Taliban Declares "Complete Independence"..."Controlling Entire Afghanistan" (Comprehensive)

US Troop Withdrawal Complete, Taliban "We Have Made New History"
Kabul Airport Also Seized... FAA "Airport Uncontrolled"
Panjshir Region Not Occupied... Resistance "Fighting Taliban to the End"

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Suhwan] As the United States completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan, the Taliban declared Afghanistan's 'complete independence' and announced that they are controlling the entire country.

According to the Associated Press, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated on the 31st, "The US military has left Kabul Airport, and our country has achieved complete independence."

Taliban spokesperson Qari Yousuf also told Al Jazeera TV, "The last US soldier has left Kabul Airport, and we are completely independent," while another Taliban spokesperson told Sputnik News, "The entire Afghanistan is under Taliban control."

The Associated Press reported that Taliban fighters celebrated their victory as they watched the last US military plane leave the airport around midnight the previous day.

One fighter cheered, "The last transport plane has left. Now everything is over," adding, "The sacrifices of the past 20 years have finally borne fruit."

Al Jazeera reported that gunfire was heard in Kabul on the same day as a celebration of the Taliban's victory. Citing a local correspondent, Al Jazeera said, "Taliban fighters fired celebratory shots into the air, filling the skies over Kabul with gunfire," which lasted for an hour.

The media also reported that a senior Taliban official said on the day of the US withdrawal completion, "The Taliban has made new history," and "The 20-year occupation of Afghanistan by the United States and NATO has ended."

The US Department of Defense officially confirmed the completion of the withdrawal of US troops stationed in Afghanistan and the evacuation of civilians on the same day.

Accordingly, the 20-year war between the United States and the Afghan Taliban, triggered by the September 11 attacks in 2001, officially ended on this day.

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

Meanwhile, as the Taliban fully took control of Kabul Airport, it was reported that the airport is now in an uncontrolled state.

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) notified airlines that Hamid Karzai Airport in Kabul is in an uncontrolled state following the complete withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan, according to major foreign media.

In the notice, the FAA stated that there is no air traffic control service at Kabul Airport and that aircraft landing in Kabul or flying over Afghan airspace must exercise "extreme caution."

Taliban resistance fighters conducting military training in Panjshir, Afghanistan
[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

However, despite the Taliban's declaration of complete control over Afghanistan, it is reported that they have not yet taken control of all regions. Currently, Panjshir Province, located about 100 km northeast of Kabul, remains under the control of resistance forces.

This area is a city formed long and narrow along the Hindu Kush mountain range, making it difficult to attack.

As a result, forces resisting the Taliban are gathering here, expressing their determination to resist the Taliban until the end, increasing the possibility of a future 'Afghan civil war' between the Taliban and resistance forces.

Ahmad Muslim Hayat, a former military attach? at the Afghan Embassy in the UK, told the New York Post, "We will never surrender and will resist," adding, "The people of Panjshir will never surrender to terrorists and will risk their lives before that happens."

[Image source=AP Yonhap News]

It is reported that there are about 2,500 troops currently in Panjshir.

However, how long the resistance in Panjshir will last remains uncertain.

The Guardian pointed out, "Panjshir is a fortress but appears isolated, making resupply difficult," and "Currently, there is no neighboring Afghan country supporting the anti-Taliban movement."

In particular, the fact that the Taliban has acquired weapons abandoned by the US and Afghan forces, strengthening their power beyond that of an armed group to the level of an 'army,' is also cited as a factor making resistance difficult.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.