Afghanistan’s Taliban claim to have taken control of 85% of the country as foreign forces withdraw from the battered country after two decades of fighting.
The government of Afghanistan denied this claim, although local officials and news reports indicated that the movement was making some strategic gains.
The United States is scheduled to withdraw its remaining troops by the end of August. Speculation about the fate of the country is rife, and a number of embassies and aid organisations have withdrawn personnel or downgraded their operations. It has also been suggested that some might wish to relocate within the US heavily fortified diplomatic compound.
Refugees have been making for neighbouring countries in growing numbers. The US has expressed concern about the fate of translators who worked with it, and is reportedly processing numerous visa applications by such people.
A Taliban delegation has meanwhile visited Russia and pledged that the movement would not allow the Islamic State to operate in Afghanistan, nor would it allow its territory to be used for aggression against its neighbours.