Taliban ‘planning to establish inclusive caretaker government’ in Afghanistan

The Taliban say they are planning to establish an inclusive caretaker government in Afghanistan that would include leaders from all ethnicities and tribal backgrounds, following their takeover of the country earlier this month.

Taliban sources told Al Jazeera about the group’s plan on Friday, adding that nearly a dozen names were being considered to be part of the new government, without mentioning the duration of the caretaker government’s term.

The unnamed sources further said a supreme leadership council had been convened to decide the form of the future government and nominate ministers, particularly for the judiciary, internal security, defense, foreign affairs, finance, and information portfolios as well as a special assignment for Kabul’s affairs.

They added that the group wanted to bring new faces to the government, including the sons of Tajik and Uzbek tribal leaders.

The Taliban have reportedly already appointed senior veterans to the positions of Afghanistan’s finance minister, interior minister, and defense minister, but the appointments have not been formally announced. A Taliban official in Kabul confirmed the key ministerial appointments this week.

The Taliban have also included Afghanistan’s former President Hamid Karzai and former peace negotiator Abdullah Abdullah in a 12-member council that would govern Afghanistan during the transition period, according to a source.

Scores of civilians, 13 US service members killed in Kabul attack claimed by Daesh; US vows to retaliate

The Daesh terrorist group has claimed responsibility for an attack in the Afghan capital on Thursday, the group

The latest development comes as Afghanistan is reeling from two terrorist explosions outside the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul on Thursday, which claimed over 100 lives, including those of 12 US service members. The attacks came amidst chaos and commotion at the airport, which has been taken over by the US troops to evacuate American civilians and diplomats following the Taliban takeover. The blasts were claimed by an offshoot of the Daesh terrorist group in Afghanistan.

Another Taliban source told Al Jazeera that the group remained committed to the 2020 deal reached with the United States in the Qatari capital, Doha, adding that it would not allow Afghan soil to be used to launch terror attacks.

The source also said special courts would be set up at local levels to fight corruption in Afghanistan, adding that the Taliban caretaker government was planning a single tariff to be applicable to imported goods.

Pakistani Haqqani assailant arrested after Kabul blasts

A Pakistani assailant belonging to the Haqqani network has reportedly been arrested after the deadly terrorist attacks outside the Kabul airport on Thursday. Top sources in Afghanistan told CNN-News18 that the Taliban were aware of the connection between the Haqqani network and Pakistan in the Kabul blast.

They said a third blast had been planned at the Turkmenistan Embassy. However, the sources said, two people had been detained before that attack could take place, and that they were in custody of the Taliban.

According to the sources, both of them are Pakistanis.

US, allies warn citizens away from Kabul airport over ‘threat of terror attack’

The US, Britain, and Australia warn their citizens to stay away from the Kabul airport, citing “security threats.”

An unnamed Taliban official told Reuters news agency on Friday that at least 28 members of the group had died in the bombings, vowing to beef up security at the Kabul airport to prevent future terrorist attacks.

Kremlin condemns deadly Kabul attacks

Meanwhile, Russia has strongly condemned the twin bombings on crowds of Afghans trying to flee Afghanistan.

“Of course, it is very sad news about the large number of deaths,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a briefing on Friday, adding that unfortunately, the pessimistic forecasts that entrenched terrorist groups, especially Daesh, would not fail to take advantage of the chaos in Afghanistan were being confirmed.

Peskov further said that the incident would further escalate the tensions in Afghanistan, which continues to be “a cause of our grave concern.”

On Wednesday, four Russian military planes evacuated Russian and other nationals from Kabul on the orders of President Vladimir Putin, as Moscow held military exercises involving its tank forces in neighboring Tajikistan.

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