Taliban fighters have seized the presidential palace in Kabul, as President Ashraf Ghani left Afghanistan.
In an exclusive video, Al Jazeera has been screening footage of Taliban fighters apparently inside the presidential palace, where the militants can be seen wandering around the palace.
President Ashraf Ghani has confirmed that he has fled Kabul. In a Facebook post addressed to Afghan citizens, Ghani said he made the difficult decision to leave the country to avoid bloodshed. Some reports say he has gone to Tajikistan.
Ghani’s departure comes amid negotiations for a peaceful transfer of power after Taliban fighters encircled Kabul after capturing 26 of the country’s 34 provincial capitals in less than two weeks.
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On Sunday, Taliban troops surrounded Afghanistan’s seat of power, promising it had instructed its fighters to refrain from violence and offer safe passage to anyone wishing to leave Kabul.
Al Jazeera quoted a Taliban spokesman saying those who worked with the government and military will be offered amnesty.