Afghanistan crisis live updates: Two killed in anti-Taliban protest in Herat

The Taliban on Monday confirmed that Pakistan's powerful intelligence chief Lt Gen Faiz Hameed has met its de-facto leader Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, amidst efforts by the insurgent group to finalise a government in Afghanistan. (PTI)

Russian Ambassador to India, Nikolay Kudashev on Monday said that Moscow's position on Afghanistan is "very close" to that of New Delhi and both the countries want Afghan-owned and Afghan build government. "What is it the two of us need in Afghanistan is security, predictability, and inclusive government, which will satisfy the needs of the Afghan people. Afghan-owned and Afghan build government. That's the basics of the Indian position, (which is) very close to us," Kudashev said.

The Taliban would welcome German investment in Afghanistan and help in areas including humanitarian aid, health care, education and infrastructure, the group's spokesman told Bild newspaper. "The German government could encourage its entrepreneurs to come and invest in our country," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in an interview with Bild published on Monday. (Reuters)

The Pakistan-Afghanistan Torkham border, the main trade route between the two countries, that also caters as transit trade route for other nations, has seen a major surge in trade activities since the Taliban have taken control of the border operations on the Afghan side. The trade activities along the border have increased as hundreds of trucks now, cross the border on a daily basis for trade purposes. (IANS)

The ousting of the Ashraf Ghani government in Afghanistan and the fast-paced takeover by the Taliban has certainly pushed the global powers into a state of shock. The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in an offensive that took less than 20 days to not only force foreign forces out of the country, but also stormed into Kabul with the Ghani government and its security forces either fleeing or surrendering to the insurgents without any notable resistance.

Taliban spokesperson Zabiullah Mujahid on Monday said that the war in Afghanistan is over and an announcement about the formation of the new government will be made in the next few days. "The war in Afghanistan is over, now we will work together to rebuild this country," said Mujahid at a press conference in Kabul, as quoted by TOLO News. "A new government will be announced in the next few days," he added.

The Taliban on Monday claimed total control over Afghanistan as they said they had won the key battle for the Panjshir Valley, the last remaining holdout of resistance against their rule. Following their lightning-fast victory in mid-August over the former Afghan government's security forces and the withdrawal of US troop safter 20 years of war, the Taliban had turned to fight the forces defending the mountainous Panjshir Valley.

Iran on Monday "strongly" condemned the Taliban's military offensive against holdout fighters in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley, as the Islamist group claimed it had taken control of the area. "The news coming from Panjshir is truly worrying," Iran's foreign ministry spokesman Saeed Khatibzadeh told reporters. "The assault isstrongly condemned."

"My leader and brother Ahmad Massoud is safe and will be giving a message to our people very soon!" Nazary tweeted.

The Taliban on Monday called on former members of the Afghan forces to integrate with the new hardline rulers."The Afghan forces who were trained in the past 20 years will be asked to rejoin the security departments alongside Taliban members," spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told a press conference in the capital Kabul.