NEET Result 2021 Live: 3 Toppers In AIR 1; 98,000 More Qualify As NEET Cut-Off Marks Drop

NEET Result 2021: To access the NEET results 2021, students will have to login at the NTA website with their application numbers and dates of birth. The testing agency has also released the NEET final answer key and the score cards.

Neet.nta.nic.in, ntaresults.nic.in, nta.ac.in will host the NEET 2021 results (representational)

Image credit: NTA Official Website

NEET Result 2021 Date Live News: NEET Result 2021 Declared: Result of the National Eligibility Cum Entrance Test (NEET) 2021, the national-level entrance exam for admission to undergraduate medical courses, has been announced. NEET result 2021 is now available at neet.nta.nic.in and ntaresults.ac.in. Three students secured AIR 1 and this year 98,000 more students have qualified as NEET cut-off marks have dropped from the previous year. The National Testing Agency has also released the final answer key along with results. NEET result can be downloaded from the official website using application number and date of birth.

NEET Final Answer Key: Direct Link

The list of all India toppers will be released soon by NTA. The entrance exam was conducted on September 12 at test centres across the country and abroad.

Over 16 lakh students appeared in the exam this year. As NEET results are now out, the Medical Counselling Committee and other counselling authorities will begin the registration process for MBBS admission soon.

 श्रीलंका मूल की बॉलीवुड अभिनेत्री जैकलिन फर्नांडीज से हाल ही में दिल्ली में प्रवर्तन निदेशालय ने रोहिणी जेल से कॉनमैन सुकेश चंद्रशेखर द्वारा चलाए जा रहे 200 करोड़ के मनी लॉन्ड्रिंग रैकेट में पांच घंटे तक पूछताछ की। ताजा रिपोर्ट्स के मुताबिक, जैकलिन चंद्रशेखर के जाल का शिकार हो गईं और रैकेट की शिकार हो गईं। जांच में पता चला कि सुकेश चंद्रशेखर ने जेल में रहते हुए अपनी दौलत का दिखावा करते हुए बॉलीवुड में रास्ते बनाए। वे बॉलीवुड की कई हस्तियों के संपर्क में भी रहे। वह जैकलिन को चॉकलेट और फूल भेजते थे और अपनी असली पहचान छुपाते हुए कम्यूनेशन के लिए स्पूफिंग तकनीक का इस्तेमाल करते थे । ईडी ने आईपी एड्रेस की पहचान कर उसकी कॉल ्स को ट्रैक करने के बाद उसके गठजोड़ का भंडाफोड़ किया और पता चला कि जेल से चंद्रशेखर जिन दो नंबरों का इस्तेमाल कर रहा था, वह उनके नाम पर नहीं थे। इस गठजोड़ को तोड़ने में जांच एजेंसी को लगभग ढाई महीने लग गए। ईडी सूत्रों से पता चला है कि कुछ साल पहले एक अभिनेत्री भी जेल में चंद्रशेखर से मिलने गई थी। 30 अगस्त को प्रवर्तन निदेशालय द्वारा अपने हस्तक्षेप के दौरान जैकलिन का बयान करोड़ों रुपये के जबरन वसूली रैकेट में गवाह के रूप में दर्ज किया गया था और उन्होंने अधिकारियों के साथ महत्वपूर्ण विवरण भी साझा किए थे । अब, काम के मोर्चे पर, Jacquline फर्नांडीज के लिए वापस आ रहा है, वह अपने हाथों में कई परियोजनाओं के साथ बहुत व्यस्त है । जैकलिन जल्द ही सैफ अली खान, अर्जुन कपूर और यामी गौतम अभिनीत एक आगामी हॉरर-कॉमेडी सह-अभिनीत में नजर आएंगी, जो अगले महीने ओटीटी प्लेटफॉर्म पर रिलीज होगी । जैकलिन के पास सलमान खान की बहुप्रतीक्षित 'किक 2' के अलावा पाइपलाइन में 'राम सेतु', 'अटैक' और 'बच्चन पांडे' भी हैं। हाल ही में उन्हें रैपर बादशाह के साथ म्यूजिक वीडियो ' पानी पानी ' में देखा गया था ।

Bollywood actress of Sri Lankan origin Jacqueline Fernandez was recently interrogated for five long hour by the Enforcement Directorate in Delhi in a 200-crore money laundering racket, which was run by conman Sukesh Chandrashekar from Rohini jail. According to the latest reports, Jacqueline fell prey to Chandrashekar's trap and became one of the victims of the racket. The investigation revealed that Sukesh Chandrashekar, made paths into Bollywood by flaunting his wealth, while he was in the jail. He was also in touch with many celebrities from Bollywood. He used to send chocolates and flowers to Jacqueline and used spoofing technology for communation, hiding his real identity. ED busted his nexus after tracking down his calls by identifying the IP address and found out that the two numbers Chandrashekhar was using from the jail were not in his name. It took the investigating agency almost two-and-a-half months to break the nexus. ED sources revealed that a few years ago, an actress also visited Chandrashekar in the jail. During her interogation by the Enforcement Directorate on August 30, Jacqueline's statement was recorded as a witness in the multi-crore extortion racket and she also shared crucial details with the officials. Now, coming back to Jacquline Fernandez, on the work front, she is very busy with multiple projects in her hands. Jacqueline will be soon seen in an upcoming horror-comedy co-starring Saif Ali Khan, Arjun Kapoor and Yami Gautam, which will be released on the OTT platform next month. Jacqueline also has 'Ram Setu', 'Attack' and 'Bachchan Pandey' in the pipeline, apart from Salman Khan's much awaited 'Kick 2'. She was recently seen in the music video 'Paani Paani' alongside rapper Badshah.

