On Tuesday, gunfire erupted over Kabul as Taliban shooters opened fire in the air to disperse a women's rally against Pakistan's suspected role in Afghanistan's conflict.
Hundreds of women were seen marching through the city's streets, yelling "death to Pakistan," and subsequent images showed people fleeing as a huge number of Taliban fighters opened fire.
Witnesses reported up to 300 individuals, largely women in hijab were protesting outside the Pakistan embassy and yelling anti-Pakistan slogans. Pakistan has deep relations with the Taliban and recently celebrated the group's win.
Protesters can be heard yelling "death to Pakistan" in footage published by regional news channel Tolo News, while placards carried during the demonstration read "Pakistan, Pakistan, leave Afghanistan."
So far, no injuries or deaths have been reported as a result of the demonstration.
According to a journalist working for a local news channel, cameras and other equipment belonging to journalists covering the protest were confiscated or damaged. In contrast, others were told not to film the protest by shooters.
Another correspondent claimed that the Taliban had pulled dozens of women away from the protests and imprisoned them in a parking garage to prevent them from joining in.
The demonstration was one of the largest since the Taliban overthrew President Ashraf Ghani's government last month. It occurred following claims that Pakistan was aiding the Taliban in their quest to seize the Panjshir valley, the country's last holdout region.
On Monday, Pakistan's army chief, General Qamar Bajwa, asked Afghanistan's leadership to address all concerns amicably to build a legitimate administration in the nation.
General Bajwa also asked for international help in bringing peace to Afghanistan. “We also expect the international community to stand by the Afghan people during this trying time,” Bajwa said.
The Taliban claims to have completely captured Panjshir. However, the local resistance movement maintains it is still fighting, and its leader, Ahmad Massoud, has called for a countrywide revolt against the Islamists.
Since the weekend, heavy combat in Panjshir has claimed the lives of both sides, with the resistance losing a prominent spokesperson and the Taliban losing Maulvi Fassihuddin, the commander of its opposition in northeast Afghanistan who had played a key role in the Islamist push in the province.
