On Sunday, as Taliban forces arrive at Kabul, the Afghanistan capital, President Ashraf Ghani fled, as reported by Tolo News.
Tolo added, according to Taliban sources, Ghani agreed to a formal resignation as he reportedly took his top aides with him.
The Taliban was working to confirm Ghani’s whereabouts as of press time, Reuters reported on Sunday. Officials from Ghani’s office declined to comment the refused to “say anything about Ashraf Ghani’s movement for security reasons.” Like many Afgan troops fleeing the battlefield to Tajikistan, the outlet suggested he was bound or there as well.
Ghani has served as president since 2014.
Saturday, in a pre-recorded speech, Ghani claimed he was working to “remobilize” the Afghan military to fight the Taliban.
“Under the current situation, remobilizing of the security and defense forces is our top priority and required measures are underway for this purpose,” Ghani said, vowing to work to prevent “further killings, loss of the gains of the last 20 years, destruction of public property and continued instability.”
The Taliban claimed no plans to take Kabul “by force” on Sunday. Reports indicate Jalalabad, the last major city other than Kabul, was under their control.
In July, Biden touted the Afghan military’s strength, claiming the nation’s fall to the Taliban was “not inevitable” and explicitly denied the U.S. would evacuate in extreme haste under military pressure as it did in Saigon during the Vietnam War.
“The Taliban is not the North Vietnamese army,” Biden said. “They’re not remotely comparable in terms of capability.
“There’s going to be no circumstance where you are going to see people being lifted off the roof of an embassy of the United States from Afghanistan,” he added. “It is not at all comparable.”
However, American embassy personnel was airlifted from the U.S embassy in Kabul on Sunday morning as Taliban terrorists entered the city’s outlying districts.
The Taliban victory comes as Biden broke the peace deal former President Trump negotiated with the jihadist organizations. Under Trump’s terms, the combat personnel would be withdrawn by May 1 in exchange for the Taliban’s promise not to harbor terrorist groups like al Qaeda, negotiate in good faith with Kabul, and not attack U.S. forces as they left.
In April, Biden announced the U.S. presence would be extended until September 11, 2021, the 20th anniversary of the attacks prompting the American invasion. Later advancing the withdrawal date to the end of August. The Taliban were outraged at the delay indicating Biden’s actions released them from their commitments under the deal. The terrorist groups swiftly acted against the Afghan government.
Taliban fighters have declared victory at the Afghan presidential palace, AFP reported, citing television images.
Mullah Baradar to Taliban: “we have reached a victory that we couldn’t imagine…we should show humility in front of Allah…now it’s time of test — now it’s about how we serve and secure our people, and ensure their future/good life to best of ability.”