Left country to avoid bloodshed, says Afghan President Ashraf Ghani as Kabul falls to Taliban

Ghani, however, did not disclose details on his current location, but he is said to have fled to Tajikistan.

File Photo (Reuters)

New Delhi: In a dramatic turn of events, President Ashraf Ghani on Sunday (August 15, 2021) fled Afghanistan as the national capital Kabul fell to the Taliban. Ghani said that he left the country in order to avoid bloodshed and clashes with the Taliban that would endanger millions of Kabul residents.

Taking to his official Facebook account, Ghani said he was faced with a 'hard choice' between the 'armed Taliban' or 'leaving the dear country that he has dedicated his life to protecting the past 20 years'.

The 72-year-old who has been leading the country since 2014, said that from now on, the Taliban will be responsible for the 'honour, wealth and preservation' of Afghanistan's people. He added that the terrorist group had won a 'trial of sword and guns', but could not win the hearts of the Afghan people.

He wrote, "If left unchecked, countless patriots would be martyred and the city of Kabul would be devastated, resulting in a major humanitarian catastrophe in the six-million-strong city."

Ghani, however, did not disclose details on his current location, but he is said to be in Tajikistan.

Meanwhile, the Kabul airport is flooded with hundreds of desperate Afghans seeking to leave the country and viral visuals show them waiting for flights, some also dragging luggage across runways in the dark. Reports also claim that some scuffles broke out among people unable to get a place as departures were halted.

There also have been media reports that multiple explosions were heard in Kabul after dark.

This is to be noted that Taliban insurgents will now return to power in Kabul after a military advance across Afghanistan as US-led forces departed.