Taliban stop Afghans from travelling to Kabul airport, ask female govt employees to stay home

US Marine Corps, families begin to board a US Air Force Boeing C-17 Globemaster III during an evacuation at Hamid Karzai International Airport. Pic/AFP

A Taliban spokesman says the US must complete its evacuation of people from Afghanistan by the August 31 date the Joe Biden administration set for the withdrawal of all American troops.

Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid says his group will accept "no extensions" to the deadline. He says life is returning to normal in the country but chaos at the airport remains a problem. Many Afghans are desperate to flee the Taliban takeover of the country.

The spokesperson added, "The road that ends at the Kabul airport has been blocked. Foreigners can go through it, but Afghans are not allowed to take the road." He urged Afghan citizens thronging Kabul airport to instead go home and assured that Taliban will "guarantee their security."

As per ANI, the Taliban has asked female government employees to stay home citing security reasons. The militant group has also asked the US to not evacuate skilled Afghans and not encourage elite Afghans to leave the country.

Further, Mujahid says he is "not aware" of any meeting between the Taliban and the CIA, but he did not deny that such a meeting took place. An official says the director of the U.S. agency met with the Taliban's top political leader in Kabul on August 23.

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