12 nations, including India, won’t recognise govt by force in Afg

Taliban fighters stand on a vehicle near the roadside in Herat. Pic/AFP

Twelve nations, including the US, India and China, along with representatives of the UN and EU, have decided that they would not recognise any government in Afghanistan that seeks to take control through the barrel of a gun, the State Department has said, amid the continued Taliban offensive across the war-torn country.

Representatives from the United States and Qatar, the UN, China, Uzbekistan, Pakistan, the UK, the EU, Germany, India, Norway, Tajikistan, Turkey and Turkmenistan joined a regional conclave on Thursday to discuss ways to contain the escalating security situation in Afghanistan.

The conclave was hosted by Qatar. The participants "agreed, first and foremost, that the peace process needs to be accelerated. And they also agreed, importantly, that they will not recognise any government that is imposed through military force," State Department Spokesperson Ned Price said.

His remarks came as the Taliban advanced across Afghanistan and took control over key provincial capitals. Reports say that the militant group has captured Herat and Kandahar, the country's second and third largest cities after Kabul, and a strategic provincial capital on Thursday.

It comes just weeks before the end of the American military mission in Afghanistan. The US Embassy in Afghanistan issued a security alert last week, urging Americans to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options.

"This is not just the United States making this point. This is not just the United States speaking with our voice. This is the international community, as you see represented in the consensus that has emerged today," Prince said. He said the consensus is on "this very simple point: any force that seeks to take control of Afghanistan with the barrel of a gun, through the barrel of a gun, will not have legitimacy."

Taliban warns India against military moves

The Taliban has warned India against military moves in Afghanistan, pointing to the fate of other military powers. "If they [India] come to Afghanistan militarily, it will not be good for them. They've seen the fate of military presence in Afghanistan of other countries, so it is an open book for them," Taliban spokesperson Muhammed Suhail Shaheen said. He also denied that the Taliban has ties with other terror groups based in Pakistan.

US Embassy in Kabul destroys sensitive materials

The US Embassy buildings are seen in Kabul. Around 3,000 US troops have been sent to help with the evacuation. Pic/AFP

The US Embassy in Kabul is instructing personnel to destroy sensitive materials as well as items "which could be misused in propaganda efforts", according to a management notice sent to the staff. The notice about "Emergency Destruction Services" underscores the dire situation on the ground in Afghanistan as cities continue to fall to the Taliban, a CNN news report said. The report said that one intelligence assessment indicated that Kabul could be isolated by the Taliban within the week, possibly in the next 72 hours, but stressed that does not mean the militant group would enter the capital. President Joe Biden spoke with Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin, and National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan "about the ongoing efforts to safely drawdown the civilian footprint in Afghanistan", according to a White House tweet.

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