The war in Afghanistan is over, the Taliban declared Monday morning, after taking control of the presidential palace in Kabul.
Taliban fighters in the Afghan capital started collecting weapons from civilians on Monday because people no longer need them for personal protection, a Taliban official said.
"We understand people kept weapons for personal safety. They can now feel safe. We are not here to harm innocent civilians," the official told Reuters.
In addition, a wave of looting engulfed Kabul. The National Museum of Afghanistan decried the international community, security forces, and even the Taliban to defend the institution's artifacts.
President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on Sunday as the Islamist militants entered the capital virtually unopposed, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed, while hundreds of Afghans desperate to leave flooded Kabul airport.
In a Facebook post, Ghani said he had left the country to avoid clashes with the Taliban that would endanger millions of Kabul residents. Some social media users branded Ghani, who did not disclose his location, a coward for leaving them in chaos.
"Today is a great day for the Afghan people and the Mujahedeen. They have witnessed the fruits of their efforts and their sacrifices for 20 years," Mohammad Naeem, the spokesman for the Taliban's political office, told Al Jazeera TV.
"Thanks to God, the war is over in the country."
It took the Taliban just over a week to seize control of the country after a lightning sweep that ended in Kabul as government forces, trained for years and equipped by the United States and others at a cost of billions of dollars, melted away.
Al Jazeera broadcast footage of what it said were Taliban commanders in the presidential palace with dozens of armed fighters.
Armed Taliban fighters have entered Afghanistan’s presidential palace in Kabul hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country. LIVE updates: https://t.co/B5EwRybCpq pic.twitter.com/oPIGxxKT1V
— Al Jazeera English (@AJEnglish) August 15, 2021
"We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people," he said. "We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others."
Central Kabul streets were largely deserted early on a sunny Monday as waking residents pondered their future.
"I'm in a complete state of shock," said Sherzad Karim Stanekzai, who spent the night in his carpet shop to guard it. "I know there will be no foreigners, no international people who will now come to Kabul."
The militants sought to project a more moderate face, promising to respect women's rights and protect both foreigners and Afghans.
The question now is if the international community will recognize the Taliban as the country's new government.