On Wednesday, only days after the rebel organization gained control of Afghanistan, Taliban fighters are said to have shot into crowds and beaten protestors in towns around the nation.
According to Al Jazeera, bullets were fired in Jalalabad, killing two individuals and injuring 12 others as demonstrators marched against the Taliban banner replacing the Afghan national flag.
According to The New York Times, Taliban forces also assaulted journalists.
According to the New York Times, rebel fighters have been patrolling the streets of Kabul, at times coming into touch with hundreds of Afghan demonstrators.
Despite the dangers of protesting, demonstrators have been whistling, screaming, and waving big Afghan flags in the streets, leading Taliban soldiers to try to disperse the gathering by firing bullets into the air, according to the New York Times, which cited video broadcast by local news channels.
However, when such techniques allegedly failed, the combatants allegedly resorted to force.
According to The Washington Post, fighting was also witnessed at checkpoints in Kabul and at the local airport as the US and other countries operated evacuation planes from the region.
According to the Washington Post, several Afghans attempting to flee the country aboard evacuation aircraft were unable to do so because they encountered the Taliban at checkpoints.
According to the publication, the rebel group's militants allegedly assaulted a number of Afghans who attempted to cross the border and scared others from departing the country, citing allegations from other outlets and eyewitness testimony.
According to SBS News, a former interpreter who served for the Australian army was reportedly wounded in the leg by a Taliban soldier.
The report of Taliban-Afghan violence comes only days after the Taliban captured Kabul and entered the presidential palace in a very calm way, essentially overthrowing the Afghan government and seizing control of the country.
As the rebel organization gained control on Sunday, there were few reports of confrontations between the Taliban and Afghan security troops.
According to the New York Times, Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban's longtime top spokesperson, stated during a press conference on Tuesday, "We don't want Afghanistan to be a battlefield anymore."
“The war is over as of today,” he continued.
However, recent events in the region are putting such assertions to the test.
On Tuesday, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told reporters that the Taliban had “informed” the US that they were “prepared to provide safe passage of civilians to the airport,” and that the US will “hold them to that commitment.”
Later, he stated that the US is “working, engaging, and coordinating with Taliban elements on the ground to ensure safe passage.”
“By and large, what we have found is that people have been able to get to the airport,” Sullivan said when questioned about allegations of violence at checkpoints.
“In some instances, we've received reports of people being turned away, pushed back, or even beaten. We're bringing it up with the Taliban in an attempt to fix the concerns. And we're worried about how things are going to play out in the following days,” he added.
