Taliban warns Turkey against wanting to run Kabul Airport, threatens of 'consequences'

The Taliban warned Turkey on Tuesday against sending troops into Afghanistan to protect Kabul's main airport after Western troops departure, calling the strategy "reprehensible" and threatening "consequences." Ankara, which has promised to administer and safeguard the capital's airport after NATO leaves, is in talks with partners, including the US, on financial, political, and military assistance.

Afghanistan will take a stance against the Turkish government

In a statement, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan said that this heinous decision is condemned by them and it will take a stance against the Turkish government if they do not change their decision and continue to occupy their country. 

The Taliban are mounting a new attempt to encircle cities and reclaim land, bolstered by the withdrawal of international soldiers from the September target. Fighting continued in the southern province of Kandahar, according to Ataullah Atta, a member of the provincial council, after the Taliban were pushed back after an attempt to get into a municipal prison. Hundreds of families had escaped the violence, he added.

According to Mohammed Daoud Farhad, head of Kandahar's provincial hospital, battles have killed eight people and injured more than 30, the majority of whom are civilians, in the last 24 hours.

On the condition of anonymity, a local government official claimed Afghan security personnel had evacuated from the Alinagar district of the eastern province of Lagman early Tuesday. In May, the Taliban and the district's residents reached a ceasefire accord. According to a local security officer, the Taliban circled the centre city of Ghazni on Monday and conducted nocturnal strikes in their latest attempt on a provincial capital, only to be beaten back by Afghan forces.

The Taliban has been on the offence

Over the last few months, the Taliban has been on the offensive, increasing its influence across the country, particularly in rural areas. According to videos shared on social media, the heightened combat has spurred a fresh refugee exodus to Turkey, with scores of individuals entering eastern Turkey through Iran every day.

On July 7, Hulusi Akar, the Minister of National Defense, and Lloyd Austin, the US Defense Secretary, reviewed the ongoing talks about the operation and security of Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul.