Taliban senior official says real test begins now

KABUL: The Taliban's real test begins now as they look to meet the people's expectations and serve them by resolving problems, a senior official from the Islamic militant group said as insurgents took over Afghanistan.

In a video released by Taliban on Monday (August 16), Mullah Baradar Akhund, deputy of the Taliban, seated with a group of men said it was now time to provide for the people and to improve their lives.

"We congratulate the great victory to the whole Afghan nation especially to the people of Kabul and to our Mujahideens. The way we have come through was unexpected as we have reached the position which was never expected. But, with the help of Allah, that he has given us, the victory and there is nothing like this in the history of the world, so we should thank Allah. We should have no arrogance. Now is the time to trial, we will give services to our nation, we give serenity to the whole nation, that we will go as far as possible for the betterment of their lives," Mullah Baradar said.

The Taliban declared the war in Afghanistan was over after insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul. It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as Afghan forces, trained for years by and equipped by the United States and others melted away.

Meanwhile, a Taliban leader said on Monday that it was too soon to say how the insurgent group will take over governance in Afghanistan.

"We want all foreign forces to leave before we start restructuring governance," the leader told Reuters by phone. He did not want to be named.

He also said that Taliban fighters in Kabul had been warned not to scare civilians and to allow them to resume normal activities.

President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday (August 15) as Islamist militants entered the city, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave flooded Kabul airport.