US completely pulling out all embassy staff from Afghanistan

WASHINGTON — The United States is pulling out all US personnel from its embassy in Kabul over the next 72 hours, including top officials, CNN reported citing sources on Sunday.

Most of the American diplomats will go to the airport in Kabul and then fly back to the US. A small number of core personnel, including the top US diplomat in the country, will remain at the Kabul airport for now, said the sources. This means that the US Embassy in Kabul will be shuttered — at least for the time being — by Tuesday (local time), it added.

The decision to pull diplomatic personnel out of the country comes as the Taliban has surrounded Kabul on Sunday after taking control of key provincial capitals.

Earlier, on Saturday, US President Joe Biden authorised the deployment of additional 1,000 troops in Afghanistan, raising the number of American troops in the war-torn country to 5,000 to ensure a safe and orderly drawdown of personnel.

The US President, in a statement, announced that he has authorised the deployment of approximately 5,000 US troops to make sure “we can have an orderly and safe drawdown of US personnel and other allied personnel and an orderly and safe evacuation of Afghans who helped our troops during our mission and those at special risk from the Taliban advance”.

Earlier today, the Taliban entered the Afghan capital Kabul from all sides faced with little or no resistance.

There are negotiations going on in the Afghan Presidential Palace ARG to transfer power to the Taliban.

Moreover, Ali Ahamd Jalali will be appointed as head of the new interim government, The Khaama Press Agency reported citing sources.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani leaves for Tajikistan

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday left for Tajikistan, from where he will proceed to another country.

The development came soon after Ghani left Afghanistan following the Taliban advance into the capital city, Sputnik reported. Afghan First Vice President Amrullah Saleh has also left the country, Global Times reported citing media reports.

According to Tolo News, the Chairman of the Afghanistan Supreme National Reconciliation Council, Abdullah Abdullah in a video message posted on Twitter, addressed Ghani as the “former President” of Afghanistan.

Abdullah also called on Afghans to remain calm and said, “hope this ‘hard day and night’ will pass soon and people will see peaceful days.”

Earlier, there are negotiations going on in the Afghan Presidential Palace ARG to transfer power to the Taliban with Ali Ahamd Jalali as head of the new interim government on Sunday, according to the sources.

Acting Ministers of Interior and Foreign Affairs Abdul Sattar Mirzakwal in separate video clips also assured the people of Kabul will be secured as they are protecting the city along with international allies.

Earlier, the Taliban in a statement assured residents of Kabul no to be afraid as they are not intended to enter the Afghan capital militarily and there will be a peaceful movement towards Kabul.