A former U.S. Marine has made an impassioned plea to save Afghanistan military assistants who are now facing punishment under the new Taliban regime.

Michael Alfaro said Afghan soldiers had ‘fought alongside America for freedom and democracy’ would be stranded unless they could be evacuated.

He claimed thousands of families waiting to catch planes out of Kabul have ‘the Taliban aiming their guns at their heads’.

Michael, who has conducted several humanitarian missions across Southeast Asia since leaving the Marines, added: ‘I’m here to plead for mercy for these Afghan friendlies who fought with us for over 20 years in Afghanistan for freedom.’

Taliban forces seized Kabul on August 16, settling into the presidential palace after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled the country.

A Taliban spokesman said the war was ‘over’ and that the militants have accomplished their objective or retaking the Middle East country following two decades of western occupation started by former leaders George Bush and Tony Blair.

Mohammad Naeem said: ‘We have reached what we were seeking, which is the freedom of our country and the independence of our people. We will not allow anyone to use our lands to target anyone, and we do not want to harm others.’

The U.S. State Department said there had been no formal transfer of power from the Afghan government to the Taliban.