TERMEZ /Uzbekistan/, August 18. /TASS/. The Afghan side of the Termez-Hairatan bridge across the Amudarya River is still crammed with vehicles abandoned by military personnel and staff of government offices, who fled the country to escape from the Taliban (outlawed in Russia), a reliable source in Termez told TASS on Wednesday.
"The Afghan side of the bridge across the Amudarya and a large square nearby have remained crammed with abandoned armored and off-road vehicles for several days," the source said. Most vehicles have keys in the ignition.
However, in his opinion they will not be a great obstacle to resuming traffic via the bridge, when the Uzbek officials and Afghanistan’s new authorities come to terms.
"The Taliban has not yet had the time to address the issue. They will quickly put everything in order in due course," the source said.
"The rumors the abandoned vehicles hinder traffic and the return of Uzbek drivers home have nothing to do with the reality," he said, adding that the Termez-Hairatan checkpoint will reopen as soon as the authorities of the two countries have reached an agreement.
According to earlier reports, the Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) entered Kabul on August 15 without encountering any resistance and had the city under control within a matter of hours. Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani said he had stepped down to prevent bloodshed and soon after left the country. The Western countries are currently evacuating their citizens and embassy staffers.
Taliban officials have been saying that the war is over. They have declared an amnesty for civil servants and promised security to foreign citizens and diplomats. Yet, experts say it is too early to be sure stabilization in Afghanistan has been achieved. According to the latest reports the exodus of refugees is continuing.