attack on crowds fleeing Taliban rule in Afghanistan. - AFP.