Kabul: President Ashraf Ghani has reportedly left war-torn Afghanistan on Sunday hours after Taliban entered Kabul and ordered troops to remain outside the capital city till talks are held on a peaceful transition of power.
Afghan news service Tolo posted on Twitter, citing two people in the know of things, that Ghani has left Kabul after resigning as President. But it was not clear where he was headed to.
Taliban fighters reached Kabul earlier on Sunday, culminating in a three-week offensive during which the Islamic militant group took over several parts of the country. According to Associated Press, Taliban forces are in control of all of Afghanistan’s border crossings.
“The Islamic Emirate instructs all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city,” the Taliban said in a statement. “Negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without putting the lives, property and honour of anyone in danger.”
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said America is in the process of evacuating its embassy in Kabul.
“We’re relocating the men and women of our embassy to a location at the airport,” Blinken said on ABC. “That’s why the president sent in a number of forces to make sure that, as we continue to draw down our diplomatic presence, we do it in a safe and orderly fashion and at the same time maintain a core diplomatic presence in Kabul.”
It’s not clear how and where talks would take place.
Taliban reassured Afghanistan and the world that it will act responsibly after assuming power.
The US-trained Afghan army collapsed after President Joe Biden ordered US troops to withdraw by August 31.
