– Taliban fighters pictured in the Presidential Palace, having previously claimed they would not enter Kabul until given permission

– The encirclement of the Afghan capital of Kabul continues the Taliban’s efforts to regain control of the country

– President Ashraf Ghani reportedly fled Afghanistan on Sunday morning

– US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken admits Taliban offensive “happened more quickly than we anticipated”

Afghan President confirms he has left the country

Earlier today reports surfaced suggesting that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani had fled the country in the face of mounting Taliban presence in Kabul. Within the last hour footage from the Presidential Palace in Kabul has shown Taliban fighters in the building, and a Facebook post from President Ghani confirms that he has left the country, insisting that the decision was taken to avoid a “big human disaster.”

Chaos in Kabul

As the Taliban surged into Kabul on Sunday their arrival has sparked chaos in parts of the Afghan capital as a transition of power now appears inevitable. The speed at which the group and its supporters have swept across the country has caught out both the Afghan army and the US government, who are in the process of withdrawing from the country.

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