Taliban spokesman says ‘the war is over in Afghanistan’ – live news

The Biden administration has “curtailed the number of flights to the US for Afghans who worked alongside the US”, according to CNN state department reporter Jennifer Hansler on Twitter.

Citing three sources familiar with the matter, she reports that Biden has curtailed the flights for Afghan citizens because it is prioritising the evacuation of American personnel from the country.

UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres has commented on the situation in Afghanistan, warning that “hundreds of thousands” of people are fleeing because of “serious human rights violations”:

A short while ago the spokesman for the Taliban’s political office told Al-Jazeera Mubasher TV on Sunday that the war is over in Afghanistan and that the type of rule and the form of regime will be clear soon.

Spokesman Mohammad Naeem said that no diplomatic body or any of its headquarters was targeted, saying that the group assures everyone it will provide safety for citizens and diplomatic missions.

“We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection,” he told the Qatar-based channel. He said the group takes every step responsibly and is keen on having peace with everyone.

The US military is aiming to get 5,000 embassy personnel out of Kabul a day later this week, NBC chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander reports.

For now, they have flown 500 out of the country.

This is our live coverage of the latest developments in Afghanistan as the Taliban sweeps to power in Afghanistan, after taking control of the capital, Kabul.

Over the course of the last ten days, the Taliban has taken 18 other provincial capitals.

My name is Helen Sullivan and I’ll be bringing you the news from Kabul as it happens.

If you see news you think we may have missed, or have questions, get in touch with me on Twitter @helenrsullivan.

Here is a summary of recent events:

The Taliban has said from Kabul that the war in Afghanistan “is over”.
There is reportedly “chaos” at Kabul’s airport as people try to leave the country. But those who decide to leave the airport will now face Taliban checkpoints.
The US is sending another 1,000 troops, directly to Kabul, bringing US military numbers expected in Afghanistan up to 6,000 in an attempt to execute the safe withdrawal of US nationals and Afghan support staff – between two and three times the number of soldiers that were there last week.
Afghanistan’s erstwhile president Ashraf Ghani is reported to have fled to Tashkent, the capital of neighboring Uzbekistan.
Ghani put out an extraordinary message on Facebook saying he left the country to try to avoid, essentially, a bloody war in Kabul, instead enabling the Taliban to, it seems, take control with almost no fighting.
US secretary of state Antony Blinken spent a lot of time on Sunday on TV defending the Biden administration, talking about the big picture plan that was always in place for the US to leave Afghanistan but often sidestepping questions about the chaotic nature of this rushed withdrawal itself. He did acknowledge that events in the last few days had happened more quickly than anticipated.
The United Nations Security Council will hold an emergency meeting in New York at 10am local time on Monday to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan.
A Nato official said all commercial flights have been suspended from the airport in Kabul and only military aircraft are currently allowed to operate. The airport is now the only way out of Afghanistan. The Taliban control all land crossings.
The Taliban are on the verge of declaring that they have taken control of the country and that it is now the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan.
British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said in a live TV interview after emergency meetings with relevant senior department heads in London: “Nobody wants Afghanistan to be a breeding ground for terror … or to lapse back into the pre-2001 situation.” He said he believed Britain could brings its remaining nationals and Afghan support staff out safely.
The Stars & Stripes flag was lowered at the US embassy in Kabul and the evacuation of the compound was completed. Only a handful of security contractors were left behind.
Taliban commanders and fighters took control of the Afghan presidential palace in Kabul. This followed the arrival of the Taliban on the outskirts and then into the heart of Kabul earlier on Sunday – days, weeks, if not months more quickly than most expected.