विश्लेषकों का कहना है कि तालिबान की सत्ता में वापसी भारत के लिए एक बड़ा झटका है, जिसने निवर्तमान सरकार के साथ घनिष्ठ संबंध बनाए।

विश्लेषकों का कहना है कि दो हफ्ते पहले तालिबान की सत्ता में वापसी ने भारत के लिए एक बड़ा कूटनीतिक झटका दिया है, दक्षिण एशियाई दिग्गज अब इस क्षेत्र के "सबसे वंचित" खिलाड़ियों में से एक है।

हफ्तों के भीतर, तालिबान ने एक आश्चर्यजनक सैन्य स्वीप में देश पर कब्जा कर लिया, क्योंकि अमेरिका के नेतृत्व वाली विदेशी सेनाएं 20 साल बाद बाहर निकल रही थीं - देश के सबसे लंबे विदेशी युद्ध को समाप्त करना।

राष्ट्रपति अशरफ गनी, जिनके साथ नई दिल्ली के घनिष्ठ संबंध थे, देश छोड़कर भाग गए क्योंकि तालिबान ने राजधानी काबुल को घेर लिया था।

15 अगस्त को काबुल में पश्चिमी समर्थित सरकार के अचानक गिरने से राजनयिकों, विदेशी सहायता कर्मियों और अफगानों का एक अभूतपूर्व पलायन हुआ, जिन्होंने पश्चिमी देशों के लिए काम किया और तालिबान से प्रतिशोध की आशंका जताई।

भारत उन राष्ट्रों में से था जिन्होंने अफगानिस्तान में अपने मिशन बंद कर दिए और अपने कर्मचारियों और नागरिकों को वापस लाया। यह अभी भी काबुल हवाई अड्डे पर अराजक परिस्थितियों के बीच छोड़े गए कुछ नागरिकों को निकालने की कोशिश कर रहा है ।

काबुल पर तालिबान द्वारा कब्जा किए जाने के बाद भारत, ऑपरेशन देवी शक्ति के तहत, अफगानिस्तान से 800 से अधिक लोगों को पहले ही निकाल चुका है।

गुरुवार को, यह एक सैन्य विमान में 11 नेपाली नागरिकों के साथ अपने केवल 24 नागरिकों को निकाल सका - 180 से अधिक की योजना नहीं थी - क्योंकि अन्य विमान में सवार होने के लिए हवाई अड्डे तक नहीं पहुंच सके।

अफगानिस्तान में भारत का निवेश

नई दिल्ली ने विकास परियोजनाओं में $3 बिलियन का निवेश किया, अफगान छात्रों को छात्रवृत्ति की पेशकश की, और $90m की लागत से संसद भवन के निर्माण में मदद की, 38 मिलियन के देश में भारी सद्भावना अर्जित की।

पिछले साल, 2020 के अफगानिस्तान सम्मेलन के दौरान, भारत के विदेश मंत्री सुब्रह्मण्यम जयशंकर ने कहा था कि अफगानिस्तान का कोई भी हिस्सा "400 से अधिक परियोजनाओं" से "अछूता" नहीं था, जिसे भारत ने देश के सभी 34 प्रांतों में शुरू किया था।

अफगानिस्तान में भारतीय मिशन के अधिकारी और जामनगर, भारत में उतरने के बाद भारतीय नागरिकों को निकाला, १७ अगस्त [रायटर]

दोनों देशों के बीच द्विपक्षीय व्यापार भी पिछले कुछ वर्षों में काफी बढ़ गया था और 2019-2020 में $1.5bn तक पहुंच गया था।

भारत, जो तालिबान को अपने कट्टर पाकिस्तान के प्रॉक्सी के रूप में देखता है, ने उत्तरी गठबंधन के साथ घनिष्ठ संबंध बनाए रखा था, जिसने 2001 में अमेरिका के नेतृत्व वाले नाटो बलों की मदद से अफगान सशस्त्र समूह को हराया था।

अमेरिका स्थित विल्सन सेंटर में एशिया कार्यक्रम के उप निदेशक माइकल कुगेलमैन ने कहा, "भारत अफगानिस्तान के संदर्भ में काबुल का सबसे करीबी क्षेत्रीय साझेदार से क्षेत्र के सबसे वंचित खिलाड़ियों में से एक बन गया है।"

नई दिल्ली के जवाहरलाल नेहरू विश्वविद्यालय के हैप्पीमन जैकब ने इसी तरह की भावनाओं को प्रतिध्वनित करते हुए कहा: "मुझे लगता है कि भारत अफगानिस्तान में खेल से बाहर हो गया है।"

उन्होंने अल जज़ीरा से कहा कि पिछले 20 वर्षों में भारत ने अफगानिस्तान में सकारात्मक भूमिका निभाई है, लेकिन वर्तमान में भारत की कूटनीति देश में लगभग "अस्तित्वहीन" है और इसके दांव "नाटकीय रूप से कम" हो गए हैं।

'तालिबान तक पहुंचने में बहुत देर हो चुकी है'

कुछ विदेश नीति के मंदारिनों ने बताया है कि भारत ने अपने हितों को सुरक्षित करने के लिए तालिबान तक पहुंचने में बहुत देर कर दी थी, क्योंकि रिपोर्टें सामने आई थीं कि भारतीय अधिकारियों ने जून में कतर की राजधानी दोहा में तालिबान से मुलाकात की थी। तालिबान ने 2013 में दोहा में एक राजनीतिक कार्यालय की स्थापना की।

