Twitter account hacked, says Afghan embassy official in India
What's the story
An Afghan embassy official on Monday suggested that its Twitter handle was hacked after several tweets criticizing embattled Afghan President Ashraf Ghani for fleeing Afghanistan were posted from it. Abdulhaq Azad, Press Secretary of the Afghan embassy in India, tweeted that he lost control of the mission's official Twitter handle, along with a screenshot of one of the messages slamming Ghani for leaving Afghanistan.
Tweets
The tweets criticizing Ghani were deleted later
"I have lost access to the Twitter handle of @AfghanistanInIN, a friend sent me a screenshot of this tweet, (this tweet is hidden from me.) I have tried to log in but can't access it. Seems it is hacked," Azad tweeted from his own Twitter handle. The tweets criticizing the Afghan President were deleted later.
Twitter Post
Here is the tweet by Azad
I have lost access to Twitter handle of @AfghanistanInIN, a friend sent screen shot of this tweet, (this tweet is hidden from me.) I have tried to log in but can’t access. Seems it is hacked. @FMamundzay @FFazly @hmohib pic.twitter.com/kcdlGMpCZ7
— Abdulhaq Azad (@AbdulhaqA) August 16, 2021
Taliban
Ghani and his close aides left Afghanistan on Sunday afternoon
Ghani and his close aides left Afghanistan on late Sunday afternoon after the Taliban was on the brink of seizing control of Kabul after taking over almost all leading cities and provincial capitals. The Taliban later entered the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul and virtually took control of the Afghan capital. There were strong reactions from several Afghan leaders after Ghani left the country.
Criticism
Taliban seized control of around 25 of 34 provincial capitals
Abdullah Abdullah, the Chairman of Afghanistan's High Council for National Reconciliation, criticized Ghani for leaving the country and said, "God will hold him accountable and the nation will also judge." In the last few days, Taliban fighters have swept through most parts of the country, seizing control of around 25 of 34 provincial capitals including cities such as Kandahar, Herat, Mazar-e-Sharif, and Jalalabad.
Information
5 killed at Kabul airport as Afghans desperate to flee
Meanwhile, people across Afghanistan are desperate to leave the country and settle anywhere else. In fact, at least five people were killed amid chaos at the Kabul airport on Monday, according to reports.