Taliban take control of Kabul as President Ashraf Ghani flees Afghanistan
- Ghani left for Tajikistan, while the militants entered the presidential palace and took control of it
- Taliban insurgents are expected to announce their takeover from the palace, renaming the country as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan
A senior Afghan interior ministry official said Ghani had left for Tajikistan, while a foreign ministry official said it was not known what country he would land in.
A representative of the Taliban said the group was checking on Ghani’s whereabouts. Some local social media users branded him a “coward” for leaving them in chaos.
Taliban fighters entered the presidential palace and took control of it, two senior Taliban commanders in Kabul said. The Al-Jazeera news network has broadcast footage of a large group of Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace in the Afghan capital.
The Taliban insurgents are expected to announce their takeover from the palace, renaming the country as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The militants have taken over most of Afghanistan in a matter of days as the US scrambles to withdraw after 20 years of war.
American diplomats were evacuated from their embassy by chopper after a swift advance by the insurgents.