The Taliban declared victory Tuesday at the Kabul airport after the last U.S. military evacuation plane left Afghanistan, Deutsche Wells (DW) reported.
In a video posted to Twitter, Taliban fighters can be seen cheering “Allahu Akbar” (God is the greatest) in celebration.
“Congratulations to Afghanistan … this victory belongs to us all,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid. “We want to have good relations with the U.S. and the world. We welcome good diplomatic relations with them all,” he continued, according to DW.
Mujahid announced that a technical team would try to restore operations at the airport. Qatar and Turkey have been involved in negotiations in regard to running the airport, The Associated Press (AP) reported.
Taliban terrorists, armed with US weapons, in a photo shoot at Kabul airport in #Afghanistan today.
— Adam Milstein (@AdamMilstein) August 31, 2021
“I hope you will be very cautious in dealing with the nation,” Mujahid said to Taliban fighters at the airport, according to the AP. “Our nation has suffered war and invasion, and the people do not have more tolerance.”
Many Afghans are terrified of living under Taliban rule, DW reported. Many Afghans remember the human rights violations, abuses against women, and a strict system of laws imposed by the Taliban. (RELATED: REPORT: The Taliban Is Hunting Down, Killing Afghans Using Biometric Data Gathered And Then Abandoned By The US)
Thousands of Afghans tried desperately to escape the country after the Taliban gained control. A large crowd was captured clinging to the side of a U.S. cargo plane as it took off. Some who held on as the plane took off fell to their deaths.