A senior Taliban official has claimed victory in a speech from inside the Presidential Palace as thousands of Afghan nationals desperately try to flee the country.
Mullah Baradar described taking the capital of Kabul and ousting the president as an ‘unrivalled feat’.
He admitted the quick takeover was unexpected but said the ‘real test’ of governing effectively ‘begins now’.
British troops were flown into the city this weekend to evacuate UK nationals, as the US ordered a further 1,000 personnel.
Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said he left to avoid ‘a bloody attack on all of Kabul’.
In a statement, he continued: ‘The Taliban have won the sword and gun judgment and are now responsible for protecting the honor, property and self of their compatriots.
‘But the legitimacy of hearts did not win them over. Never in history has dry force given legitimacy to anyone and never will.
‘They are now facing a new historical test. Either it will preserve the name and honor of Afghanistan or it will give priority to other places and networks. Many people and many strata are in fear and have no faith in the future.
‘The Taliban must ensure that all the peoples, ethnicities, different strata, sisters and women of Afghanistan have a clear plan to win legitimacy and win the hearts of the people and share it with the people. I will always continue to serve my people intellectually and through programs.’
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