Confirming the imminent withdrawal of most embassy staff in the wake of a rapid Taliban offensive, Boris Johnson said the United Kingdom would not abandon Afghanistan.

'UK will deploy 600 troops': Boris Johnson vows not to turn back on Afghanistan

Ashraf Ghani, who left Afghanistan on Sunday following the Taliban's rapid advance through the country and into Kabul, was twice elected Afghan president, as well as being one of the country's best-known academics.

Ashraf Ghani: Departing Afghan president who failed to make peace with Taliban

United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that all the US embassy staff in Kabul are being moved to the airport as the Taliban attacked the Afghan capital.

As US embassy staff haphazardly removed from Kabul, Blinken rejects comparison with Saigon

The Taliban want to take control of Afghanistan "in the next few days", a spokesman for the group told the BBC Sunday, as their fighters encircled the capital. "In next few days, we want a peaceful transfer," Suhail Shaheen, based in Qatar as part of the group's negotiating team, told the BBC.

Taliban want peaceful transfer of power in 'next few days'

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson was on Sunday to hold further crisis talks on Afghanistan, his office said, as he recalled parliament from its summer break.

UK PM holds Afghanistan crisis talks, recalls parliament

Turkey will work with Pakistan to help stabilise Afghanistan and prevent a new flood of refugees, President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said Sunday. "Turkey is facing a growing migratory wave of Afghans transiting through Iran," he said, alongside his Pakistan counterpart Arif Alvi.

Turkey to work with Pakistan to stop new wave of Afghan migrants