Taliban celebrates Afghanistan Independence Day amid rising conflict
The violent scenes in Jalalabad on Wednesday, casted doubts that more protests might break out against the Taliban rule on the occasion of the patriotic event.
FollowEven as the United States and its allies continued to evacuate their nationals and some Afghans, and the world witnessed anti-Taliban protests and demonstrations in Jalalabad, the Taliban celebrated Afghanistan’s Independence Day.
Afghanistan, on August 19 celebrates its independence gained from British control in 1919. The violent scenes in Jalalabad on Wednesday, casted doubts that more protests might break out against the Taliban rule on the occasion of the patriotic event.
Reuters cited two witnesses and an ex-police official as saying that Taliban fighters opened fire when protesters attempted to hoist the flag in Jalalabad, killing three people and wounding about a dozen others.
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Many viral videos showed Afghans gathered in Jalalabad with the country's flag flying from rooftops and being carried by some protesters. The Taliban's white flag was torn down and this led to the firing.
Meanwhile, former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani on Wednesday backed his decision to flee Kabul as the Taliban gained control, describing it as the only way to prevent bloodshed. He also denied claims by the Russian agency that stated he fled with four cars and a helicopter full of cash and his country’s ambassador to Tajikistan that he had stolen millions of dollars from state funds. Ghani posted a video on his Facebook page late on Wednesday and confirmed that he was in the United Arab Emirates under ‘humanitarian grounds’.
On the other hand, Al-Qaeda in Yemen on Wednesday congratulated the Taliban on their Afghanistan takeover and vowed to continue its own military campaigns.
As pressure mounts, the Taliban so far not offered any plans for the government they plan to lead, other than to say it will be guided by Shariah or Islamic law.
The situation in Afghanistan is really grim as thousands still continue to flee from the clutches of the Taliban, while Afghans have taken to streets in protest against the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan rule.
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