UN To Hold Emergency Meeting On Afghanistan; Check Updates Here

The UN Security Council will hold an emergency meeting on Afghanistan on Monday morning at the request of Estonia and Norway.

Council diplomats said Sunday that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres will brief council members on the latest situation following the Taliban takeover of the capital, Kabul.

The UN chief on Friday had urged the Taliban to immediately halt their offensive in Afghanistan and negotiate “in good faith” to avert a prolonged civil war.

He also said he is “deeply disturbed by early indications that the Taliban are imposing severe restrictions in the areas under their control, particularly targeting women and journalists.

Footage Shows Taliban Fighters In Afghan Presidential Palace

The Al-Jazeera news network is airing footage of a large group of Taliban fighters inside the presidential palace in the Afghan capital.

The Taliban are expected to announce their takeover from the palace, renaming the country as the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.

The militants have taken over most of Afghanistan in a matter of days as the US scrambles to withdraw after 20 years of war.

President Ashraf Ghani's reported departure comes hours after the Taliban ordered its fighters to the outskirts of Kabul and demanded a peaceful transfer of power:

President Ashraf Ghani has reportedly left the country
US Secretary of State Blinken: Kabul 'manifestly not Saigon'
Germany closes its embassy in Kabul
Pakistan closes border crossing
Taliban 'take Bagram air base'
US starts evacuation of its embassy

This story was last updated at 16:05 (UTC/GMT). For more information on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, click here.

US embassy reports Kabul airport 'taking fire'

The US Embassy in Kabul wrote on its website Sunday, "There are reports of the airport taking fire; therefore, we are instructing US citizens to shelter in place."

The AP reports the US military has evacuated the acting US ambassador to the Kabul airport. CNN adds the flag has been removed from the US Embassy.

Malala urges protection for civilians and refugees

Nobel Laureate Malala Yousafza, who was shot in the head by the Taliban in 2012, has tweeted of her "shock" at the speed of the militant group's advance.

"We watch in complete shock as [the] Taliban takes control of Afghanistan. I am deeply worried about women, minorities and human rights advocates. Global, regional and local powers must call for an immediate ceasefire, provide urgent humanitarian aid and protect refugees and civilians," she wrote.

Yousafza was 15 when she was targeted by a Taliban gunman in neighboring Pakistan for campaigning against its attempts to deny women education

She was given refuge in Britain and two years later became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize winner and has continued to promote women's rights.

Women and girls were mostly prohibited from education during the Taliban's previous rule in Afghanistan, a rule that was overturned after the US-led invasion in 2001.

Italian NGO hospital reports more than 40 injured as Taliban closed in on Kabul

A hospital in Kabul run by the Italian NGO Emergency announced on Twitter Sunday more than 40 were injured "from the fighting in the #Qarabagh area" as the Taliban closed in on the city.

The Emergency NGO was founded by Italian surgeon Gino Strada who passed away Friday. On the day of his death, Italian newspaper La Stampa published an article of his as the Taliban made rapid military advances and took over key Afghan cities.

Strada wrote that over his time in Afghanistan, "I saw the number of wounded and the violence increase, while the country became progressively devoured by insecurity and corruption."

Johnson holds urgent talks on Britain's response

Britain's Foreign Minister Dominic Raab has called on the Taliban to end its campaign of violence as its seizes power in Afghanistan.

He wrote on Twitter that it was "critical that the international community is united in telling the Taliban that the violence must end and human rights must be protected."

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson called a crisis meeting on Sunday afternoon to discuss the crisis. He also recalled Parliament for Wednesday for an urgent debate on what Britain, which lost 457 troops in the two-decade-long war, should do next.

British media reported that the UK's ambassador to Afghanistan, Laurie Bristow, would be airlifted out of Afghanistan by Monday evening.

Admiral Mullen: 'Expectations were too high and it was a bridge too far'

Admiral Mike Mullen, the chairman of the joint chiefs when the surge in Afghanistan took place under then US President Barack Obama, told CNN Sunday that he questioned the timing of the withdrawal and conceded there were errors in the overall mission in Afghanistan.

"Anyone who has been in Afghanistan knows this is the peak of the fighting season, when Taliban is at the peak of their effectiveness," Mullen said about the timing of the withdrawal this summer.

