16 Aug 2021

Taliban close in on Afghan capital Kabul as President flees

From First Up, 5:15 am on 16 August 2021

The Taliban has moved closer to retaking full control of Afghanistan, with reports in the past few hours that the Kabul airport is under heavy artillery fire. Kabul is now the only major city left in government hands. Yesterday the militants took control of Jalalabad, a key eastern city, without a fight. Reports say Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has left the country bound for Tajikistan after the rapid collapse of government forces Yesterday, producer Matthew Theunissen spoke with New Zealand journalist Charlotte Bellis, who works for Al Jazeera in Kabul just before President Ghani left Afghanistan.