कुगेलमैन ने कहा कि दो कारक नई दिल्ली के खिलाफ गए: "जब तक बहुत देर हो चुकी थी, तब तक तालिबान तक पहुंचने के लिए भारत की अनिच्छा, और तालिबान के साथ अपने संबंधों के कारण एक गहरे पाकिस्तानी पदचिह्न के साथ एक दुर्भाग्यपूर्ण अफगान सुलह प्रक्रिया।"

भारत ने 90 मिलियन डॉलर की लागत से अफगान संसद भवन बनाने में मदद की [फाइल: रॉयटर्स]

अफगान सुलह प्रक्रिया तालिबान और अमेरिका के बीच फरवरी 2020 में हस्ताक्षरित समझौते का परिणाम थी।

कुगेलमैन ने अल जज़ीरा को बताया, "एक ने भारत को संभावित लाभ से वंचित किया, और दूसरे ने नई दिल्ली को एक भू-राजनीतिक नुकसान में डाल दिया।"

पाकिस्तान की सैन्य जासूसी एजेंसी इंटर-सर्विसेज इंटेलिजेंस (ISI) से निकटता को देखते हुए भारत तालिबान से सावधान रहा है, जबकि इस्लामाबाद ने नई दिल्ली पर "आतंकवादी गतिविधियों को अंजाम देने" के लिए अफगान धरती का उपयोग करने का आरोप लगाया है ।

कुगेलमैन ने कहा, "तालिबान का अधिग्रहण भारत के रणनीतिक हितों के लिए एक बड़ा झटका है।"

"अफगानिस्तान में अब पाकिस्तान समर्थक सरकार होगी, और इससे पाकिस्तान और भारत के अन्य प्रमुख प्रतिद्वंद्वी, चीन - पाकिस्तान के करीबी दोस्त - को अफगानिस्तान में अधिक भूमिका निभाने का अवसर मिलेगा।

"सुरक्षा जोखिम भी होंगे, क्योंकि तालिबान का अधिग्रहण भारत विरोधी आतंकवादी समूहों सहित क्षेत्रीय आतंकवादियों को प्रेरित करेगा।"

'रुको और देखो'

सत्ता में अपने पहले कार्यकाल के दौरान, 1996-2001 से, तालिबान को अंतरराष्ट्रीय अलगाव का सामना करना पड़ा क्योंकि इसे केवल तीन देशों - पाकिस्तान, सऊदी अरब और संयुक्त अरब अमीरात द्वारा मान्यता प्राप्त थी।

लेकिन इस बार चीजें अलग दिख रही हैं क्योंकि चीन, रूस और ईरान जैसी क्षेत्रीय शक्तियों ने संकेत दिया है कि वे अपने हितों की रक्षा के लिए तालिबान के साथ काम कर सकते हैं।

राष्ट्रपति अशरफ गनी, जिनके साथ नई दिल्ली ने घनिष्ठ संबंध बनाए, तालिबान द्वारा काबुल को घेरते ही देश छोड़कर भाग गए [फाइल: रॉयटर्स]

भारत के पूर्व विदेश मंत्री कुंवर नटवर सिंह ने पिछले हफ्ते एक साक्षात्कार में सुझाव दिया था कि अगर नई दिल्ली एक "जिम्मेदार सरकार" के रूप में काम करती है, तो उसे तालिबान के साथ राजनयिक संबंध स्थापित करने चाहिए।

लेकिन अफगानिस्तान में भारत के पूर्व राजदूत गौतम मुखोपाध्याय ने कहा कि स्थिति अभी भी विकसित हो रही है और अभी तक कुछ भी स्पष्ट नहीं हुआ है।

"हमारे पास अभी तक [अफगानिस्तान में] एक संक्रमणकालीन प्रशासन नहीं है," उन्होंने अल जज़ीरा को बताया, पश्चिमी समर्थित इस्लामी गणराज्य अफगानिस्तान को जोड़ना अभी भी संयुक्त राष्ट्र में देश की मान्यता प्राप्त सरकार है।

"मुझे लगता है कि फिलहाल हमें इंतजार करना होगा और देखना होगा।"

हालांकि, कुगेलमैन ने कहा कि अफगानिस्तान में भारत का एकमात्र विकल्प तालिबान तक फिर से पहुंचने का प्रयास करना है, जैसा कि "एक विकल्प जो हो सकता है" के रूप में हो सकता है।

उन्होंने कहा, "कम से कम, तालिबान सरकार के साथ अनौपचारिक संबंध स्थापित करने से नई दिल्ली यह सुनिश्चित करने के लिए एक मजबूत स्थिति में आ जाएगी कि अफगानिस्तान में उसकी संपत्ति और निवेश खतरे में न पड़े।"

भारत, जो तालिबान को अपने कट्टर पाकिस्तान के प्रॉक्सी के रूप में देखता है, निवर्तमान सरकार के करीब था [फाइल: रॉयटर्स]

कतर में भारतीय राजदूत ने दोहा में तालिबान के राजनीतिक कार्यालय के प्रमुख से मुलाकात की, भारत के विदेश मंत्रालय का कहना है।

विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा कि दोनों पक्षों ने दोहा में तालिबान के राजनीतिक कार्यालय में एक बैठक के दौरान अफगानिस्तान में छोड़े गए भारतीयों की सुरक्षा पर चर्चा की [फाइल: मोहम्मद डबस / रॉयटर्स]