Mullen noted the US and allies "underestimated impact of what a corrupt government does" and believes endemic corruption under Afghanistan's two presidents of the last twenty years, Hamid Karzai and Ashraf Ghani, explains why Afghans felt more ripped off by their leaders than willing to fight to defend the country.

"We just reached too far, expectations were too high, and it was a bridge too far to get to where we thought we wanted to go," Mullen concluded.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has reportedly left Afghanistan

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has reportedly left Afghanistan. The Afghan outlet Tolo News was first to report the development Sunday.

An Interior Ministry official told Reuters Sunday Ghani left Kabul for Tajikistan. The Associated Press also reported the president has left the country, citing officials.

Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, later confirmed Ghani had left in an online video.

"He left Afghanistan in a hard time, God hold him accountable," Abdullah said.

Germany will have to work with Taliban

The Taliban's speedy recapture of Afghanistan marks the "end of an era" in which "the West believed it could turn weak countries into stable ones," Roderich Kiesewetter, a member of the German government's foreign affairs committee, told DW on Sunday.

He blamed the Trump administration's decision to pull US troops out of the war-torn country for the chaos. Asked whether NATO soldiers could have remained, Kiesewetter noted that the West had originally pledged to stand by the Afghan government until 2024, but now "there is no willingness at all."

He criticized the corruption within the Afghan government, which he said was responsible for a breakdown in "trust" with the West.

Asked whether Germany would cooperate with the Taliban if they lead a new government, Kiesewetter said Berlin "cannot afford not to negotiate" with the militant group. However, the Taliban will be in a much stronger position and will likely take advantage of the West's "weakness" in talks.

US Secretary of State: Kabul embassy situation 'manifestly not Saigon'

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN Sunday the Kabul embassy drawdown is "manifestly not Saigon" as US military helicopters worked to scuttle embassy staff from the Kabul embassy roof to the airport in a near repeat of scenes that played out in the South Vietnamese capital 46 years ago as the US withdrew at the conclusion of the Vietnam war.

"This is not Saigon," Blinken said.

He acknowledged the "hollowness" of Afghanistan's security forces, however, which the US and NATO allies have spent twenty years training and equipping.

"The fact of the matter is we've seen that force has been unable to defend the country." He added, "that has happened more quickly than we anticipated," Blinken said.

Pope Francis expresses 'concern' for 'battered population'

Pope Francis expressed "concern" for the people of Afghanistan during weekly Angelus on St. Peter's Square Sunday and called for dialogue so the "battered population" can live in peace.

"I join in the unanimous worry about the situation in Afghanistan," Pope Francis said, adding, "I ask you to pray along with me to the God of peace so that the din of weapons ends and that solutions can be found around a table of dialogue."

There are very few Christians in Afghanistan, most of them embassy employees or foreign aid workers.

Afghan army yet to be mobilized

Journalist Franz Marty, reporting for DW from the Afghan capital, says there's no evidence that Afghan forces have been mobilized to protect the city, as promised by President Ashraf Ghani in a speech on Saturday.

"As far as I can tell, there has been no big last stand organized," Marty said.

He added that Ghani's speech appeared to be "detached from reality," because so many other provincial capitals have fallen to the Taliban without a fight and so fast.

"It's difficult to imagine how [the outcome] in Kabul can be completely different ... that they put up a swift resistance when everything [other cities] has collapsed in three days."

NATO maintaining Kabul airport operations

NATO said in a statement it is "helping to maintain operations at Kabul airport to keep Afghanistan connected with the world."

While NATO will maintain a diplomatic presence in Kabul, "the security of our personnel is paramount, and we continue to adjust as necessary."

The alliance did not disclose details on the number of its staff in the country, but said it is "constantly assessing developments."

"We support Afghan efforts to find a political solution to the conflict, which is now more urgent than ever,'' the statement said.

Germany closing its Kabul embassy

The German foreign ministry announced Sunday it is closing its Kabul embassy. In a statement on the ministry website, officials have requested all German nationals leave Afghanistan at this time.

On Twitter, German foreign minister Heiko Maas announced the embassy will be relocated to the military section of the airport for now.

"Foreign Minister Maas has also reconvened the Federal Government's crisis team for today in order to initiate immediate measures to secure the safety and departure of German staff and other persons at risk," the ministry said in their statement.

