Taliban enter Afghanistan’s capital. The leader of Taliban says group’s fighters were ordered to allow safe passage to anyone looking to leave Kabul.
“Home Office (interior ministry) officials are right now working to protect British nationals and help former UK staff and other eligible people travel to the UK.”
“There will be essential arrangement for the maintenance of security of the city, so that personal property … is not harmed.
“A local province which is close to Kabul, has fallen to us, and also other districts near Kabul. [Our forces] are a few kilometres away from the outskirts of the city.”
Taliban source confirms group has entered Kabul
A Taliban source has confirmed to Al Jazeera that the group has entered the province of Kabul.
“He said that the leadership is asking everybody to be calm, that they come with a message of peace,” said Al Jazeera’s Charlotte Bellis, reporting from Kabul.
“He said that we have no intention of fighting, that government buildings are safe, and that they have been instructed that if anybody does want to leave the city, that they should be give safe passage.”
Taliban leadership says Afghan capital will not be taken by force
They say, “negotiations are underway to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely, without compromising the lives, property and honor of anyone, and without compromising the lives of Kabulis.”
US begins evacuating embassy in Kabul
“We have a small batch of people leaving now as we speak, a majority of the staff are ready to leave … the embassy continues to function,” one of the officials, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said.
