Afghan president Ghani says he left country in order to avoid bloodshed

FILE PHOTO: Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan December 7, 2015. Ghani confirmed on Monday that he would travel to Pakistan for a regional conference on Afghanistan, in a sign of fresh efforts to reduce tension between the two neighbouring countries. REUTERS/Stringer/File Photo

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - Afghan President Ashraf Ghani said on Sunday he left the country in order to avoid bloodshed, as the Taliban entered the presidential palace in Kabul.

Ghani left in order to avoid clashes with the Taliban that would endanger millions of Kabul residents, he said in a Facebook post - his first comments since leaving the country.