The ministry also advises German citizens, "In consular emergencies in Afghanistan, contact the German Foreign Office directly," and to "only travel and stay on the basis of a viable, professional security concept.

Pakistan closes border crossing with Afghanistan

Pakistan Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed has told DW that the government has closed the Torkham border crossing with Afghanistan, shuttering the last major land route out of the country.

Rashid Ahmed said Pakistani officials had made the move because the Taliban "have taken control of Jalalabad and deployed their men on the border."

He said that the closure was due to the potentially worsening security situation.

Islamabad says it will help Pakistanis stranded in Kabul, Jalalabad, and other parts of Afghanistan get out of the country.

Albania agrees to US Afghan refugee request

Albania has accepted a request from the Biden administration to take in Afghan refugees seeking visas to enter the United States.

Writing on Facebook, Prime Minister Edi Rama cited US support for his country during previous conflict in the Balkans region as one reason for agreeing to the request.

"We will not say 'No, not just because our great allies ask to," he said. "But because we are Albania."

The Reuters news agency reported on Friday that the US was in talks with Kosovo and Albania to welcome Afghans who had worked for their military over the past two decades.

The move is aimed at protecting them from potential reprisals by the Taliban.

Taliban 'take Bagram air base'

The Associated Press, citing Bagram district chief Darwaish Raufi, said troops have surrendered Bagram air base to the Taliban.

US broadcaster NBC News reported earlier on Sunday that base had been taken by the Taliban, citing sources from the Islamist militant group.

The Afghan government has not commented publicly on the reports.

German army to begin evacuations

The German army will start evacuating German citizens and local Afghan forces from Kabul this Monday, the dpa news agency reports.

The German outlet did not cite how it obtained the information.

Several A400M transport planes are to fly to the Afghan capital to ferry people home, the report said.

Taliban negotiators headed to presidential palace

The AP, citing an anonymous Afghan official, reports Taliban negotiators are making their way to the presidential palace for negotiations to facilitate a "transfer" of power.

The Afghan official said the goal was a peaceful handover of the government to the Taliban.

Interior Minister Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal also said in a recorded speech that there would be "no attack on the city" and that "a peaceful transfer of power to the transitional government" was in the works.

Britain vows to evacuate nationals, staff

Britain's government said on Sunday that it was working on evacuating its citizens and former UK staff from Afghanistan.

"Home Office (interior ministry) officials are right now working to protect British nationals and help former UK staff and other eligible people travel to the UK," it wrote on Twitter.

The UK government has come under criticism from some British newspapers for not doing enough to help Afghans who worked with its military over the past two decades.

Taliban start entering Kabul

The Taliban, an Islamist militant group that has seized large parts of Afghanistan, started entering the outskirts of Kabul on Sunday, local officials said.

Gunfire and sirens were heard sporadically across Kabul.

The Afghan capital is the last major city held by government forces after insurgents made several advances elsewhere this month amid the withdrawal of allied troops.

Taliban want to avoid forceful takeover

The Taliban later pledged not to take the capital "by force."

"No one's life, property and dignity will be harmed and the lives of the citizens of Kabul will not be at risk," the militant group said in a statement.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen later told the Al-Jazeera English channel that they are "awaiting a peaceful transfer of Kabul city'' after they entered the capital's outskirts.

Shaheen declined to offer specifics on any possible negotiations between his forces and the government.

Matin Bek, the chief of staff to Afghan President Ashraf Ghani, wrote on social media: "Don't panic! Kabul is safe!"

The Taliban started an offensive nearly two weeks ago, capturing a number of key towns, cities and border posts.

US starts Kabul evacuation

Sunday's move on Kabul comes as international forces start to evacuate their diplomats amid the worsening security situation.

US intelligence officials said earlier this week that they believed it might take as long as three months for the Taliban to seize the Afghan capital.

Peace talks have been taking place in Doha, Qatar, since last September between the Afghan government and the Taliban.

But the negotiations, which are being mediated by the international community, have failed to bear fruit.

Ghani wants stability

In a televised speech on Saturday, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani vowed that he would not give up the "achievements" of the past 20 years.

He warned that the country is in "serious danger" of facing "instability."

Ghani, an academic economist who spent most of his career in the United States, became president in 2014, winning a second term five years later.