SULAIMANI (ESTA) — The Taliban Tuesday declared a general amnesty for all government officials and urged them to return to work, two days after taking power following a lightning sweep through the country.
“A general amnesty has been declared for all… so you should start your routine life with full confidence,” said a statement from the Taliban, according to AFP.
Thousands of people desperate to flee Afghanistan thronged Kabul airport’s single runway on Monday after the Taliban seized the capital, prompting the United States to suspend evacuations as it came under mounting criticism at home.
Five people were reported killed in the chaos. A U.S. official told Reuters two gunmen had been killed by U.S. forces there over the past 24 hours.
Breaking his silence on the U.S. pullout after scenes of bedlam dominated television news channels for days, U.S. President Joe Biden blamed the Taliban’s takeover in Afghanistan on Afghan political leaders who fled the country and the unwillingness of the U.S.-trained Afghan army to fight the militant group.
He warned Taliban leaders they would face “devastating force” should they interfere with the U.S. pullout.
Biden was forced to send U.S. troop reinforcements to Kabul to ensure a safe withdrawal of American diplomatic personnel and civilians as well as Afghan citizens who worked with the United States and could face reprisals.
