15 August ,2021: 11:36 AM GST
A Taliban delegation has begun negotiations with the Afghan government inside the presidential palace in Kabul after entering the city on Sunday, according to Al Arabiya sources.
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Clashes between the Afghan army and the Taliban took place in the southern and northern outskirts of the city, although a Taliban spokesperson says the group was instructed not to storm the city, which is the government’s last stronghold in the country.
The spokesperson added that the group does not intend to take revenge on anyone, and it claims that all those who have served the government and military will be forgiven.
The Afghan presidency has asserted that the situation in Kabul is still under control.
Citizens were seen lining up to withdraw their savings from banks before their doors were closed due to lack of liquidity.
US diplomats were evacuated from the embassy by helicopter, and an official said that fewer than 50 officials will remain in the city.
Several EU staff members have also been moved to an undisclosed safer location in Kabul, according to a NATO official.
The UK Home Office has said that officials are working to protect British nationals and help former staff and eligible people travel to the UK.
Russia, on the other hand, has said it has no intention of evacuating its officials from Kabul.
The situation in Kabul comes soon after several major cities fell to the Taliban during the last week, many of them without a fight.
With agencies
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