Photos: Taliban's Kabul Takeover Caps Afghanistan Blitz

The Taliban took control of Afghanistan after the government collapsed on Sunday. President Ashraf Ghani fled the country and conceded the terrorists had won the 20-year war. The quick collapse of the government, with terrorists taking over the presidential palace on Sunday night, triggered fear and panic in the capital Kabul. "The Taliban have won with the judgement of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honour, property and self-preservation of their countrymen," President Ghani said afterwards.
 

Taliban terrorists have taken over checkpoints across the city along with streets of the Green Zone, the heavily fortified district that houses most embassies and international organisations.

Chaos unfolded at Kabul airport on Monday morning after thousands of people rushed in to take any available flight out of the country led to a desperate situation. Five people were killed at Kabul airport today, but it's unclear whether they died in firing or stampede, Reuters reported.

The Afghan airspace has been closed to commercial flights after thousands of desperate people overran the tarmac this morning in the hope of getting out of the war-torn country, a day after the Taliban took control of the city.

The Afghanistan Civil Aviation Authority asked all transit aircraft to reroute, adding any transit through Kabul airspace would be uncontrolled, news agency Reuters reported.

Meanwhile, some western nations rushed to evacuate their citizens and local staff from Kabul on Monday and managed some evacuations on Monday.

As thousands of people mobbed the city's airport trying to escape the group's feared hardline brand of Islamist rule, the US and 65 other countries issued a joint statement urging the Taliban to allow Afghan and foreign citizens to leave.

(With inputs from agencies)