- Title: File of Afghan capital as the Taliban start entering Kabul
- Date: 15th August 2021
- Summary: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN (FILE - SEPTEMBER 27, 2017) (REUTERS) EXTERIOR OF THE KABUL INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT ENTRANCE SIGN READING (English): "WELCOME TO HAMID KARZAI INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT" VARIOUS OF SECURITY NEAR AIRPORT AFGHAN ARMY HELICOPTER FLYING OVER THE AIRPORT
- Embargoed: 29th August 2021 09:25
- Keywords: Kabul Taliban US withdrawal
- Location: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- City: KABUL, AFGHANISTAN
- Country: Afghanistan
- Topics: Asia / Pacific,Conflicts/War/Peace,Insurgencies
- Reuters ID: LVA003EQETB9J
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Taliban insurgents entered the Afghanistan capital Kabul on Sunday (August 15), an interior ministry official said, as the United States evacuated diplomats from its embassy by helicopter.
The senior official told Reuters the Taliban were coming in "from all sides" but gave no further details.
A tweet from the Afghan Presidential palace account said firing had been heard at a number of points around Kabul but that security forces, in coordination with international partners, had control of the city. Taliban official told Reuters the group did not want any casualties as it took charge but had not declared a ceasefire.
Earlier on Sunday, the insurgents captured the eastern city of Jalalabad without a fight, giving them control of one of the main highways into landlocked Afghanistan. They also took over the nearby Torkham border post with Pakistan, leaving Kabul airport the only way out of Afghanistan that is still in government hands. The capture of Jalalabad followed the Taliban's seizure of the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif late on Saturday (August 14), also with little fighting. - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2021. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None