Taliban spokesman says US exit to result in end to Daesh attacks

The Taliban, now in control of most parts of Afghanistan, say they will crack down on attacks by the Daesh Takfiri terrorists and expect the offensives to end once US-led foreign forces leave the war-ravaged country.

"We hope that those Afghans who are influenced by Daesh... will give up their operations on seeing the formation of an Islamic government in the absence of foreigners," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid was quoted as saying by AFP on Sunday.

"If they create a situation for war and continue with their operations, the Islamic government... we will deal with them," he added.

The security situation in and around the Kabul airport remains remarkably tense as thousands of desperate Afghans continue to throng the premieres in the hopes of catching the last flights out of Afghanistan as the US winds down its evacuation mission.

There is increasing concern about bombers and car bombs attacking the airport after a bombing on Thursday killed 13 US service members and more than 170 Afghan civilians.

Rockets fired at Kabul airport after US drone strike against potential Daesh threat

Five rockets have been fired at the Kabul international airport as the US is winding down its evacuation operation.

US officials have warned that Daesh terrorists could launch further attacks on the airport as American troops scramble to fly remaining American citizens and Afghan allies out before the August 31 deadline.

The US Central Command confirmed earlier that an airstrike was carried out Sunday night in Kabul against an explosives-laden vehicle, eliminating a potential Daesh threat to the airport.

Nine members of one family -- including six children -- were killed in the drone strike.

9 members of Afghan family, including 6 kids, killed in ‘preemptive’ US attack on Kabul

An initial fatality figure shows that an earlier US drone attack on Kabul killed nine members of an Afghan family, including six children.

Mujahid also censured strikes inside Afghanistan by the United States over the past few days. 

"There is no permission for them to do such operations... our independence must be respected," he said.

Elsewhere in his ramarks, Mujahid reiterated that the new Taliban government will not be announced until after the last US soldier has left.

"It is important to announce the government but this requires a lot of patience. We are holding consultations to form the government responsibly," Mujahid said.

"We have some technical problems on this issue."

The Taliban have yet to announce their government, saying they would wait until after the departure of US and foreign forces. 

The group has said it will consider a share in power for all Afghan groups while seeking friendly relations with all countries.

Spokesman to Press TV: Taliban seeks political system approved by all Afghan people

The spokesman of the Taliban tells Press TV that the group seeks to establish a government in Afghanistan that would be approved by the country’s people and be accountable to people.

The Taliban have included Afghanistan’s former President Hamid Karzai and former peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah in a 12-member council, which will govern Afghanistan during the transition period. Out of the 12 members, seven candidates have been already agreed upon.

The government of Afghanistan rapidly collapsed on August 15 and President Ashraf Ghani fled the country in the face of the lightning advances of the Taliban, following what has been criticized as a hasty withdrawal of American forces from the country, 20 years after they invaded Afghanistan to topple the Taliban.

WHO opens air bridge to Afghanistan with medical supplies

In a separate development, the UN health agency said that a plane carrying World Health Organization medicines and health supplies landed in Afghanistan on Monday.

"After days of non-stop work to find a solution, I am very pleased to say that we have now been able to partially replenish stocks of health facilities in Afghanistan and ensure that, for now, WHO-supported health services can continue," Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, said in a statement.

 The 12.5 tonnes of supplies that arrived on Monday consist of trauma kits and emergency health kits, enough to cover the basic health needs of more than 200,000 people as well as provide 3,500 surgical procedures and treat 6,500 trauma patients, the WHO said.

They will be delivered to 40 health facilities in 29 provinces across Afghanistan, it added.

The WHO on Friday announced that it hoped to establish an air bridge into the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif by then with the help of Pakistani authorities.

It was the first of three flights to fill urgent shortages in medicines and medical supplies in Afghanistan.

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