Taliban Ask Afghan Imams To Call For Unity At First Friday Prayers

An illustration of a high-ranking Taliban leader. (Twitter/@suhailshaeen1)

JAKARTA - The Taliban called on Afghan imams to call on Afghans for unity as they held their first Friday prayers since capturing Kabul, as takeover protests began to emerge.

Several people were killed when Taliban insurgents opened fire on a crowd in the eastern city of Asadabad, a witness said. Other witnesses reported gunfire near the rally in Kabul, but it appeared to be Taliban fire into the air.

It was not clear whether Asadabad's casualties were the result of Taliban shootings or raids.

"Hundreds of people took to the streets. At first I was scared and didn't want to go, but when I saw one of my neighbors joining in, I took out the flag I had at home. Several people were killed and injured in raids and shootings by the Taliban," said the eyewitness. Mohammed Salim quoted Reuters Friday 20 August.

On Afghanistan Day celebrating its independence from British control in 1919, Thursday 19 August, a social media video showed a crowd of men and women in Kabul waving the black, red and green national flag.

"Our flag, our identity," they shouted. At several protests elsewhere, media reported people tore up the white Taliban flag. A Taliban spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Some of the demonstrations were small, but combined with the desperate scramble for thousands of people trying to flee the country, they underscore the challenges the Taliban face in governing.

First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who last Tuesday claimed to be the rightful interim president, after Ashraf Ghnai's escape wrote on Twitter: "Greetings to those who carry the national flag and thus defend the dignity of the nation."

Separately, Ahmad Massoud, son of guerrilla leader Ahmad Shah Massoud, who was killed by suspected al Qaeda militants in 2001, wrote in a media outlet in the United States, "ready to follow in my father's footsteps, with mujahideen fighters ready to once again confront the Taliban. "

It's worth noting that since capturing Kabul on Sunday, the Taliban have put on a more moderate face, saying they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect women's rights within the framework of Islamic law.

When in power from 1996-2001, they severely restricted women's rights, carried out public executions and blew up ancient Buddha statues. They were ousted in the 2001 US-led invasion.

Meanwhile, the situation in Kabul City was largely calm, but 12 people were killed in and around the airport, NATO and Taliban officials said.

The US military said more than 5,200 American troops were guarding Kabul airport, where several gates to the facility are now open, while US fighter jets flew over the city to ensure security for operations to evacuate diplomats and civilians including some Afghans.