31 अगस्त 2021

कतर में भारत के राजदूत ने तालिबान के एक शीर्ष नेता के साथ बातचीत की, भारतीय विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा, समूह ने अफगानिस्तान पर कब्जा करने के बाद पहली औपचारिक राजनयिक सगाई की।

विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा कि दूत दीपक मित्तल ने तालिबान के अनुरोध पर मंगलवार को दोहा में तालिबान के राजनीतिक कार्यालय के प्रमुख शेर मोहम्मद अब्बास स्टेनकजई से मुलाकात की।

भारत को लंबे समय से तालिबान के बारे में चिंता है क्योंकि समूह के कट्टर पाकिस्तान के साथ घनिष्ठ संबंध हैं। विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा कि दोनों पक्षों ने अफगानिस्तान में रह गए भारतीयों की सुरक्षा पर चर्चा की।

विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा कि मित्तल ने भारत के इस डर से भी अवगत कराया कि भारत विरोधी लड़ाके अफगानिस्तान की धरती का इस्तेमाल हमले करने के लिए कर सकते हैं।

विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा, "तालिबान के प्रतिनिधि ने राजदूत को आश्वासन दिया कि इन मुद्दों को सकारात्मक रूप से संबोधित किया जाएगा।"

स्टेनकजई के स्थानीय प्रेस में यह कहते हुए उद्धृत किए जाने के कुछ दिनों बाद वार्ता हुई कि तालिबान भारत के साथ राजनीतिक और आर्थिक संबंध चाहता है।

भारतीय दूत के साथ बातचीत पर तालिबान की ओर से तत्काल कोई टिप्पणी नहीं की गई।

भारत ने अफगानिस्तान में विकास कार्यों में 3 अरब डॉलर से अधिक का निवेश किया और संयुक्त राज्य समर्थित काबुल सरकार के साथ घनिष्ठ संबंध बनाए। लेकिन तालिबान के तेजी से बढ़ने के साथ, समूह के लिए संचार का एक चैनल नहीं खोलने के लिए भारत सरकार को घर में आलोचना का सामना करना पड़ रहा था।

सरकारी सूत्रों ने रॉयटर्स समाचार एजेंसी को बताया कि जून में, दोहा में तालिबान के राजनीतिक नेताओं के साथ अनौपचारिक संपर्क स्थापित किए गए थे। एक सूत्र ने कहा कि बड़ा डर यह है कि मुस्लिम बहुल कश्मीर में भारतीय शासन से लड़ने वाले सशस्त्र समूह तालिबान की विदेशी ताकतों पर जीत से उत्साहित हो जाएंगे।

विदेश मंत्रालय ने कहा, 'राजदूत मित्तल ने भारत की चिंता जताई कि अफगानिस्तान की धरती का इस्तेमाल किसी भी तरह से भारत विरोधी गतिविधियों और आतंकवाद के लिए नहीं किया जाना चाहिए।

जब तालिबान आखिरी बार 1996-2001 तक सत्ता में था, रूस और ईरान के साथ भारत ने उत्तरी गठबंधन का समर्थन किया जिसने उनके खिलाफ सशस्त्र प्रतिरोध का पीछा किया।

सूत्र ने कहा कि स्टैनेकजई, जिनके बारे में भारतीय अधिकारियों का कहना है कि उन्होंने 1980 के दशक में एक अफगान अधिकारी के रूप में एक भारतीय सैन्य अकादमी में प्रशिक्षण प्राप्त किया था, अनौपचारिक रूप से पिछले महीने भारत पहुंचे थे और अपने दूतावास को बंद नहीं करने के लिए कहा था।

तालिबान के सत्ता में आने के बाद एक नए घृणा अभियान में भारत का मुस्लिम अल्पसंख्यक हिंदू दक्षिणपंथियों का निशाना बन गया।

नई दिल्ली, भारत - अफगानिस्तान में तालिबान की सत्ता में वापसी ने भारत के हिंदू वर्चस्ववादियों को अपने मुस्लिम अल्पसंख्यक के खिलाफ इस्लामोफोबिया की एक नई लहर फैलाने का एक और बहाना दिया है।

मुस्लिम राजनेता, लेखक, पत्रकार, सोशल मीडिया प्रभावित करने वाले और रोज़मर्रा के नागरिक देश के दक्षिणपंथी द्वारा शुरू किए गए घृणा अभियान का लक्ष्य बन गए हैं, जिसमें भारतीय जनता पार्टी (भाजपा) के सदस्य भी शामिल हैं।

जैसे ही तालिबान ने पिछले महीने पश्चिमी समर्थित सरकार को गिराया, भारतीय सोशल मीडिया पर हैशटैग #GoToAfghanistan ट्रेंड करने लगा, दक्षिणपंथी समूहों द्वारा शुरू किए गए #GoToपाकिस्तान अभियान का दोहराव जो भारत को एक जातीय हिंदू राज्य में बदलना चाहते हैं।

कवि और कार्यकर्ता हुसैन हैदरी ने अल जज़ीरा को बताया, "तालिबान या तालिबानी शब्द को स्पेक्ट्रम के दोनों पक्षों द्वारा जानबूझकर जनता की शब्दावली में खिलाया जा रहा है - जो लोग विरोधी या भाजपा समर्थक हो सकते हैं।"

