Afghanistan: Ismail Khan, the "Lion of Herat" surrendered to the Taliban

Ismail Khan, nicknamed the "Lion of Herat" in Afghanistan, at the microphone of a Taliban media in the care of the insurgents in this screenshot taken from an undated video from social networks posted on August 13, 2021. via REUTERS - TALIBAN HANDOUT

Text by: Nicolas Rocca Follow

4 min

The inexorable advance of the Taliban continues in the country.

This Thursday, August 12, Herat, the third largest city in the country, was taken despite popular resistance carried by an emblematic warlord, Ismail Khan.

The former governor of the province, a notorious fighter against the USSR and then against the Taliban, was captured.  

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In a short video published by the propaganda of the Taliban movement, the man nicknamed the “ 

Lion of Herat

 ” announced that he had surrendered to the insurgents.  

Short Interview of Warlord #Ismail_Khan after his capturing in #Herat pic.twitter.com/GQE69vcLRB

- Tariq Ghazniwal (@TGhazniwal) August 13, 2021

We see the 75-year-old warlord with heavy eyes and long white beard answering questions from the Taliban: "

 They should treat people well, and people should have good feelings towards them so that they lead together. a prosperous life 

, ”he said. 

A living legend of the Afghan resistance 

For several hours, the fate of the one who for a long time ruled Afghanistan's third largest city remained uncertain as the announcement of the city's capture had already fallen.

The Taliban then claimed to have reached an agreement with the warlord who will be " 

returned to his residence 

".

This is a highly symbolic take for the Islamist organization, as Ismail Khan is a living legend of the Afghan resistance.  

A notorious opponent of the Soviets in the 1980s, he also had many military successes against the Taliban when they took power in the following decade. Forced to flee to Iran in 1995, he returned to organize an uprising against the Taliban power before being captured in 1997. Two years later, he managed to escape and was free during the American occupation of the country. . In 2001, he became the governor of the province of Herat where he was born, before assuming key political responsibilities as Minister of Energy for the Kabul authorities.  

With the departure of American troops and the advance of the Taliban, he launched a month ago in the

defense of Herat

.

Federating a popular army of about 700 men, he had urged the Afghan soldiers to show greater firmness and called on the “

 current security forces to resist courageously

 ”.

Now in the hands of the Taliban, he said he hoped that "

 peace and stability will be restored in Afghanistan 

". 

Despite his rebellious character, he was unable to resist the lightning offensive of the radical Islamists.

The “Lion of Herat” fell at the same time as his city. 

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To read also: Afghanistan: the noose is tightening around Kabul, NATO calls a crisis meeting

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