Afghan city of Mazar-i-Sharif falls to Taliban: provincial official

Taliban fighters have captured Mazar-i-Sharif, the northern city that was the Afghan government's last northern stronghold, with security forces fleeing to the Uzbekistan border, a provincial official said on Saturday.

"The Taliban have taken control of Mazar-i-Sharif," Afzal Hadid, head of the Balkh provincial council said, adding that the city appeared to have fallen without a fight. Soldiers abandoned their equipment and headed towards the border crossing, he said.

"All security forces have left Mazar city," he said, though sporadic clashes were still taking place in one area outside the city centre.

Afghan President vows to 'remobilise' forces as Taliban approach Kabul

The development comes merely hours after Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said the remobilisation of the country's armed forces was a "top priority", as Taliban fighters inched closer to the capital after routing the country's defences over the past week.

"The remobilisation of our security and defence forces is our top priority, and serious steps are being taken in this regard," he said appearing sombre and sitting before an Afghan flag in a televised speech.

But Ghani offered few specifics on what his administration was planning as the government's control over Afghanistan has all but collapsed in recent days.

Update: Afghan cities taken over or contested by Taliban

In Kabul, US embassy staff were ordered to begin shredding and burning sensitive material, as the first American troops from a planned 3,000-strong re-deployment started arriving to secure the airport and oversee evacuations.

A host of European countries -- including Britain, Germany, Denmark and Spain -- all announced the withdrawal of personnel from their respective embassies on Friday.

For Kabul residents and the tens of thousands who have sought refuge there in recent weeks, the overwhelming mood was one of confusion and fear.

The scale and speed of the Taliban advance have shocked Afghans and the US-led alliance that poured billions into the country after toppling the insurgents in the wake of the September 11 attacks nearly 20 years ago.

Days before a final US withdrawal ordered by President Joe Biden, individual Afghan soldiers, units and even whole divisions have surrendered -- handing the Taliban even more vehicles and military hardware to fuel their lightning advance.

Despite the frantic evacuation efforts, the Biden administration continues to insist that a complete Taliban takeover is not inevitable.