Canada Says Temporarily Closing Embassy In Kabul, Condemns Violence

Canada is temporarily closing its embassy in Kabul after evacuating staff ahead of Taliban fighters' arrival in the Afghan capital, the Foreign Ministry in Ottawa announced Sunday.

The ministry said in a statement that Canadian personnel were already on their way back to Canada.

"Canada firmly condemns the escalating violence, and we are heartbroken at the situation the Afghan people find themselves in today," Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said.

The ministry added that the embassy would reopen once conditions allowed a resumption of normal activities under adequate security.

Following the withdrawal of most US troops and the Taliban's stunningly rapid advance through much of the country, its fighters have arrived in the Afghan capital.

With the government's fall imminent, President Ashraf Ghani has left the country, top official Abdullah Abdullah said Sunday.

The Canadian government announced Friday that it was prepared to welcome up to 20,000 Afghan refugees in response to the emerging humanitarian crisis in the region.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)