Taliban militants stormed the Afghan Presidential Palace in Kabul yesterday after gaining control of the country’s capital.
It was gathered that President Ashraf Ghani fled towards the Pakistani border to avoid being captured.
The fighters, who were seen posing for pictures in the palace, demanded a ‘peaceful transfer of power.’ They also said they would soon declare the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
The Taliban terror group said: ‘We don’t want a single, innocent Afghan civilian to be injured or killed as we take charge of Kabul, but we have not declared a ceasefire.’
Its leader, Mullah Baradar, who is based in Qatar, was said to be on his way to Afghanistan to take over the new interim government.
Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden was reported to have increased the number of troops being sent to evacuate 10,000 Americans in the crisis-torn country to 5,000.
Biden vowed that any action that puts Americans at risk ‘will be met with a swift and strong US military response.’
Other foreigners in Kabul were told to either leave or register their presence with Taliban administrators.
