Taliban in Kabul to negotiate on power transfer

Smoke rises after fighting between Taliban and Afghan security personnel in the city of Kandahar, southwest of Kabul – AP
Smoke rises after fighting between Taliban and Afghan security personnel in the city of Kandahar, southwest of Kabul – AP

QAMISHLI, Syria (North Press) – On Sunday, the Taliban entered the outskirts of the city Kabul, ABC News reported.

“Taliban leaders have ordered their men not to take over Kabul by force for now but to remain at the gates of the capital,” a Taliban spokesman told ABC News.

The spokesman said that the negotiations are underway with “the other side to ensure that the transition process is completed safely and securely.”

Today, Jalalabad became the latest major city to fall, cutting off the capital from the east, according to Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.

With the capture of Jalalabad, the Taliban now controls eight of the ten largest cities in the country.

As the latest cities fall, President Joe Biden announced he would be sending more soldiers to Kabul to facilitate the safe withdrawal of the US personnel, allied forces and Afghan civilians who helped with the war effort.

Yesterday, the US State Department started moving embassy personnel in Kabul from the compound to the city’s international airport for evacuations, according to US officials, and the embassy staff were told to prepare for the embassy’s closure, ABC News quoted.