The Taliban stated {that a} US airstrike focused a suicide bomber in a car Sunday who needed to assault the Kabul worldwide airport amid the American army’s evacuation there.
There had been few preliminary particulars in regards to the incident, in addition to a rocket that struck a neighbourhood simply northwest of the airport, killing a baby. The two strikes initially gave the impression to be separate incidents, although info on each remained scarce.
The assault comes because the United States winds down a historic airlift that noticed tens of 1000’s evacuated from Kabul’s worldwide airport, the scene of a lot of the chaos that engulfed the Afghan capital for the reason that Taliban took over two weeks in the past.
After an Islamic State affiliate’s suicide assault that killed over 180 individuals, the Taliban elevated its safety across the airfield as Britain ended its evacuation flights Saturday.
US army cargo planes continued their runs into the airport Sunday, forward of a Tuesday deadline earlier set by President Joe Biden to withdraw all troops from America’s longest struggle. However, Afghans remaining behind within the nation fear in regards to the Taliban reverting to their earlier oppressive rule — one thing fueled by the latest capturing dying of a folks singer within the nation by the insurgents.
Zabihullah Mujahid stated in a message to journalists that the strike focused the bomber as he drove a car loaded with explosives. Mujahid supplied few different particulars.
US army officers couldn’t be instantly reached for remark.
The rocket assault in the meantime struck Kabul’s Khuwja Bughra neighbourhood, stated Rashid, the Kabul police chief who goes by one identify. Video obtained by The Associated Press within the aftermath of the assault confirmed smoke rising from constructing on the website round a kilometer (half a mile) from the airport.
No group instantly claimed the assault, nevertheless militants have fired rockets previously.
Meanwhile, the household of a folks singer north of Kabul say the Taliban killed him.
The capturing of Fawad Andarabi got here within the Andarabi Valley for which he was named, an space of Baghlan province some 100 kilometers (60 miles) north of Kabul. The valley had seen upheaval for the reason that Taliban takeover, with some districts within the space coming underneath the management of militia fighters against the Taliban rule.
The Taliban say they’ve since retaken these areas, although neighbouring Panjshir within the Hindu Kush mountains stays the one considered one of Afghanistan’s 34 provinces not underneath its management.
The Taliban beforehand got here out to Andarabi’s house and searched it, even consuming tea with the musician, his son Jawad Andarabi informed the AP. But one thing modified Friday.
“He was innocent, a singer who only was entertaining people,” his son stated. “They shot him in the head on the farm.” His son stated he needed justice and {that a} native Taliban council promised to punish his father’s killer.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid informed the AP that the insurgents would examine the incident, however had no different particulars on the killing.
Andarabi performed the ghichak, a bowed lute, and sang conventional songs about his birthplace, his individuals and Afghanistan as a complete. A video on-line confirmed him at one efficiency, sitting on a rug with the mountains of house surrounding him as he sang.
“There is no country in the world like my homeland, a proud nation,” he sang. “Our beautiful valley, our great-grandparents’ homeland.”
Karima Bennoune, the United Nations particular rapporteur on cultural rights, wrote on Twitter that she had “grave concern” over Andarabi’s killing. “We call on governments to demand the Taliban respect the #humanrights of #artists,” she wrote.
Agnes Callamard, the secretary-general of Amnesty International, equally decried the killing.
“There is mounting evidence that the Taliban of 2021 is the same as the intolerant, violent, repressive Taliban of 2001,” she wrote on Twitter. “20 years later. Nothing has changed on that front.”
Meanwhile on Sunday, personal banks throughout Afghanistan resumed their operations. However, they restricted withdrawals to not more than the equal of $200 a day.
While some complained of nonetheless being unable to entry their cash, authorities staff say they haven’t been paid over the past 4 months. The Afghani traded round 90.5 to USD 1, persevering with its depreciation as billions of {dollars} within the nation’s reserves stay frozen abroad.
