Taliban takes over 3 gates of Kabul airport

Kabul, Aug 29 (IANS) The US and coalition forces have handed over the control of three gates, including the entrance to the military section, of the Kabul airport, to the Taliban, an official of the group told local media on Sunday.

"The US troops are in control of a small part of the airport, including an area where the radar system of the airport is located," Xinhua news agency quoted the official Enhamullah Samangani as saying to TOLO News.

Taliban deployed a unit of special forces at the main gate of the airport about two weeks ago.

"We are ready to take over the security and technical responsibility of the airport," he said.

The takeover came after a deadly suicide bomb blast and gun firing claimed by IS-K, a local affiliate of the Islamic State terror group, killed 170 Afghans and 13 US troops at an eastern gate of the facility on August 26.

Earlier a Taliban official reportedly said that the group's special forces, and a team of technical professionals and qualified engineers were ready to take over all charges of the airport after the departure of the US forces.

Dozens of planes, including military planes, took off from the airport since late Saturday.

Most of some 6,000 US and coalition forces and a unit of Afghan Special Forces who were deployed to the airport before the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on August 15 had reportedly evacuated.

All US and coalition forces are expected to leave the country on August 31, a planned deadline set by President Joe Biden.