"यह ठीक वैसे ही किया जा रहा है जैसे पाकिस्तानी या 'जिहादी' या 'आतंकवादी' (आतंकवादी) शब्दों को मुसलमानों के खिलाफ गालियों के रूप में खिलाया जाता है।"

तालिबान के काबुल पर अधिकार करने के कुछ समय बाद, भाजपा के राजनेता राम माधव ने 1921 के मोपला विद्रोह को भारत में "तालिबानी मानसिकता" की पहली अभिव्यक्तियों में से एक कहा, और केरल की राज्य सरकार इसे "सफेदी" करने की कोशिश कर रही थी।

माधव ब्रिटिश औपनिवेशिक शासन और दक्षिणी राज्य में सामंती व्यवस्था के खिलाफ किसान विद्रोह के 100 साल पूरे होने के उपलक्ष्य में आयोजित एक कार्यक्रम में बोल रहे थे।

एक अन्य घटना में, मीडिया रिपोर्टों में कहा गया है कि मध्य प्रदेश के मध्य राज्य में मुसलमानों ने मुहर्रम के जुलूस के दौरान पाकिस्तान समर्थक नारे लगाए। भाजपा के राज्य के मुख्यमंत्री ने रिपोर्टों पर टिप्पणी करते हुए कहा कि वह "तालिबान मानसिकता को बर्दाश्त नहीं करेंगे"। उनकी टिप्पणियों के दो दिन बाद, प्रमुख तथ्य-जांच वेबसाइट ऑल्ट न्यूज़ ने प्रारंभिक मीडिया रिपोर्टों को खारिज कर दिया।

पूर्वोत्तर राज्य असम में, इस्लामिक विद्वानों, एक राजनेता और एक स्थानीय पत्रकार सहित 15 मुसलमानों को सोशल मीडिया पोस्ट में तालिबान का कथित रूप से "समर्थन" करने के लिए गिरफ्तार किया गया था और उन पर गैरकानूनी गतिविधि (रोकथाम) अधिनियम या यूएपीए के तहत आरोप लगाया गया था, जो एक कठोर विरोधी था। -आतंकवाद कानून जिसके तहत दर्जनों मुस्लिम और अन्य सरकारी आलोचक सलाखों के पीछे हैं।

'तालिबान से हमारा क्या लेना-देना है?'

हैदरी ने कहा कि जो मुसलमान नफरत का मुकाबला करते हैं या समुदाय के खिलाफ अत्याचारों के बारे में मुखर हैं, उन पर तालिबान के हमदर्द होने का आरोप लगाया जा रहा है, भले ही वे समूह की निंदा करते हों।

लखनऊ शहर में, प्रसिद्ध कवि मुनव्वर राणा को दक्षिणपंथी क्रोध का सामना करना पड़ा, जब उन्होंने तालिबान और वाल्मीकि के बीच एक सादृश्य बनाया, जिन्होंने हिंदू महाकाव्य, रामायण लिखा था।

 Synopsis

Here is a rundown of what these powers, from the government in Kabul and local militias to regional nations, seek to gain or lose in Afghanistan as fighting intensifies for control of the war-weary country:

This handout photograph taken on 1996 and released by courtesy of Obaidullah Baheer shows Afghan warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar (top L) posing for a picture with his son his Ghairat Baheer (top R) and grandsons Abdullah Baheer (bottom R) and his elder brother in the Jalalabad

With US and international troops all but gone from Afghanistan and the Taliban making rapid gains, a number of players are positioning themselves for the next phase of the conflict.

Here is a rundown of what these powers, from the government in Kabul and local militias to regional nations, seek to gain or lose in Afghanistan as fighting intensifies for control of the war-weary country:

Thinly stretched with supply lines strained, the Afghan security forces have come under immense pressure in the final stages of the US military withdrawal.

Afghan troops are facing blistering attacks from the Taliban, including onslaughts on positions in the militants' southern strongholds and a lightning offensive in the north.

But government forces continue to maintain control over the country's cities, with most territorial losses in the sparsely populated rural areas.

"Many of the districts that have fallen were low-hanging fruit -- remotely positioned and difficult to resupply or reinforce, with little strategic military value," said Andrew Watkins, a senior analyst on Afghanistan for the International Crisis Group.

The Afghan military's ability to weather the remaining months of the summer fighting season will likely be crucial to their long-term staying power.

Crucially, the US withdrawal means Afghan forces have lost vital American air support.

"Essentially, this year the war will be the war over districts and highways," said Tamim Asey, the executive chair of the Kabul-based Institute of War and Peace Studies.

"Next year, we could potentially see that the Afghan Taliban might focus on provincial capitals and major urban centres."

Never has the jihadist movement appeared so strong since being toppled by US forces two decades ago.

The group has executed a successful string of offensives across Afghanistan, capturing fully or partially about 100 out of more than 400 districts at a dizzying rate since early May.

The international community blames the Taliban for stalling landmark peace talks with the Afghan government in Doha.

Instead of a political settlement, the insurgents seem focused on positioning their troops for a military takeover.

"Strategically, it makes sense that they would test the Afghan security forces in the absence of US support to see how far they can get," said Jonathan Schroden, director of the military think tank CNA's Countering Threats and Challenges Program.

The Taliban appear to be united, operating under an effective chain of command, despite perennial rumours of splits among the group's leadership.

Known for his academic disposition and infamous temper, Ghani is said to be increasingly isolated at a moment when he is in desperate need of allies.

He has remained defiant despite mounting pressure on his government in the face of territorial losses.

