As Taliban conquers Afghanistan, Turkey tightens border security to stop Afghan refugees

In an effort to stop the influx of refugees from Afghanistan, the Turkey government has tightened the security of its borders with Iran. The Turkish authorities have tightened the security measures to prevent the illegal crossing on its border from Iran, ANI cited Afghanistan's Arian News to report. As the Taliban has captured the major cities and provinces of Afghanistan and the Ghani government has surrendered, the Turkey government has taken the decision in order to stop fleeing Afghans from entering their country. 

Turkey tightens the security of its borders

It is reported that Turkish Defense Minister Hulusi Akar visited the 295-km-long border with Iran. He visited the area where a modular concrete wall is being built. As the Taliban has captured several key provinces of the war-torn country in the lead-up to the surrender of the Afghanistan government, hundreds of Afghans have reportedly entered Turkey in the last few days.

United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR) on August 13, in a statement, expressed concern about the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Afghanistan. The United Nations in Afghanistan called for a permanent ceasefire and a negotiated settlement in the interests of the Afghan people. The United Nations Assistance Mission has warned that if there is no significant de-escalation in Afghanistan, the country is going to witness the highest ever number of documented civilian casualties in a single year since the UN’s records began. The UNHCR spokesperson Shaboo Mantoo in a press briefing expressed concern for the impact the conflict will have on women and girls. The UNHCR in a statement informed that nearly 400,000 were forced from their homes since the beginning of the year. 

Taliban enters Kabul, forces government to surrender

Continuing their onslaught in Afghanistan, the Taliban entered Kabul on Sunday and sought the unconditional surrender of the central government, stating it wouldn't enter the city and wanted a peaceful transition of power, which the government's interim interior minister acceded to in a video statement. As per reports, Ashraf Ghani has already fled Kabul. The Taliban has captured nearly all of Afghanistan in over a week. The Taliban has defeated, co-opted, or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from several parts of the country,  

IMAGE: AP

Inputs from ANI, AP