The Taliban have now taken control of around 20 of the country’s 34 provincial capitals in the past week.
Local warlords have tried to defend the strategically important city of Mazar-e-Sharif, located in the north of the country, as best they can against attacks from several sides.
On Saturday night, the news agency AFP reports that the Taliban have conquered the city.
– They parade through the city on their vehicles and motorcycles while shooting in the air to celebrate, says Atiqullah Ghayor who lives by the city’s famous blue mosque, writes NTB, which quotes the news agencies AFP and AP.
– FALL: Militants loyal to warlord Ata Mohammad Noor pose outside Mazar-e-Sharif on Tuesday while defending Mazar-e-Sharif. Now Mazar-e-Sharif has fallen. Photo: Mirwais Bezhan / AP / NTB
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Surrendered
Mazar-e-Sharif is Afghanistan’s fourth largest city, where Norwegian forces were stationed for many years. Government forces and powerful local warlords were determined to defend it.
Abas Ebrahimzada, a parliamentarian from the Balkh province where Mazar is the capital, says the government forces surrendered first. Thus, local militias and other forces lost faith in the battle and surrendered as well.
Ebrahimzada says warlords Abdul Rashid Dostum and Ata Mohammed Noor, who had thousands of warriors under his command, had fled Balkh, and no one knows where they are.
Not giving up
Earlier on Saturday, it was reported that Kabul was surrounded by the Taliban. Apparently they are only 10 kilometers away from the capital.
Panic is spreading in Kabul as the Taliban tightens their grip on the country’s capital. There is now only one way out of and into the city, namely via the airport.
The atmosphere in Kabul has changed completely in a few days from being calm and confident to being characterized by panic and a rush to get out as quickly as possible, says Ditte Søbro in MSF, who has extensive experience from the country.
– Thursday morning they were relatively confident. But only from Thursday to Friday night did a lot happen. On Thursday, they thought that it would take at least 90 days before Kabul was taken, Sørbro told NTB. She emphasizes that she is speaking about a private person.
– SPEECHES: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a televised speech on Saturday that he did not give up peace with the Taliban. Photo: Reuters / NTB
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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said in a televised speech on Saturday that talks were underway to end the war.
The war in Afghanistan has escalated sharply since May, when the United States and NATO began withdrawing their last forces after 20 years of occupation. Tens of thousands have been forced to flee, and the fighting is demanding more and more civilian lives.
In his speech, Ghani said he would not give up on the progress that has been made in the country over the last 20 years.
Flying home embassy staff
The Norwegian embassy in Kabul will be evacuated as a result of the Taliban’s advance. On Friday, the embassy was temporarily closed. Several other NATO countries have done the same.
The Armed Forces has been asked to assist in the evacuation.
Although the Armed Forces will assist in getting embassy employees home, new Norwegian forces will not be sent to the country to assist in this, said Minister of Defense Frank Bakke-Jensen (H) on Saturday.
– TRAVELERS: Afghans who have managed to obtain a ticket, on their way from the terminal to the plane that will transport them away from Kabul before the city falls to the Taliban. Photo: Rahmat Gul / AP / NTB
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Power of people want tickets
On Saturday, a stream of people arrived at the ticket counters set up in the parking lot at the international airport.
Slowly they moved forward in the queue with trolleys full of blankets, TVs and other belongings, while bags and bags were packed with clothes so the suitcases could stay within the airlines’ weight limit.
The lucky ones who managed to get a ticket to anywhere, then had to wait for three hours before they were allowed to enter the terminal. Then they also had to have a negative corona test to get on board.
As the Taliban approached, panic and queues grew. Many fear that it is only days until the Taliban take Kabul.
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