Afghan Police resume operations alongside the Taliban.

Afghan police at Kabul airport have resumed operations at checkpoints along with the Taliban for the first time since Muslims took power, officials said Sunday.
When the Taliban attacked Kabul last month to overthrow the government, police resigned, fearing what Muslims would do.

But two officials said they returned to work on Saturday after receiving calls from Taliban commanders.

On Sunday, an AFP correspondent at the airport saw border police members being escorted to several checkpoints outside the main airport buildings, as well as the local station.

“I returned to work yesterday more than two weeks after being sent home,” one of the police officers told AFP on condition of anonymity.

“I received a call from a senior Taliban commander who asked me to return,” said another official.

“Yesterday was great, I was happy to serve again.”

The Taliban say they have offered general amnesty to everyone who worked for the former government, including the army, police and other security agencies.

Officials say they want to include opposition forces, but have not said how it will happen – or how they will support security equipment with about 600,000 people.

Kabul airport was badly damaged in a riot evacuation of more than 120,000 people that ended with the withdrawal of US troops on August 30.

The Taliban, which invaded Kabul after attacking government forces on August 15, tried to return the capital’s airport to technical services and support from Qatar.

The UAE has launched a flight to bring tons of aid to Afghanistan, and airlines are bringing hundreds of tons of medical supplies and food.

An airport security officer for private company confirmed that border police had been deployed near the airport since Saturday.

“They are sharing security with the Taliban,” he told AFP.

Qatar Airways has flown chartered flights from Kabul in recent days, mainly carrying foreigners and Afghans who were not picked up during the transfer.

Afghanistan resumed domestic flights last week, while Pakistani Airlines is expected to begin flights from Islamabad to Kabul in the near future.