Afghan president flees ‘negotiations with Taliban in Qatar’

The Taliban also say they want to negotiate a peaceful transfer of power with the government. Both sides want to avoid casualties.

Earlier, the Interior Minister reported that a peaceful transition of power was imminent.

A matter of time

The Taliban has yet to say that they have seized power, and President Ashraf Ghani has yet to comment. According to the Afghan newspaper, Tolo News, he is fled the country. It is assumed that it is located in Tajikistan.

Afghan officials confirmed to The Associated Press that Ghani had left the country.

With the Taliban in control of most of Afghanistan and the capital besieged and infiltrated in some places, it seems only a matter of time before the Taliban regain control of Afghanistan after 20 years.

This map shows which part of Afghanistan actually fell into the hands of the Taliban:

Chaos in Kabul

The Taliban’s rapid advance near Kabul created chaos in the city. Helicopters fly back and forth at the US embassy, ​​according to the New York Times, to evacuate diplomats and staff as quickly as possible.

Sources told CNN that the United States will withdraw all of its embassy staff within 72 hours, including several senior officials.

Huge Chinook helicopters and high-speed Black Hawk helicopters were deployed to transport people from the diplomatic post. An informed source told the newspaper that essential employees who were supposed to remain at the embassy will be evacuated. They were flown to Kabul airport, where they will remain indefinitely.

Airport

Kabul airport is busy. Soldiers, diplomats and civilians from all over the world gather here. According to the newspaper, they will receive a special wristband if they qualify for an evacuation flight.

Many Afghans do not have to rely on plane evacuation. They are trapped in the city which is said to be surrounded by the Taliban. Many stores are closed and there are queues at banks.