Afghanistan president escapes amid as Taliban take over capital

Afghanistan: Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has left the capital, Kabul, for Tajikistan, a senior Afghan Interior Ministry official told Reuters.

However, the president's office said it "could not say anything about Ashraf Ghani's movement for security reasons", according to the news agency.

It comes hours after the Taliban entered Kabul from all sides. However, they said they would not enter the capital by force. A Taliban spokesman said the group was looking at Ghani's location, Reuters reported.

Ghani said earlier in the day that power could not be transferred unless the Taliban were notified of their successor, said Sputnik.

"Serious talks" are underway between the Taliban and the Afghan government over the peaceful transfer of power, while US mediation is also present in the discussion, Sputnik News reports.

Ghani said that power could not be transferred to a group with an unknown leader, and he also insisted that power would not be handed over unless an agreement was reached on lasting peace in the country, the source told the agency said.

Ghani is reportedly insisting on his terms of retirement and has the situation under control with the help of the US, Sputnik reports.

The new US forces are working with the Afghan forces to secure Kabul, the source also said.

Meanwhile, a brief press release from the presidential palace said that there were sporadic shootings in the city of Kabul, but that the city was not attacked and that the country's security and defense forces along with international partners were securing the city and that the situation was under control, reports Pajhwok Afghan News.

In addition, there are negotiations in the Afghan presidential palace ARG to transfer power to the Taliban.