KEY POINTS
  • Taliban fighters began entering the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sunday, the last city to have been thus far spared takeover by the militants amid their breakneck blitz across the country.
  • Since President Joe Biden's April decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan, the Taliban have made stunning battlefield advances with now nearly the entirety of the nation under their control.
Taliban fighters sit over a vehicle on a street in Laghman province on August 15, 2021.

WASHINGTON — Taliban fighters began entering the Afghan capital of Kabul on Sunday, the last city to have been thus far spared takeover by the militants amid their rapid sweep of the country in the wake of U.S. forces departing.

A Taliban spokesperson said the fighters intended to negotiate a "peaceful surrender" of the city.

"Until a peace agreement is agreed, the security of the city and its residents is the responsibility of the government and they should guarantee it," Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement.