Taliban fighters entered the outskirts of Afghanistan’s capital Kabul from all sides on Sunday as panicked workers fled government offices and helicopters began landing at the US Embassy in the Afghan capital, further tightening the militants’ grip on the country. Follow our live blog for all the latest developments.

Taliban fighters were on Sunday in the districts of Kalakan, Qarabagh and Paghman, three Afghan officials told the AP. The militants have pledged not to take the capital “by force” as sporadic gunfire could be heard in the capital.

Earlier Sunday, the Taliban seized the key eastern city of Jalalabad, just hours after seizing the northern anti-Taliban bastion of Mazar-i-Sharif, leaving Kabul as the besieged last stand of government forces.

The Taliban has defeated, co-opted or sent Afghan security forces fleeing from wide swaths of the country, even with some air support by the US military in a nationwide offensive that has taken just over a week.

Source: France 24