"He was the creature, the man of the Americans, but he is now considered to be uncontrollable and an obstacle to the peace process," a Western diplomat in Kabul said.

A recent shakeup of the country's defence and interior ministries pulled his supporters closer, and may prove pivotal to his future political survival along with continued backing from Washington.

However, many of his team, who have spent years living abroad, are accused of being out of touch with the complex fabric of Afghan society.

Still, a recent trip to the White House saw Ghani secure promises of billions of dollars in security and humanitarian assistance.

Afghanistan's warlords may be waiting to make a comeback as the country's security forces increasingly look to militia groups to bolster their depleted ranks.

As the Taliban battered their way through the north in June, a call for national mobilisation was sounded, with thousands taking up arms in scenes reminiscent of the 1990s civil war.

"The recent calls for such mobilisation will also likely increase fragmentation on the republic side and undermine command and control, putting civilians at increased risk," said Patricia Gossman, the associate Asia director for Human Rights Watch.

Militia leaders may attempt to leverage their past contacts with foreign intelligence agencies to secure cash and weapons in exchange for on the ground reconnaissance.

New strongmen among Afghanistan's ethnic minorities have also begun arming and training recruits, which may further inflame the country's deep ethnic and sectarian divisions.

A new front in the region's great game is opening with neighbouring countries looking to influence momentum on the ground in Afghanistan while also courting the conflict's likely winners.

Pakistan has backed the Taliban for decades and may finally be able to cash its chips in a future government the insurgents either participate in or lead.

Islamabad's major goal will focus on preventing arch-rival India from establishing any influence and posing a threat to its western border.

Iran is also hedging its bets.

After nearly going to war with the Taliban in the 1990s, Tehran has engineered considerable clout over at least one major faction within the group.

It also retains links with warlords who fought the Taliban during the country's civil war.

"Some in Iran and Pakistan might certainly wish their favourites to get a bigger portion of the pie," said Asad Durrani, the former head of Pakistan's formidable spy agency.

"I doubt if the Taliban will let them have their way."

 Synopsis

Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials.

Afghan army soldiers stand guard after the American military left Bagram air base, in Parwan province north of Kabul, Afghanistan, Monday, July 5, 2021

The U.S. left Afghanistan's Bagram Airfield after nearly 20 years by shutting off the electricity and slipping away in the night without notifying the base's new Afghan commander, who discovered the Americans' departure more than two hours after they left, Afghan military officials said.

Afghanistan's army showed off the sprawling air base Monday, providing a rare first glimpse of what had been the epicenter of America's war to unseat the Taliban and hunt down the al-Qaida perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks on America.

The U.S. announced Friday it had completely vacated its biggest airfield in the country in advance of a final withdrawal the Pentagon says will be completed by the end of August.

``We (heard) some rumor that the Americans had left Bagram ... and finally by seven o'clock in the morning, we understood that it was confirmed that they had already left Bagram,`` Gen. Mir Asadullah Kohistani, Bagram's new commander said.

U.S. military spokesman Col. Sonny Leggett did not address the specific complaints of many Afghan soldiers who inherited the abandoned airfield, instead referring to a statement last week.

The statement said the handover of the many bases had been in the process soon after President Joe Biden's mid-April announcement that America was withdrawing the last of its forces. Leggett said in the statement that they had coordinated their departures with Afghanistan's leaders.

Before the Afghan army could take control of the airfield about an hour's drive from the Afghan capital Kabul, it was invaded by a small army of looters, who ransacked barrack after barrack and rummaged through giant storage tents before being evicted, according to Afghan military officials.

``At first we thought maybe they were Taliban,'' said Abdul Raouf, a soldier of 10 years. He said the the U.S. called from the Kabul airport and said ``we are here at the airport in Kabul.''

Kohistani insisted the Afghan National Security and Defense Force could hold on to the heavily fortified base despite a string of Taliban wins on the battlefield. The airfield also includes a prison with about 5,000 prisoners, many of them allegedly Taliban.

The Taliban's latest surge comes as the last U.S. and NATO forces pull out of the country. As of last week, most NATO soldiers had already quietly left. The last U.S. soldiers are likely to remain until an agreement to protect the Kabul Hamid Karzai International Airport, which is expected to be done by Turkey, is completed.

Meanwhile, in northern Afghanistan, district after district has fallen to the Taliban. In just the last two days hundreds of Afghan soldiers fled across the border into Tajikistan rather than fight the insurgents.

``In battle it is sometimes one step forward and some steps back,'' said Kohistani.

Kohistani said the Afghan military is changing its strategy to focus on the strategic districts. He insisted they would retake them in the coming days without saying how that would be accomplished.

On display on Monday was a massive facility, the size of a small city, that had been exclusively used by the U.S. and NATO. The sheer size is extraordinary, with roadways weaving through barracks and past hangar-like buildings. There are two runways and over 100 parking spots for fighter jets known as revetments because of the blast walls that protect each aircraft. One of the two runways is 12,000 feet (3,660 meters) long and was built in 2006. There's a passenger lounge, a 50-bed hospital and giant hangar-size tents filled with supplies such as furniture.

Kohistani said the U.S. left behind 3.5 million items, all itemized by the departing U.S. military. They include tens of thousands of bottles of water, energy drinks and military ready-made meals, known as MRE's.

``When you say 3.5 million items, it is every small items, like every phone, every door knob, every window in every barracks, every door in every barracks,'' he said.

