Taliban warn Turkey against plans to stay

KABUL: The Taliban warned Turkey on Tuesday against plans to keep some troops in Afghanistan to guard Kabul’s main airport after the withdrawal of foreign soldiers, calling such a strategy “reprehensible” and warning of “consequences”.

Ankara, which has offered to run and guard the airport in the capital after Nato withdraws, has been in talks with the US on financial, political and logistical support. “If Turkish officials fail to reconsider their decision and continue the occupation of our country, the Islamic emirate... will take a stand against them,”the Taliban said.

A senior insurgent leader also said on Tuesday that the Taliban do not want to battle government forces inside Afghanistan’s cities and would rather see them surrender.

Hours after Amir Khan Muttaqi ’s message, a rush hour blast in the centre of the Afghan capital killed four civilians and wounded five others.

Clashes continued in the southern province of Kandahar, said Attaullah Atta, a provincial council member, with the Taliban being pushed back after a bid to break into a city prison, while the defence ministry said Afghan forces had cleared Qalai-Naw, the Badghis province capital, after days of fighting with the insurgent group.

Muttaqi’s message came the on same day a video emerged that CNN said it had verified showing a group of Afghan commandos being gunned down by Taliban fighters back in June after surrendering. As the situation deteriorates, France has became the latest country to urge its citizens to leave Afghanistan.