Taliban starts invasion of Kabul from all sides

Taliban ordered fighters to refrain from acts of violence in Kabul and to allow safe passage to anyone who chooses to exit the city.

REUTERS

AUGUST 15, 2021 11:07

Taliban militants waving a Taliban flag on the back of a pickup truck drive past a crowded street at Pashtunistan Square area in Jalalabad, Afghanistan in this still image taken from social media video uploaded on August 15, 2021. (photo credit: SOCIAL MEDIA WEBSITE/VIA REUTERS)

Taliban have started entering Kabul from all sides as they have the city entirely surrounded, the Afghan Interior Ministry has said on Sunday.

After its lightning advance on the capital, the insurgent group ordered its fighters to refrain violence, allow safe passage to anyone seeking to leave and request women to head to protected areas, said a Taliban leader in Doha.

“We don’t want a single, innocent Afghan civilian to be injured or killed as we take charge,” a Taliban official told Reuters. “But we have not declared a ceasefire,” he added.

Fewer than 50 US officials will stay in Kabul, as “core” US team members in Kabul are working from Kabul Airport, according to a US official. The US has also advised other embassies in Kabul to operate with limited staff from a safe location.

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In addition, several UN staff members moved to an undisclosed, safer location in Kabul, according to a North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) official.

This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.

Content retrieved from: https://www.jpost.com/breaking-news/taliban-starts-invasion-of-kabul-from-all-sides-676751.