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Afghan President Ashraf Ghani confirmed he had left the country as the Taliban entered Kabul, saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed.
Reuters had reported earlier about his departure to Tajikistan, citing a senior official in the Ministry of the Interior.
But in a Facebook post late on Sunday evening, Mr. Ghani said he faces a “difficult choice” between “the armed Taliban” or “leaving the dear country I have dedicated my life to protecting the past 20 years”.
Live updates on Afghanistan as the Taliban enter Kabul
Thousands gather in Kabul to confront the Taliban as they take control of the city
“If left unchecked, countless patriots will witness and the city of Kabul will be destroyed, resulting in a major humanitarian disaster for the city of six million,” he said.
“The Taliban have made it clear that they are ready to launch a bloody attack on both Kabul and the people of Kabul to overthrow me. In order to prevent blood flow, I decided to leave.”
Photo: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani speaks inside parliament in Kabul
His post confirmed Taliban officials’ claims that they had taken control of Afghanistan’s presidential palace, along with 11 districts in the capital.
This came amid reports of several explosions in the city, despite the Taliban saying they want a “peaceful transition of power”.
Boris Johnson says Afghanistan should not return to being a breeding ground for terrorism
Prime Minister Boris Johnson chaired the Cobra meeting on the Afghan crisis this evening after requesting that Parliament be recalled from its summer recess on Wednesday.
He said the UK and its international partners must work to ensure that “Afghanistan will not become a breeding ground for terrorism” again.
Johnson added that “the situation remains difficult” and that the world faces “regime change in Kabul”.
British forces from the 16th Air Assault Brigade landed in Kabul on Sunday, while British Airways ordered its pilots to stay away from Afghan airspace due to security concerns.
British forces arrive in Kabul to evacuate UK citizens from the airport
Johnson said the government was trying to get as many British citizens out of the country as possible “in the next few days”.
A Foreign Office spokesman said the UK had “reduced its diplomatic presence in Afghanistan”, “but our ambassador remains in Kabul and UK government staff continue to work to provide assistance to British nationals and our Afghan staff”.
According to the Sunday Telegraph, the British ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, will be taken out of the country tonight.
Image: Map showing Taliban gains in Afghanistan by August 15
The Taliban have made rapid gains over the past week, as Western countries urgently deployed troops to help evacuate diplomatic staff.
Crowds of people were seen at the border gate of Pakistan trying to leave the country over the weekend, as militants took to the streets of Kabul.
The Islamists said there would be no fighting in the city and anyone who wanted to leave should be able to do so peacefully, with the women being asked to head to protected areas.
But Mr. Ghani’s comments on Sunday painted a very different picture, with international observers fearing the worst.
The UN Security Council said it would hold an emergency meeting on Monday morning.
Former International Development Secretary Rory Stewart warns of the dangers of the Afghan crisis
US President Joe Biden has announced that he will send an additional 5,000 troops to Kabul to help transport personnel – and the evacuation of the US Embassy has now begun.
US diplomats have been urgently destroying sensitive documents, as helicopters were seen flying over the US embassy.
The Biden administration warned Taliban officials that any actions that put American personnel at risk would “meet a swift and powerful US military response.”
Stuart Ramsey spotting a Taliban convoy in Kabul while speaking live to Sky News
Defending his decision to withdraw US troops from the country in the coming weeks, the president said the task of fighting against Taliban insurgents should fall to the Afghan forces.
He warned that an indefinite US military presence in Afghanistan was not an option, and vowed not to pass the war on to a fifth US president.
But the handling of the crisis has drawn criticism from some US politicians, with his predecessor Donald Trump claiming that Biden “mistakes every time on foreign policy”.
This morning, the President and Vice President met with the National Security Team and senior officials to hear an update on the withdrawal of our civilian personnel in Afghanistan, the evacuation of SIV applicants and other Afghan allies, and the ongoing security situation in Kabul. pic.twitter.com/U7IpK3Hyj8
The White House (@WhiteHouse) August 15, 2021
In a strongly worded statement, Trump said, “After they toppled ISIS, you established a credible deterrent. That deterrent is now gone. The Taliban no longer have fear or respect for America or America’s strength.”
“What a shame it will be when the Taliban raise their flag over the American embassy in Kabul. This is a complete failure through weakness, incompetence and utter strategic disharmony.”
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