Afghanistian War; President Flees as Taliban Enters Presidential Palace

Afghanistian pesrident Ghani has left for Tajikistan, following the advancing Taliban . This is according to a top interior ministry official.

Ghani’s exit comes amid talks for a peaceful transfer of power after Taliban insurgents surrounded Kabul after seizing 26 of the country’s 34 provincial capitals in less than two weeks.

Meanwhile, a Taliban official told Reuters that the Taliban was investigating allegations of Ghani’s departure from the country.

On Sunday, Taliban militants surrounded Afghanistan’s capital, stating that its members had been told to desist from violence and to provide safe passage to anyone willing to flee Kabul.

The Taliban spread across the capital, as a squad of fighters stormed Kabul’s presidential palace.

According to Suhail Shaheen, a Taliban spokesman and negotiator, the insurgents will undertake negotiations in the coming days to build a “open, inclusive Islamic government.”

Earlier, a Taliban spokesperson stated that the group planned to announce the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan from the palace, but those plans appeared to be on pause.

Meanwhile, the city was gripped by fear, with helicopters rushing overhead all day to evacuate workers from the US Embassy.

As personnel burned crucial documents, smoke rose near the property, and the American flag was lowered. Several other Western missions were also preparing to evacuate their people.

Afghanistian War;Taliban Senior Official says real test begins now

On Sunday, one of the Taliban’s top officials said that the movement’s quick triumph over the Afghan government was unprecedented, but that the real test of successful governance would begin now that it had taken control.

Baradar, the chief of the Taliban’s political department, claimed in a brief video message that the victory, which saw all of the country’s major cities fall in a week, was shockingly rapid and had no rival in the world.

However, he stated that the real test would begin immediately with satisfying the people’s expectations and serving them by fixing their concerns.

The fall of Kabul marks the final chapter of America’s longest war, which began after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks masterminded by al-Qaida’s Osama bin Laden, then harbored by the Taliban government.

A U.S.-led invasion dislodged the Taliban and beat them back, though America lost focus on the conflict in the chaos of the Iraq War.

For years, the United States has been looking for a way out of the conflict. In February 2020, then-President Donald Trump negotiated a deal with the Taliban that limited direct military action against the terrorists.

When President Joe Biden revealed his plans to withdraw all American forces by the end of this month, the fighters were able to accumulate strength and move quickly to seize crucial regions.