The big ticket items left behind include thousands of civilian vehicles, many of them without keys to start them, and hundreds of armored vehicles. Kohistani said the U.S. also left behind small weapons and the ammunition for them, but the departing troops took heavy weapons with them. Ammunition for weapons not being left behind for the Afghan military was blown up before they left.

Afghan soldiers who wandered Monday throughout the base that had once seen as many as 100,000 U.S. troops were deeply critical of how the U.S. left Bagram, leaving in the night without telling the Afghan soldiers tasked with patrolling the perimeter.

``In one night, they lost all the goodwill of 20 years by leaving the way they did, in the night, without telling the Afghan soldiers who were outside patrolling the area,'' said Afghan soldier Naematullah, who asked that only his one name be used.

Within 20 minutes of the U.S.'s silent departure on Friday, the electricity was shut down and the base was plunged into darkness, said Raouf, the soldier of 10 years who has also served in Taliban strongholds of Helmand and Kandahar provinces.

The sudden darkness was like a signal to the looters, he said. They entered from the north, smashing through the first barrier, ransacking buildings, loading anything that was not nailed down into trucks.

On Monday, three days after the U.S. departure, Afghan soldiers were still collecting piles of garbage that included empty water bottles, cans and empty energy drinks left behind by the looters.

Kohistani, meanwhile, said the nearly 20 years of U.S. and NATO involvement in Afghanistan was appreciated but now it was time for Afghans to step up.

``We have to solve our problem. We have to secure our country and once again build our country with our own hands,'' he said.

 Synopsis

Fears are growing that the loss of vital American air cover -- massively curtailed by the closure of Bagram air base -- will knock the Afghan government's ability to hold power, as multiple players circle to take advantage of the power vacuum. Here are some of the scenarios at play:

In this file photo taken on November 11 2009, US Army soldiers from 2-506 Infantry 101st Airborne Division and Afghan National Army soldiers race to get out of the way of a CH-47 Chinook helicopter landing in hostile territory during the launch of Operation Radu Bark VI

With the United States military presence in Afghanistan effectively over, the country faces an uncertain future with Taliban attacks rampant and the threat of civil war looming.

Fears are growing that the loss of vital American air cover -- massively curtailed by the closure of Bagram air base -- will knock the Afghan government's ability to hold power, as multiple players circle to take advantage of the power vacuum.

Here are some of the scenarios at play:

While Washington's withdrawal ends America's longest war, the conflict in Afghanistan continues, with no obvious signs of a ceasefire.

The insurgents appear focused instead on a total military victory and the overthrow of President Ashraf Ghani.

They have recently made huge advances across the country, claiming control of dozens of new districts, but Afghan security forces remain in firm control of major cities.

"For now, the fighting will intensify and Afghan forces will have a hard time sustaining militarily on their own," Afghan security analyst Bari Arez said.

A leaked internal US intelligence assessment reportedly said the Taliban could take Kabul within six months of the US departure.

Government forces and the Taliban regularly claim to have inflicted enormous casualties on each other, but independent verification is impossible.

However, the number of targeted assassinations of educated Afghans, and sticky bomb attacks against civilians, has dropped in recent weeks.

That remains to be seen, with an all-out civil war looming.

US air power had been a key factor in the ongoing fight, offering vital support to Afghan security forces when they risked being overwhelmed.

In a sign of possible growing desperation, the Afghan government has made calls for civilians to form militias to fight the Taliban -- a move some analysts say could only add fuel to the fire.

"This strategy has to be well-led, well-orchestrated and well-controlled or else it might backfire," said a foreign security analyst who did not want to be named.

With warlords re-emerging, there is a risk of Afghanistan falling back into a state of civil war as security deteriorates, with armed factions entering the fray in a free-for-all power grab.

President Ghani wants a ceasefire with the Taliban ahead of a presidential election where voters will choose a "government of peace". He has refused calls for an unelected interim government that includes the Taliban.

The United States favours such a caretaker government, pushing for a consensus between the warring sides at landmark talks in Doha, which have stalled.

While loose on specifics, the Taliban insist Afghanistan should return to being an emirate, run along strict Islamic lines and led by a council of religious elders.

Afghanistan has seen four presidential elections since the Taliban were overthrown in 2001, and millions of Afghans have embraced a plural, democratic system -- though voting was fraught with corruption.

Now that the stage is set for the insurgents to return, analysts fear the democratic gains of the past two decades could be lost.

"The Taliban for now seem to be convinced they can take power forcefully," political analyst Ramish Salehi said.

"This is a fight that will determine... whether democracy will prevail against ideological forces."

There is palpable fear that hard-fought women's rights will be lost.

Before being deposed in 2001, the Taliban banned girls from studying and stoned to death women accused of crimes such as adultery.

With the Taliban out of power, Afghan women have become prominent politicians, activists, journalists and judges.

The Taliban insist they will respect women's rights in accordance with Islamic law, but activists note the multiple interpretations of that across the Muslim world.

"There is a general feeling of insecurity among women who think that the extremists would again imprison them in their homes," said activist Hosay Andar.

"But they would not give up this time... there would be resistance this time."

With the security situation deteriorating, development work will become increasingly hard to carry out across the impoverished country.

Afghanistan is one of the world's poorest countries, deeply indebted and utterly reliant on foreign aid.

While the nation boasts lucrative mineral reserves that neighbours including China and India are keen to exploit, the security situation has never been stable enough for revenues to boost state coffers.

In November, global donors pledged to offer aid to Afghanistan up to 2024, but there are concerns that with the imminent exit of foreign forces, the donors might not follow up on their commitments.

