Afghanistan: UAE holds talks with Taliban on operation of Kabul Airport

United Arab Emirates (UAE) has held talks with Taliban ministration to run Kabul airport, going up against Qatar in a diplomatic tussle for influence with Afghanistan. According to Reportwire, several UAE officials have held a sequence of discussions with a group of Taliban members in recent weeks to debate upon possibilities of operating airport. Notably, Kabul International Airport serves as main link between  conflict-hit country and rest of world and played a pivotal role in August's evacuation missions. 

While Turkey h initially offered to manage airport, it later subsided stating that its troops could not take onus in an “atmosphere where security is provided by Taliban.” Taliban, which h by n declared Islamic Emirate furr asserted that y wanted Ankara to only provide “technical support.” Interestingly, Turkish troops h been providing security to country’s main airport for past six years.

Taliban renamed  airport in September

Earlier in September,  Taliban rechristened International airport in capital city of war-torn country.  airport, which earlier went by name 'Hamid Karzai International Airport', on  order of insurgent group, was renamed by  name 'Kabul Airport', as per Afghan media. After Taliban stormed into Kabul on August 15, forcing Ashraf Ghani-led government to surrender, airport became an epicentre of chaos, where thousands every day were seen in misery, some so desperate to leave war-torn country that y clung on to wheels of airplanes flying out and as soon as plane took off, fell to ir death. Besides, a few ors lost ir lives in firings of Taliban which extremist group falsely claimed did not le to casualties while  pictures of blood-soaked people lying on ground that surfaced after said firings depicted a different story.

re has, however, been no case of firing, or or chaotic incidents reported after Taliban gained control of Kabul airport following withdrawal of  last batch of US troops from Afghanistan on August 31. On or hand, re has been less cause for Afghans to visit airport as civilian flight operations are far from full scale.

Image: AP