Afghans try to flee as Taliban topples government

Afghan families have been making increasingly desperate attempts to get into Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul. Many children are among the crowds trying to make a last ditch attempt to escape the Taliban who stormed the capital city.

Since the withdrawal of US and NATO troops, Afghans have faced a difficult decision: stay and hope government forces contain the Taliban insurgency or flee to neighboring countries. Now that the Taliban has seized Kabul, many now appear to be caught in limbo, with no clear indication as to what will happen next.

Kabul's main airport, named after Hamid Karzai, the first president installed after the Taliban were toppled, was the scene of desperate crowds on Monday. Hundreds were hoping to board planes and flee Taliban rule. While Western powers rushed to evacuate small groups of people, mostly their own citizens but also some local employees, commercial flights in and out of the country were halted.

After the fall of the capital city, Kabul, Taliban fighters took control of the Afghan presidential palace on Sunday. Live footage showed Taliban commanders and fighters sitting inside the palace, declaring victory in their campaign against Afghan forces.

Many fear the hard-line Islamist rule of the Taliban, who claimed in a statement that they would not take revenge against those who supported the US-backed alliance. Women and girls were mostly prohibited from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan. People in Kabul hurriedly took their own steps to try to hide images the fundamentalists might dislike.

While the Hamid Karzai airport saw an exodus of people trying to leave, some Afghans crossed over the border to Pakistan. Pakistani Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told DW that the government has closed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan.

The US and its allies entered Afghanistan after the September 11 attacks in 2001, and toppled the Taliban. As the 20-year conflict came to an abrupt end with the pullout of US and NATO troops, Afghan government forces quickly collapsed without support.

The Taliban governed the country from 1996 to 2001 and imposed a strict interpretation of Islamic Shariah law. It was founded under the leadership of Mullah Omar. Haibatullah Akhundzada is now the top leader, while co-founder Mullah Baradar, seen in this image, heads the political wing.

The Taliban claims it is ready to control the country and on Monday said it would not harm civilians who had cooperated with Western forces. "We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection," Taliban political office spokesman Mohammad Naeem told broadcaster Al Jazeera. The claim might not be easy for all to believe.

Women, children and other minorities are likely to suffer badly under the Taliban regime. Women and girls were barred from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan, which was overturned after the US-led invasion in 2001.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on August 15. "In order to avoid the bleeding flood, I thought it was best to get out," he said, but stressed that he would continue to fight for the country.

Afghan leaders have created a council to meet with the Taliban and manage the transfer of power. Former President Hamid Karzai, who is part of the council, said this was "to prevent chaos and reduce the suffering of the people," and to manage a "peaceful transfer" of power.

Germany deployed military planes to help with evacuation from Afghanistan after closing its Kabul embassy. The US, Britain and Saudi Arabia are also evacuating forces, diplomats, and other officials from the country.

Many in the US demonstrated in front of the White House for the restoration of peace in Afghanistan on the weekend. Admiral Mike Mullen said the US and allies "underestimated the impact of what a corrupt government does." He added: "We just reached too far, expectations were too high, and it was a bridge too far to get to where we thought we wanted to go."