Kandahar is the 12th province to be captured
The British Prime Minister is chairing an emergency meeting on the Taliban's growing presence in Afghanistan.
The Taliban's taken control of Afghanistan's second city of Kandahar - the twelfth provincial capital the insurgents have captured in around a week.
It was reported yesterday the group had claimed the country's third largest city, Herat.
The insurgents are now in control of 11 of the 34 provincial capitals.
Former Royal Marines Commando, Paul Farthing is in Kabul:
The British Defence Secretary says he believes Al Qaeda will return in Afghanistan if the security situation continues to deteriorate.
US troops are to fully withdraw by 31st August.
Nazir Ayeen, who worked as an interpreter for the British Army, thinks the decision to withdraw is irresponsible:
The US is sending 3,000 troops back to Afghanistan, to help embassy staff be evacuated.
Ned Price, from the US State Department, discusses US actions in the country:
Britain's Ministry of Defence says 600 UK troops will be there on a short-term basis, to help British nationals leave the embassy in Kabul, which will now only have a core team.
An increasing number of citizens are arriving in Kabul, fleeing the Taliban - like this man who's staying in a park along with 1,800 other families:
Sky's Stuart Ramsey is in Kabul, and says there is a humanitarian element to this crisis as well:
An Afghan woman living in Ireland says members of her family back home are living in fear.
Sharifa Wasie, who lives in Dublin, says it is a worrying time:
Kabul may face a "blood bath" as the Taliban gain more ground in Afghanistan following the withdrawal of Allied troops, says Phillip Ingram, former senior military intelligence and security officer.
— Sky News (@SkyNews) August 13, 2021
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