Kabul International Airport security employees, including women employees, have returned to their jobs, the employees said on Monday.

The employees said the Taliban asked them to resume their jobs. They said the operations at the airport are returning to normal.

Lida, one of the 100 female security employees at the airport, said she is happy to return to her job after more than two weeks of staying at home.

“We were about to get a salary but then the Taliban came and we did not receive our salaries. Now we are working for free,” she said.

“We are happy that they asked us to resume our work. We want the government to pay us a salary from now on,” said Zahra Amiri, an employee at the airport.

The border police who used to guard the airport have also returned to their jobs. They, however, refused to talk on camera.

Some security employees at the airport who used to work for a separate company said the Taliban also asked them to return to their jobs. They said now they belong to the civil aviation authority.

“In fact, we are the employees of the civil aviation authority. The civil aviation authority employees also come here every day,” said Noorullah Omarzoy, an employee at the airport.

“Now we do not know to which department we belong. If we say that we belong to the company, we are not. We may belong to the civil authority, and we hope the authority fulfills the promises it has made to us,” said Shabir Ahmad Khpolwak, an employee at the airport.

Following the fall of the former government on August 15, most government employees have not returned to their jobs.

A number of residents say the Taliban should ask the former government employees to return to their jobs and carry on with their duties because they are skilled enough and know the systems.

Amina Haqparast, a civil society activist, pointing to the professionalism and skills of the former government employees, said: “The educated and experienced individuals that we had in the former government should be used in this government too and their role should not be ignored,” she said.

Despite several attempts, TOLOnews was unable to obtain the Taliban’s comment regarding the return of airport employees.