Stalls and establishments remained open at night as Afghan locals tried to resume normal life in Kabul, Afghanistan, which is now under Taliban rule.

In what appeared to be a picture of normalcy, the streets of Kabul were bustling with activity days after the Taliban takeover of the Afghan capital. Several establishments and stalls were open while vehicles drove by on August 17.

Taliban forces seized Kabul on August 15, 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.’

Meanwhile, the US State Department said there has been no formal transfer of power from the Afghan government to the Taliban, but declined to say if Ghani was still recognised as Afghanistan’s president.