UN: Taliban has intensified efforts to identify local staff

According to a UN report, the Taliban has increased its search and prosecution of local personnel who have been working with US and NATO forces. The G7 foreign ministers called on the Taliban to ensure the withdrawal of local Afghan collaborators.

According to a new report published by the United Nations, the Taliban is stepping up its efforts to identify Afghan citizens who have collaborated with American and NATO forces.

A confidential document obtained by AFP on Thursday (August 19) says the Taliban have prepared a "priority list" of people they want to arrest.

According to the UN report, the lives of those who played key roles in the Afghan army, police, and secret service have also been put at risk.

The Taliban are said to have searched the homes of the targeted individuals. The group has also set up checkpoints on the road leading to Kabul airport and is checking the identities of the individuals.

The report was prepared by a Norwegian non-governmental organization that assesses incidents for various UN agencies.

Christian Nelmann, the director of the organization, said it fears that Afghans who have collaborated with NATO and American forces will be victims of "torture and execution."

Deutsche Welle also reported on Thursday, August 19, an attack on the family of a colleague in the Afghan section.

The DW reporter is currently working in Germany, but his relatives in Afghanistan have been attacked, killing one person and seriously wounding another.

G7 asks Taliban to ensure withdrawal of local collaborators

On Thursday, August 19, the G7 foreign ministers also called on the Taliban to guarantee the security of people who want to leave the country, regardless of whether they are foreigners or Afghans.

British Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, on behalf of the G7 countries, called on the Taliban to guarantee the departure of all those who want to leave the country.

The Taliban's rise to power has terrified thousands of Afghan citizens, including former government employees and local employees of foreign countries, causing many to leave the country or to attempt to leave Afghanistan.

The US military has announced the evacuation of 7,000 people in just the past few days, saying that a total of more than 30,000 American citizens and Afghan civilians need to be evacuated to safety.

According to American officials, 5,200 American troops are currently deployed to provide security at Kabul airport.

Source: DW