U.S. Embassy in Kabul urges U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately

FILE PHOTO: The U.S. flag is reflected on the windows of the U.S. Embassy in Kabul, Afghanistan July 30, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The United States on Thursday urged U.S. citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options, a notice on the website of U.S. Embassy in Kabul said, amid a speedy Taliban advance across the country.

Taliban fighters captured the strategic Afghan city of Ghazni on Thursday. This took them to within 150 km (95 miles) of Kabul, the latest in their rapid takeover as the United States withdraws its troops from the country, leaving the Afghan government to fight the Islamist group on its own.