Afghanistan:Several dead as Taliban open fire on protesters

Several  people were killed on Thursday in the Afghan city of Asadabad after Talibanis fired on people waving the national flag at an Independence Day rally, At least eight people were wounded in the violence. As per reports Flag-waving protesters took to several Afghan cities on Thursday and several people were killed when Taliban  fired on a crowd, in the first popular opposition to the militants since they seized the capital. "Our flag our identity," a crowd of men and some women waving black, red, and green national flags shouted in Kabul. Afghanistan celebrates its independence from British control on August 19. First Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who is trying to rally opposition to the Taliban, expressed support for the protests. "Salute those who carry the national flag and thus stand for dignity of the nation," he said on Twitter.

On Wednesday, Taliban opened fire on protesters waving the black, red and green national flag at Jalalabad, killing three, witnesses and media reported. Media reported similar scenes in Asadabad and another eastern city, Khost, on Wednesday, with protesters in some places tearing down the white Islamic banner of the Taliban. The crackdown on protests will raise new doubts about Taliban assurances they have evolved since their 1996-2001 rule when they severely restricted women, staged public executions and blew up ancient Buddhist statues.They now say they want peace, will not take revenge against old enemies and will respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law. While Kabul has been generally calm since Taliban forces entered on Sunday, the airport has been in chaos as people have rushed in to find a way out of the country. The Taliban celebrated Afghanistan's Independence Day on Thursday by declaring it had beaten "the arrogant of power of the world" in the United States,