Trapped UK citizens and Afghans fear for their lives despite Taliban promises

ITV News Correspondent Dan Rivers hears from a UK citizen and an ex-military translator who are living in fear of the Taliban and their violence

UK citizens and Afghans have told ITV News how they have been left fearing for their lives, despite the Taliban's assurances that they would rule in a more moderate style and would not seek revenge against the West and Afghans who worked with it.

Abdul Qadir Jalil, an Afghan-born Manchester resident, travelled to Afghanistan around three weeks ago to get married.

He told ITV News the promises of the Taliban are meaningless and count for nothing - after he was beaten when he tried to get papers to fly back to the UK.

"They took me out from my car and start beating on me and they said 'why are you fleeing this country?'" He said.

He added: "Their spokesman's statements are completely different from their activities."

'They start beating on me' when they found out I was trying to leave the country, a UK citizen trapped in Afghanistan says

Earlier this week, he said the Taliban had ransacked his home in the capital, Kabul, and executed people in his street.

"Last night, the Taliban was trying to attack and search every house in the street," he told ITV News.

"They are searching for smart phones because they are trying to wipe social media evidence. Personally, I'm very scared."

The same fears were echoed by a former military translator who now lives in the UK and is one of 20 who came back to Afghanistan to take them back to Britain, but is now trapped in the country.

'They were beating women, and they beat my friends', a former military translator is fearing for his life because of his past work

The former military translator told ITV News: "When we went to the airport gate and I saw the Taliban, they were beating women - and they beat my friends as well."

When asked by ITV News whether he was trapped, he said: "Yes, we are trapped.

"If they catch us and if they realise that we were working with the British troops or we had been working with the British troops or American troops... they are brutal and I don't know what is going to happen to us."

A woman who also fled from a Taliban held area in Afghanistan to Kabul said her husband has died and the terrorist group has also killed her son.

She said: "I came here 10 days ago and I'm without food, I'm sleeping every day.

"My kids are very poor, my husband has died and they killed my son.

"I don't have anyone to support me."

Despite the Taliban's assurances of tolerance in a press conference televised around the world on Tuesday, footage filmed on Thursday showed the militants opening fire on protesters and shooting warning shots as people crowded outside Kabul's airport in a desperate bid to try and flee the country.

On Tuesday, in a statement which looks increasingly unlikely as each day passes, Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid promised the insurgents would secure Afghanistan, but seek no revenge against those who worked with the former government or with foreign governments or forces.

“We assure you that nobody will go to their doors to ask why they helped,” he said.

He also promised the Taliban would honour women’s rights, but within the norms of Islamic law.

However, there have been reports of revenge killings and other brutal tactics in areas of the country the Taliban have seized in recent days, while others have reported the militants going door-to-door in search of people.

Following a blitz across Afghanistan that saw many cities fall to the insurgents without a fight, the Taliban has sought to portray itself as more moderate than it was 20 years ago.