Taliban captures Jalalabad after Mazar-e-Sharif, only Kabul under Afghan govt control now

Tensions are rising in Kabul, as the Taliban continue their rapid advance towards the Afghan capital.

The insurgents seized control of the eastern city of Jalalabad early on Sunday, leaving the capital as the only major city still under government control.

Jalalabad fell after Mazar-e-Sharif on Saturday, the govt's last northern bastion in the country.

India has begun evacuating its staff from its consulate in Mazar-e-Sharif. The United States and Britain have rushed in troops to help evacuate their embassies after the militants captured town after town. The US said it was deploying 5,000 troops to help evacuate its nationals from the beleaguered country.

Afghanistan’s President Ashraf Ghani had held urgent talks with local leaders and international partners on Saturday, as Taliban rebels pushed closer to Kabul.

In a televised address, Ghani told citizens that his focus is on preventing further instability, violence, and displacement of his people.

The collapse of government forces has left President Ashraf Ghani under growing pressure to resign.