Taliban Says Kabul Airport To Resume Operation Within Days

The Taliban has announced it plans to have Kabul’s international airport up and running again within a mere “days”. This just as Washington has formally declared its 20-year long war and occupation “over”. 

Senior Taliban leader Anas Haqqani told Al Jazeera at around the same time that the last American military plane departed Hamid Karzai International Airport overnight that “We are ready to resume the airport’s operation. We will do it within days.”

In the statements he also called the US forces exit from the country a “great” event and said it was a “historical” day. 

Immediately after the last US military transport plane departed, Taliban fighters could be seen walking around and inspecting hangars where American Chinook helicopters were left behind, though US officials were widely cited as saying they and other aircraft left at Kabul airport had been “disabled” before the US departed.

The Taliban were seen celebrating into the night while flaunting American military uniforms and gear and posing for photographs.

The Taliban fighters celebrated their victory by raising their gloved fists and American weapons in the air, chanting “Takbir” and “Zendabar.”

20 years of American occupation in Afghanistan reached the end of a chapter. https://t.co/BmS2T6rAI7 pic.twitter.com/wSEMDWR0ro

— Marcus Yam 文火 (@yamphoto) August 31, 2021

Additionally, Haqqani told Al Jazeera that “The government will take shape in the following few days.” The report said further:

In a tweet following the US withdrawal, Haqqani said that “we made history again. The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the United States and NATO ended tonight.”

Haqqani had told Al Jazeera in an earlier interview that the overall aims of the new government will be “to maintain and be faithful to what we are fighting for. To serve the Afghan people and to serve Islam”.

#Afghan Air force planes, including A29 Super Tucanos and MD 530s helicopters. Some of the #Taliban‘s haul after #US withdrawal. Many seem to have been disabled. pic.twitter.com/aqV31dKX7v

— Nabih (@nabihbulos) August 31, 2021

“We have covered about 90 to 95 percent and we will announce the final outcome in the following few days,” he said of the new Taliban rule, though noted it remains too early to name who will be part of the cabinet.