The Kabul government has welcomed the opposition’s takeover of Damascus.
Afghanistan’s Taliban government congratulated the coalition of armed opposition groups that captured Damascus, ousting President Bashar Assad. A diverse group of fighters, primarily led by Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), launched a surprise offensive late last month, swiftly seizing most government-held territory. The offensive culminated in the capture of the Syrian capital on Sunday. Despite HTS’s designation as a terrorist organization by the UN and US, the group pledged to protect Syria’s religious minorities, including Christians.
On Sunday, Afghanistan’s Foreign Ministry issued a statement congratulating “the leadership of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) movement and the people of Syria on the recent advancements resulting in the removal of the factor of conflict and instability, and the fall of the capital Damascus.”
“We express hope that the remaining phases of the revolution will be managed in a way that secures a peaceful, unified and stable system,” the statement added.
The Ministry further hoped for the establishment of “a sovereign and service-oriented Islamic government” that would unify the war-torn nation “without discrimination and retribution” and protect Syria’s Shia population.
Syria’s civil war began in 2011, amid the wave of Arab Spring protests across the Middle East and North Africa.
While Western nations, Turkey, Israel, and some Gulf states supported anti-Assad forces, Russia and Iran backed the Damascus government. A fragile truce, brokered by Moscow and Ankara in 2020, had halted large-scale fighting for almost four years.
The Taliban seized power in Kabul in August 2021, during the final US troop withdrawal. Having previously ruled Afghanistan in the 1990s, they were ousted in 2001 during the US-led invasion. The Taliban insurgency lasted 20 years. Afghanistan’s new government, however, lacks official international recognition.