Kabul Taliban takes control over Afghanistan Presidential Palace as Ashraf Ghani flees: Reports
Kabul: Taliban insurgents, who entered Kabul on Sunday after days of clashes with the Afghanistan security forces and capturing of several key cities, have now taken control over the Presidential Palace, hours after President Ashraf Ghani fled the war-torn nation, media reports said.
The incident happened just hours after President Ashraf Ghani moved out of the country.
"The Taliban says it has entered a number of district centres in Kabul, and that it controls 11 of them," according to BBC.
A spokesman said they entered the districts to "ensure safety", the BBC reported.
Earlier in the day, media reports emerged claiming that the Taliban entered the city "peacefully", as well as the palace where negotiations on power transfer were held. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said that the movement received a request to enter Kabul.
The Taliban have declared that there will be no transitional government in Afghanistan and the power will be transferred directly to them, Reuters reported Sunday citing the movement's representative as quoted by UNI and Sputnik news agencies.
Image: BBC Screenshot
Read more- Afghanistan: Ashraf Ghani leaves country
Earlier in the day, a source told Sputnik that Afghan President Ashraf Ghani agreed to step down and departed from Kabul to Tajikistan before going to a third country.
The situation in Afghanistan has sharply deteriorated over the recent weeks as the Taliban stepped up its offensive on major cities as foreign troops complete their withdrawal.
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Meanwhile, former Afghan President Hamid Karzai announced that he would remain in Afghanistan with his family and hopes to resolve the situation in Kabul peacefully.
Karzai also called on Afghan forces and the Taliban to protect lives and prevent destruction.
"I am here in Kabul with my girls and I ask the Taliban to provide security and safety for the people," Karzai said in a video message.
Afghan Vice President Amrullah Saleh said on Sunday he would never have respect for the Taliban.
I will never, ever & under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray d soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won't dis-appoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER.
— Amrullah Saleh (@AmrullahSaleh2) August 15, 2021
"I will never, ever & under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray d soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won't dis-appoint millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER," Saleh tweeted.
(With UNI/Sputnik inputs and image credits: Wikimedia Commons and Ashraf Ghani Instagram page / BBC Screenshots)
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