Traffic jam in Kabul (Afghanistan) on August 15, 2021 @MalikMudassir2/Twitter
After entering the outskirts Kabul, the Taliban are now preparing to transfer power.
Photographs taken in the capital of Afghanistan show people desperate to flee their homes with their cars.
A spokesperson for Taliban stated that "noone should leave the country," as they require "talent."
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Multiple reports claim chaos is erupting in Kabul, Afghanistan's capital. This is amid reports that the Taliban are poised to overthrow the government.
Taliban fighters invaded Kabul Sunday to demand unconditional surrender from the central government.
According to the Associated Press, the Afghan government indicated that negotiations were underway to prevent bloodshed in Kabul as well as to establish a transition power.
Social media photos and videos show Kabul in gridlock, as thousands attempt to escape the city.
Insider spoke to Ali Latifi, a Kabul resident, about how the streets were jammed all morning by panicked residents in fear of the Taliban's arrival.
"There was panic among the people out on the streets. It was quite common to see hundreds or even hundreds of people running in all directions.
"People were trying to get out of a taxi, to get somewhere. They were calling their family, closing stores. I live above a bank. There were long lines outside the bank when I went downstairs. Many ATMs did not have cash.
According to The Guardian workers are fleeing government offices. Smoke rose above the city as Embassy staff burnt important documents.
According to AP, women are lining up at cash machines in order to withdraw their savings.
Clarissa Ward (international correspondent at CNN) tweeted that people were trying desperately to prepare for the takeover. She said it "doesn't appear imminent."
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Richard Engel, NBC's chief international correspondent, posted a picture of a group from Afghanistan crowded a Visa Processing Center to obtain last-minute visas for the United States.
Engel added the caption to the image, "Many came up and me crying."
Sayed, a resident of Afghanistan, said to The Guardian that he saw "women crying along the side road."
"People are afraid. Sayed stated that people are afraid for their families, their wives and especially their daughters.
Insider was told by Latifi that the city is now quieter, and streets are deserted while residents await the outcome of Taliban negotiations.
He said, "Now everybody is waiting to hear who the new government will become."
According to The Guardian, a spokesperson for Taliban stated that: "We will respect the rights of women...our strategy is that women will be able to access education and work, and to wear the hijab."
He reiterated the Taliban's position that no one should leave the country...we all need the talents and capacities, so we all need to stay and participate."
Continue reading: The Taliban have defeated the US-trained Afghan National Army with ease
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