Afghanistan News LIVE Updates: Taliban On Way to Attack Panjshir Valley; Boris Johnson to Convene G7 Meet on Crisis

Boris Johnson to Convene G7 Meet on Afghanistan | "I will convene G7 leaders on Tuesday for urgent talks on the situation in Afghanistan. It is vital that the international community works together to ensure safe evacuations, prevent a humanitarian crisis and support the Afghan people to secure the gains of the last 20 years," UK PM Boris Johnson said on Sunday.

Panjshir: As Taliban Head to Attack the Valley in Hindu Kush, Here’s Why It Didn’t Fall Yet |The Panjshir Valley, nestled in the peaks of Hindu Kush in north of Kabul, has been the hotbed of Taliban resistance where anti-insurgent fighters were gearing up to take on the rebels. It was the last Taliban-free region of Afghanistan, which didn’t fall even during the civil war of the 1990s, nor was it ever conquered by the Soviets earlier. Read more

Taliban Blame US for Kabul Airport Chaos as Afghans Face 'Impossible' Race to Flee

The Taliban on Sunday blamed the United States for the chaotic evacuation of tens of thousands of Afghans and foreigners from the capital, one week after the hardline Islamist group returned to power…

Armed with Weapons, Huddled in Vehicles, Taliban on Way to Attack Panjshir | WATCH

The Taliban are on their way to attack and capture the Panjshir valley, one of the last hotbeds of resistance left against the insurgents in Afghanistan, a Twitter account documenting resistance…

US President Joe Biden to Speak on Crisis | US President Joe Biden will speak at 4 PM EST or 1:30 AM IST tonight, after meeting with his national security team to hear intelligence, security and diplomatic updates on the evolving situation in Afghanistan. Pentagon had hinted on Saturday it may send more troops outside Kabul airport to help stranded Americans.

Taliban On Way to Capture Attack Panjshir Valley |  The Taliban are on their way to attack and capture the Panjshir valley, one of the last hotbeds of resistance against the insurgents left in Afghanistan, Twitter account Panjshir Province said on Sunday. It said a Panjshir commando soldier has confirmed that they are ready to fight back incase of any attack from the terrorist group. 

Pakistan Temporarily Suspends Flight Operations to Afghanistan, No Evacuations Too | Pakistan has temporarily suspended Kabul flight operations and is not evacuating anyone at the moment, according to media reports. The state-run Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) was the sole commercial airline that had been operating flights to and from Kabul during the past few days to help in the evacuation of diplomats and foreign nationals from Afghanistan after the Taliban seized power in the war-torn country last week. Read more

Why is CAA Needed? Hardeep Puri Points to Plight of Sikhs, Hindu in Afghanistan

Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on Sunday said the recent turmoil in Afghanistan and troubles being faced by Sikhs and Hindus were why the enactment of the Citizenship Amendment Act was necessary.

Afghanistan News Live: Taliban Says US to blame for Kabul airport evacuation chaos | The United States was to blame for the chaos at Kabul's airport as thousands of Afghans clamoured to be evacuated, a senior Taliban official said Sunday, AFP has reported. "America, with all its power and facilities... has failed to bring order to the airport. There is peace and calm all over the country, but there is chaos only at Kabul airport," said Amir Khan Mutaqi, a Taliban official.

US Reports Possible IS Threat to Kabul Evacuees | A senior US official said Saturday that potential threats by the Islamic State group against Americans in Afghanistan are forcing the US military to find new ways for evacuees to reach Kabul airport. The official said that small groups of Americans and possibly other civilians will be given specific instructions on what to do, including movement to transit points where they can be gathered up by the military. The official spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss military operations.

UK Will Work with Taliban if Necessary, Says PM Johnson | British Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said the UK's diplomatic efforts to find a solution in Afghanistan remain ongoing, which leaves open the prospect of working with the Taliban if necessary. Speaking to the media after an emergency Cabinet Office Briefing Rooms (COBRA) meeting to discuss the crisis in the region on Friday, Johnson said formidable challenges remain around the evacuation of British nationals and supporters from Kabul airport but the situation was getting slightly better.

READ | India Evacuates 168 People from Kabul in IAF's Military Transport Aircraft

India on Sunday evacuated 168 people including 107 Indians from Kabul in a military transport aircraft of the IAF amid the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital city following its…

WATCH | 168 passengers, including 107 Indian nationals, arrive at Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad from Kabul, onboard Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft.

#WATCH | 168 passengers, including 107 Indian nationals, arrive at Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad from Kabul, onboard Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft

Passengers are yet to come out of the airport as they will first undergo the #COVID19 RT-PCR test.#Afghanistan pic.twitter.com/x7At7oB8YK

— ANI (@ANI) August 22, 2021

7 Afghans Killed in Chaos at Kabul Airport: British Military | The chaos around Kabul’s international airport saw another seven Afghan civilian killed in crowds, the British military said Sunday, showing the danger still posed to those trying to flee the Taliban’s takeover of the country. The deaths come as a new, perceived threat from the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan has seen U.S. military planes do rapid, diving combat landings at the airport surrounded by Taliban fighters. Other aircraft have shot off flares on takeoff, an effort to confuse possible heat-seeking missiles targeting the planes.

READ | For Afghans Leaving Behind Homes to Escape Clutches of Taliban, These Countries Have Opened Their Doors

The Taliban's takeover of Afghanistan has stoked an exodus of Afghans as thousands were seen desperately trying to flee the country, clutching papers and toddlers fearing a repeat of the darkest…

Former Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai and Abdullah meet members of Taliban's political office in Kabul. According to a report in Tolo News, Karzai and Abdullah discussed the formation of a comprehensive political process. 

Afghan Returnees to Get Free Polio Vaccine in India | "We have decided to vaccinate Afghanistan returnees with free Polio Vaccine - OPV & fIPV, as a preventive measure against Wild Polio Virus. Take a look at the vaccine drive at Delhi International Airport," tweets Union Health Minister Mansukh Mandaviya.

We have decided to vaccinate Afghanistan returnees with free Polio Vaccine - OPV & fIPV, as a preventive measure against Wild Polio Virus

Congratulations to the Health Team for their efforts to ensure public health

Take a look at the vaccine drive at Delhi International Airport pic.twitter.com/jPVF1lVmRu

— Mansukh Mandaviya (@mansukhmandviya) August 22, 2021

People wait for their RTPCR tests at Hindon Air Force Station, Ghaziabad after being evacuated from Afghanistan's Kabul, amid a takeover of power by the Taliban. 168 passengers, including 107 Indian nationals, were evacuated from Afghanistan via Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft, ANI reported.

Haqqani group was formed by Jalaluddin Haqqani, who gained prominence in the 1980s as a hero of the anti-Soviet jihad. At the time, he was a valuable CIA asset as the United States and its allies such as Pakistan funnelled arms and money to the mujahideen. During that conflict and following the Soviet withdrawal, Jalaluddin Haqqani fostered close ties with foreign jihadists — including Osama bin Laden.

Some of the Taliban’s top leaders are gathering in Kabul to discuss the formation of a new Afghan government — including a representative from the Haqqani network, the country’s most feared militants. The Haqqanis have been blamed for some of the deadliest attacks in recent years, claiming the lives of civilians, government officials and foreign forces. Despite their reputation, they are expected to be powerful players in the new regime following the Taliban’s takeover of Afghanistan last week.

India on Sunday evacuated 168 people including 107 Indians from Kabul in a military transport aircraft of the IAF amid the deteriorating security situation in the Afghan capital city following its takeover by the Taliban a week back. Another group of 87 Indians and two Nepalese nationals who were flown in an Indian Air Force (IAF) aircraft to the Tajikistan capital of Dushanbe from Kabul on Saturday, arrived in Delhi on Sunday morning, people familiar with the development said.

Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft that took off from Afghanistan's Kabul earlier this morning, lands at Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad. 168 people, including 107 Indian nationals, were onboard the aircraft.

Co-founder of Only Girls School in Afghanistan Burnt Students' Records as Taliban Took Over. Here's Why

After years of struggle, once again fears are growing that Afghan women will suffer harsh treatment they encountered during the 1990s when the Taliban imposed their hard-line interpretation of Sharia…

The diplomat says the Taliban claim they don't want bloodshed in the region. The Panjshir Valley north of Kabul, a stronghold of the Northern Alliance militias that were allied with the US during the 2001 invasion of Afghanistan, is the only area that hasn't fallen to the Taliban. Afghan government figures who have sought refuge there as Kabul and the rest of the country fell to the Taliban include Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who asserted on Twitter that he's now the country's rightful president, after President Ashraf Ghani fled. Moscow has made a diplomatic comeback as a mediator during the past years, reaching out to various Afghan factions, including the Taliban. 

Taliban Offering a Deal: Russian Envoy to Kabul | The Russian ambassador in Kabul says the Taliban have asked his embassy to convey their offer of a deal to a remaining pro-government holdout in northern Afghanistan. Ambassador Dmitry Zhirnov said on Saturday that a senior member of the Taliban's political leadership has asked Russia to tell fighters in the Panjshir Valley that the Taliban hope to reach a political agreement to settle the situation there.

"Evacuation continues! IAF special repatriation flight with 168 passengers onboard, including 107 Indian nationals, is on its way to Delhi from Kabul," tweets MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi.

Indian Air Force's C-17 aircraft took off from Kabul, Afghanistan earlier this morning with 168 people onboard. It will land at Hindon IAF base in Ghaziabad later today: Government Sources