Taliban take control of Kabul

The Taliban have taken control of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan, completing a rapid takeover of the country as American and British forces withdraw.

Taliban fighters entered the city on 15 August. The Afghan president, Ashraf Ghani, fled the country, and the government collapsed.

A rapid advance

The Taliban have swept across Afghanistan in just over a week, taking one provincial capital after another, often without a fight. Afghan security forces, trained and equipped by the United States and its allies over 20 years, have largely collapsed.

By the evening, Taliban fighters were in the presidential palace.

Chaos at the airport

Thousands of people have rushed to Kabul airport, desperate to leave the country. Western countries are racing to evacuate their citizens and Afghans who worked with them.

Britain has sent around 600 troops to help evacuate British nationals and Afghan staff, including interpreters.

Twenty years of war

The United States and its allies, including Britain, invaded Afghanistan in 2001, after the attacks on 11 September, to remove the Taliban government, which had sheltered al-Qaeda.

More than 450 British service personnel died in Afghanistan, most of them in Helmand province.

President Joe Biden announced in April that all American troops would leave by September, following an agreement made with the Taliban by his predecessor, Donald Trump.

Fears for Afghans

Many Afghans fear a return to the harsh rule of the Taliban, who governed from 1996 to 2001. At that time, women were largely banned from work and education, and punishments included public executions.

The Taliban say they will not seek revenge and will respect the rights of women within Islamic law, but many people do not trust their promises.

Reaction

The Prime Minister, Boris Johnson, said no country should recognise a Taliban government prematurely. Parliament is being recalled to discuss the situation.

Some veterans and politicians have criticised the speed of the withdrawal, and questioned what the long war achieved.

Refugees

Aid agencies fear a humanitarian crisis, as thousands flee their homes. There are calls for Britain to offer a home to Afghan refugees, and councils, including Birmingham, have said they are ready to help.