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Reuters
Reuters
Politics

Taliban forces in Kabul airport ready to take over -Taliban officials

A view of the main entrance at the Hamid Karzai International Airport, in Kabul, Afghanistan August 27, 2021. Satellite image 2021 Maxar Technologies/Handout via REUTERS

Taliban forces have taken up position in Kabul airport and are ready to take full control as early as this weekend, as soon as U.S. forces leave, two senior Taliban figures said on Friday.

One senior commander said Taliban forces had taken over most of the airport, "just not a small part where the Americans still are."

A second official said the forces were ready to take full control, adding: "It's just a matter of some more time."

"As soon as the Americans leave, they just have to give us the signal and we will then take over," he said. "This can be done as early as this weekend."

No comment was immediately available from the Taliban's official spokesmen.

(Reporting by Rupam Jain, Gibran Peshimam; writing by James Mackenzie; editing by Chris Reese)

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