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The Taliban are collecting weapons and ammunition from civilians in Kabul following their swift takeover of Afghanistan.
A Taliban official told Reuters that people no longer needed weapons for personal protection because “they can now feel safe” since the insurgents have taken over.
“We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe,” the official said.
“We are not here to harm innocent civilians.”
The news came as reports emerged that a woman had been shot dead Tuesday for not wearing a burqa in public — after insurgents vowed to usher in a new “inclusive” era that honors “women’s rights.”
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said Tuesday they would honor women’s rights within the highly restrictive Sharia law.
Mujahid also vowed to grant amnesty to Afghans who worked for the US and the Western-backed government, saying “nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped.”
Despite this, Kabul residents have said groups of armed men have been going door to door in recent days seeking out individuals who worked with the ousted government and security forces.
Following their lightning offensive across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban have launched a publicity blitz to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed Sharia law in the late 1990s.
While insurgents also vowed not to interfere with US-led evacuation efforts of Westerners and their Afghan allies, reports have emerged they are guarding the entrance to Kabul’s airport and attacking those who were trying to flee.
President Biden’s national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, said the Taliban had agreed to allow “safe passage” from Afghanistan for civilians struggling to join a US-directed airlift from the capital.
The White House said 13 flights on Tuesday took 1,100 US citizens, permanent residents and their families from the Kabul airport.
The pace is expected to pick up on Wednesday and through the rest of the week.
The US was forced to rush in additional troops Monday to help secure the Kabul airport and protect Americans still trying to evacuate after thousands of Afghan stormed onto the tarmac and tried to climb onboard US military planes.
Shocking videos showed masses of Afghans chasing after a plane as it taxied down the runway, with some managing to cling on as it took off. At least two people plunged to their deaths moments later as the plane rapidly gained altitude over the city.
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