Under the title "After the Departure of the Afghan President... Taliban: We Entered Kabul Calmly," the Al Arabiya website reported that following the entry of Taliban fighters into the Afghan capital and the departure of President Ashraf Ghani to an unknown location, a Taliban leader announced on Sunday that the group had entered Kabul quietly, indicating that they would officially take over the administration of the capital within hours, after the security forces fled.
Taliban militants entered the presidential palace in Kabul as sources reported chaos within the neighborhoods of the Afghan capital. Additionally, the group ordered its fighters to enter Kabul to "prevent acts of looting," assuring that they had secured police stations, Kabul University, and the Ministry of Education, after security centers were vacated by their personnel.
The movement stated that residents of Kabul should not worry or fear the Taliban fighters, adding, "We will not harm government employees or members of the army and police, and we will enter quietly."
**Curfew**
In parallel, gunfire was heard at the airport in the Afghan capital. The Afghan Interior Ministry announced a curfew in Kabul starting at 9 PM local time. Earlier on Sunday, a senior official from the Afghan Interior Ministry mentioned that Ghani had left Kabul for Tajikistan. Reuters requested a comment from the president's office, which stated, "We cannot disclose any information regarding Ghani's movements for security reasons." Meanwhile, a Taliban representative indicated that the group was verifying Ghani's whereabouts.
**Entering the Capital**
It is worth mentioning that an official from the Afghan Interior Ministry had announced earlier on Sunday that Taliban fighters had entered Kabul. He told Reuters that the Taliban was advancing "from all sides," but did not provide further details. There were no reports of fighting. Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid stated in a statement at that time that the group was in talks with the government for a peaceful handover of Kabul.
**Control of a City and Border Crossing**
Additionally, the Taliban took control of the eastern city of Jalalabad on Sunday, granting them control of one of the main highways in Afghanistan. The group's fighters also seized the Torkham border crossing near Pakistan, making Kabul airport the only exit out of Afghanistan still under government control. The capture of Jalalabad followed the Taliban's capture of the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif late on Saturday with minimal resistance.