"The economy is already in a steep decline... and the already terrible unemployment rate will again hit the skies," said analyst Salehi.

 Synopsis

Troops and pro-government militiamen were deployed in the northern provinces of Takhar and Badakshan where the Taliban have captured swathes of territory at lighting speed, often without any fighting. The militants' successes have spurred fears that Afghan forces are in crisis, particularly now vital US air support has been massively curtailed by the handover of Bagram Air Base.

U.S. Marines, from the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, return fire on Taliban positions near the town of Garmser in Helmand Province of Afghanistan on May 2, 2008

Afghan authorities deployed hundreds of commandos and pro-government militiamen on Tuesday to counter the Taliban's blistering offensive in the north, a day after more than 1,000 government troops fled into neighbouring Tajikistan.

Fighting has raged across several provinces, but the insurgents have primarily focused on a devastating campaign across the northern countryside, seizing dozens of districts in the past two months.

Last week, all US and NATO forces left Bagram Air Base near Kabul -- the command centre for anti-Taliban operations -- effectively wrapping up their exit after 20 years of military involvement that began in the wake of the September 11 attacks

"We are planning to launch a big offensive to retake the lost territories from the enemy," Fawad Aman, a spokesman for the Ministry of Defence told AFP.

"Our forces are being organised on the ground for this operation."

Troops and pro-government militiamen were deployed in the northern provinces of Takhar and Badakshan where the Taliban have captured swathes of territory at lighting speed, often without any fighting.

Afghan defence officials have said they intend to focus on securing major cities, roads and border towns in the face of the Taliban onslaught, launched as US and NATO troops pressed ahead with their final withdrawal in early May.

The militants' successes have spurred fears that Afghan forces are in crisis, particularly now vital US air support has been massively curtailed by the handover of Bagram Air Base.

On Monday, more than 1,000 Afghan troops fled into Tajikistan, forcing the neighbouring country to bolster the frontier with its own soldiers.

Several hundred had already crossed into the country in recent weeks, in the face of a Taliban offensive.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon has ordered "the mobilisation of 20,000 reserve troops to further strengthen the border between Tajikistan and Afghanistan," a statement from the presidency said late on Monday.

"We had to abandon our base because there was no coordination or interest among our commanders to counter the attack," said Mohammad Musa, a soldier who had fled to Tajikistan after his base in Kunduz province fell to the Taliban last week.

The fighting in the north has also forced Moscow to close its consulate in the city of Mazar-i-Sharif, the capital of Balkh province and one of Afghanistan's largest urban centres near the border with Uzbekistan.

"The situation is changing rapidly. The Afghan forces, as they say, have abandoned too many districts. This logically creates nervousness," Moscow's envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov told the state-run TASS news agency on Monday.

The insurgents on Tuesday claimed to have captured a district in Nimroz province in the southwest.

The speed and ease of the Taliban's effective takeover of swathes of areas in Takhar, Badakhshan and Kunduz represent a massive psychological blow to the Afghan government.

The area once served as the stronghold for the anti-Taliban Northern Alliance during the gruesome civil war in the 1990s and was never routed by the militants.

A psychological war has also been taking shape online.

The Taliban has marshalled its forces on social media, with insurgent-affiliated accounts providing live updates of the fall of districts and posting numerous videos of Afghan soldiers surrendering and handing over huge weapons caches and equipment to the group.

The Afghan government in turn has been releasing its own footage on social media -- mostly grainy black and white videos of airstrikes obliterating alleged Taliban positions, while boasting of inflicting heavy casualties on the jihadist group.

Afghan commander General Mirassadullah Kohistani, who is now in charge of Bagram Air Base -- from where American warplanes bombed the Taliban hideouts for 20 years -- put on a brave front when asked about the insurgents rapid gains.

"We are trying to do the best and as much as possible secure and serve all the people," he said.

 Synopsis

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Monday ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to bolster the border with Afghanistan after more than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the frontier in response to Taliban militant advances.

A file image of Vladimir Putin and Emomali Rakhmon

Russian military helicopters based in Tajikistan fired air-to-surface missiles during a training exercise on Tuesday as Moscow said its forces in the Central Asian nation were fully equipped to help secure the border with Afghanistan.

Tajik President Emomali Rakhmon on Monday ordered the mobilisation of 20,000 military reservists to bolster the border with Afghanistan after more than 1,000 Afghan security personnel fled across the frontier in response to Taliban militant advances.

Russian President Vladimir Putin told Rakhmon on Monday that Moscow would help the impoverished former Soviet republic contend with the fallout from NATO's exit from neighbouring Afghanistan if necessary.

Russia, which operates one of its largest military bases abroad in Tajikistan equipped with tanks, helicopters, drones and ground attack aircraft, would help stabilise the border with Afghanistan if needed, both directly and through a regional security bloc, the Kremlin said in a statement.

Russia's Deputy Foreign Minister Andrei Rudenko repeated that pledge on Monday and was cited by the Interfax news agency as saying it appeared that the Taliban was now in control of most of the border on the Afghan side.

"The situation there is rather tense because according to some sources, up to 70% of the Tajik-Afghan border is now controlled by the Taliban," Rudenko was quoted as saying.

Russia's defence ministry said on Monday that two MI-24 attack helicopters and two military transport helicopters had taken part in a training exercise in Tajikistan during which unguided missiles had been launched at more than 15 ground targets.

The exercise had simulated an attack on illegal armed groups along with a convoy of cars, enemy firepoints and arms caches.