Taliban on outskirts of Afghan capital
The Taliban are handing out short and long-term amnesty letters to former Afghan government forces in the city of Herat as the capital Kabul is on the brink of a complete military takeover.
"The Islamic Emirate instructs all its forces to stand at the gates of Kabul, not to try to enter the city," a spokesman for the Taliban tweeted.
"Until the completion of the transition process, the responsibility for the security of Kabul is with the other side (the Afghan government)".
This comes as residents have reported seeing insurgents peacefully enter some of Kabul's outer suburbs and while the United States and other nations have rushed to evacuate their citizens from the capital.
Meanwhile, in other cities including Herat, Afghan government forces are receiving three-day temporary amnesty letters from Taliban officials so they can get to their home provinces, where they will be given long-term amnesty letters.
The scale and speed of the Taliban’s advancements have shocked the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country over the past two decades.
