Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaves country,Taliban takes Kabul

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has left the country, reports says quoting Afghan officials. Ghani has left the city for Tajikistan capping the militants lighting push for the power. Earlier, it was reported that Vice President Amrullah Saleh also fled out of the country. Diplomats from the various countries have already evacuated their embassies. Abdullah Abdullah, head of the High Council for National Reconciliation (HCNR), also said Ghani had left the country and referred to him as “former president”. Further, he reportedly asked Afghan forces to cooperate in ensuring security and urged the Taliban to allow some time for talks before entering Kabul.

It is now confirmed that Taliban insurgents entered Afghanistan's capital Kabul on Sunday. They have taken control of the Afghan presidential palace. The Taliban said they won't take Kabul "by force", adding that negotiations are underway for a peaceful entering into the capital city. "Since the capital Kabul is a large and densely populated city, the Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate do not intend to enter the city by force or fighting, but rather to enter peacefully through Kabul. Negotiations are underway. Until the transfer process should be completed in a safe and secure manner, no one's head, property and honour should be harmed and the lives of the citizens of Kabul should not be jeopardised," the Taliban's statement read. On Saturday, the Taliban said in a statement that their rapid gains showed they were popularly accepted by the Afghan people and reassured both Afghans and foreigners that they would be safe.

Amid the looming security threat, the US has started evacuating its officials from its embassy in Kabul. Helicopters were seen landing at the US Embassy in Kabul as diplomatic vehicles leave the compound, the Associated Press reported. The Embassy also reportedly instructed the staff to destroy sensitive materials as part of the "Emergency Destruction Services" protocol. Afghanistan's Acting Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzkwal on Sunday said that Kabul will not be attacked and the transfer will take place peacefully. He says the security of Kabul is the responsibility of the security forces. He assured that Afghan forces would ensure the security of the residents in the capital city.