Ashraf Ghani’s departure has left the hardline Islamists close to a return to power 20 years after they were chased out by the US
Image: REUTERS)
Afghanistan’s president has said he fled the country to avoid bloodshed as the Taliban closed in on Kabul on Sunday.
Reports filtered in from early afternoon that Ashraf Ghani had left the capital for Tajikistan as militant fighters closed in.
In an update posted on Facebook several hours later, he confirmed he had left Afghanistan – but declined to say where for.
Ghani said he believed his presence would encourage clashes with the Taliban – endangering the lives of millions.
He wrote: “If left unchecked, countless patriots would be martyred and the city of Kabul would be devastated, resulting in a major humanitarian catastrophe in the six-million-strong city.
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“The Taliban had made it clear that they were ready to carry out a bloody attack on all of Kabul and the people of Kabul to oust me.
“In order to prevent a flood of bloodshed, I decided to leave.”
His departure has left the hardline Islamists close to a return to power 20 years after they were chased out by the US.
Kabul – and the wider country – has been rocked by a chaotic day, with Taliban forces surging through the streets.
As night fell, local television 1TV reported that multiple explosions were heard.
It said gunfire could be heard near the airport, where foreign diplomats, officials and other Afghans fled seeking to leave the country.
Aid group Emergency said 80 wounded people had been brought to its hospital in Kabul, which was at capacity.
It is not yet clear how exactly power would be transferred following the Taliban’s lightning sweep in recent weeks across Afghanistan.
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Their advance accelerated as US and other foreign troops withdrew in line with President Joe Biden’s desire to end the war.
Insurgents entered the presidential palace and took control of it, two senior Taliban commanders in Kabul said.
Al Jazeera television later showed footage of what it said were Taliban commanders in the palace with dozens of armed fighters.
The Taliban also said they had taken control of most of the districts around the outskirts of the capital.
A senior Interior Ministry official said Ghani had left for Tajikistan, although this has not been confirmed.
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US diplomats were flown from their embassy by helicopter to the airport as Afghan forces melted away.
The superpower’s embassy said in a security alert that “the security situation in Kabul is changing quickly”, including at the airport.
British troops arrived in Kabul after Boris Johnson said ensuring the safe departure of UK nationals was his priority.
“Our priority is to make sure that we deliver on our obligations to British nationals in Afghanistan, all those who helped the British effort in Afghanistan over 20 years,” he said
He added that nearly 2000 Afghans have already been resettled in the UK, and added: “We’re going to get as many as we can out in the next few days”.
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UK defence sources have told the BBC that the Royal Air Force has already flown out most of the UK embassy’s staff on military flights.
But the UK ambassador and a small number of embassy staff remain in the city to help British nationals evacuate, the sources told the broadcaster.
The Prime Minister’s comments came after he chaired a COBRA meeting to discuss the unfolding crisis.
MPs have also been asked to come to Westminster two weeks early from their summer break after the Taliban forces advanced.
Mr Johnson added, of the political situation: “I think it’s very important that the West collectively should work together to get over to that new government – be it by the Taliban or anybody else.
“Nobody wants Afghanistan once again to be a breeding ground for terror.”