Taliban militants have reached the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital, Kabul, after taking control of most of the rest of the country BBC reports.
According to the report, negotiations have taken place to ensure a peaceful transition of power. A Taliban statement says fighters had been ordered to remain on the edges of the capital.
The Islamist group said it did not intend to take revenge on government officials or military personnel.
The assurances come as many residents of Kabul try to reach the airport, many abandoning their cars and opting to walk because of traffic jams.
It is almost 20 years since the Taliban were ousted by a US-led military coalition.
Bagram airfield and prison, about 40km (25 miles) north of the city centre, are in Taliban hands, the militants say.
President Joe Biden has defended his decision to speed up the US withdrawal, saying he could not justify an “endless American presence in the middle of another country’s civil conflict”.
The US now is evacuating staff from its Kabul embassy – with people have seen boarding military planes at the airport, where 5,000 US troops have been deployed to help with the operation.
Earlier on Sunday, militants took control of Jalalabad, a key eastern city, without a fight.
