THE NEW YORK TIMES: The Taliban’s relentless, rapid advance across Afghanistan brought them on Sunday to the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, the last major city controlled by the government.
As it became clear that the Taliban were at the gates of the capital, thousands of Afghans who had sought refuge there after fleeing the insurgents’ brutal military offensive watched with growing alarm as the local police seemed to fade from their usual checkpoints.
Wais Omari, 20, a street vendor in the city, reflected those concerns. “The situation is not good,” he said. “If it gets worse, I will hide in my home.”
The Taliban, in a statement, said that they were in negotiations with the government and would not take the capital by force.
“The Islamic Emirate instructs all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city,” a spokesman said, using the name by which the insurgents refer to themselves.
The Afghan government had no immediate public response. Afghan news media reported that President Ashraf Ghani had left the country on Sunday afternoon. » | David E. Sanger and Helene Cooper | Sunday, August 15, 2021
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