Afghanistan's Vice President Amrullah Saleh declares himself as caretaker President

As the Taliban gained control of Afghanistan, Amrullah Saleh, the country's first vice president, declared himself caretaker president.

"Clarity: As per d constitution of Afg, in the absence, escape, resignation or death of the President the FVP becomes the caretaker President. I am currently inside my country & am the legitimate caretaker President. I am reaching out to all leaders to secure their support & consensus," Saleh tweeted.

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In the wake of Ghani’s surprise exodus from the country, Ghani had taken a defiant note saying he would "never bow" to the Taliban.

After news broke that Ghani had left on Sunday, Saleh tweeted saying, "I will never, ever & under no circumstances bow to d Talib terrorists. I will never betray d soul & legacy of my hero Ahmad Shah Masoud, the commander, the legend & the guide. I won't disappoint the millions who listened to me. I will never be under one ceiling with Taliban. NEVER."

Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani, who left the country on Sunday, said he left Kabul to avoid bloodshed and a "big human disaster" in the city of six million people, urging the Taliban to reveal their intentions and reassure the people who are unsure about their future after the insurgents took over the war-torn country.

Ghani, in his first comments after he left Afghanistan, said on Sunday he was faced with a "hard choice" between the "armed Taliban" who wanted to enter the Presidential Palace or "leaving the dear country that I dedicated my life to protecting for the past 20 years".

(With inputs from agencies)