Fall of Kabul, the capital of Afghanistan by Taliban forces occurred on 15 August 2021. At around 11:00 pm local time, President Ashraf Ghani posted on Facebook that he had fled in an attempt to avoid a bloody battle and that “the Taliban have won with the judgment of their swords and guns”. It was the culmination of a military offensive that began in May 2021 against the Afghan government. The capture took place hours after Ghani fled the country. Most of the provincial capitals of Afghanistan had fallen in succession in the midst of a U.S. troop withdrawal that started on 29 February 2020 and is projected to be completed by 31 August 2021.
Negotiations are ongoing between a Taliban delegation and Afghan officials, although it appears unlikely that they will end in anything less than an unconditional fall of Kabul by the government. A peaceful transfer of power has been requested by the Taliban, and the government has declared its willingness to abide by this, preferring a transfer of power to a transitional government, while the Taliban seeks a direct assumption by them of the power of government. Some NATO forces remain, providing security for the evacuation of their countries’ nationals.
The Taliban and allied militant groups began a widespread offensive on 1 May 2021, concurrent with the withdrawal of most U.S. troops from Afghanistan. Following its rapid defeat across the country, the Afghan National Army was left in chaos, and only two units remained operational by mid-August: The 201st Corps and 111th Division, both based in Kabul. The capital city itself was left encircled after Taliban forces had captured Mihtarlam, Sharana, Gardez, Asadabad, and other cities as well as districts in the east. In the days preceding the fall, the projection for the situation of Kabul rapidly worsened. U.S. officials forecasted in early August that Kabul could hold out for several months, but the week of the fall brought more grim forecasting; five days before the Taliban reached Kabul, expectations degraded and analysis suggested the capital would last “30 to 90 days”, and within two days, officials were suggesting Kabul would fall within the week.
Source: Wiki
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