The Taliban have retaken control of Afghanistan nearly two decades after they were driven out of its capital by US troops.

The Taliban's resurgence coincides with the withdrawal of US troops, which US President Joe Biden first announced in April and completed at the end of August.

Militants entered the presidential palace in Kabul hours after former President Ashraf Ghani fled the country on August 15. In the week prior, many of Afghanistan's major cities fell to the insurgent group with little to no resistance.

The rapid fall of Afghanistan's national forces and government came as a shock to Biden and senior members of his administration.

On the day after the Taliban's takeover, hundreds of people poured onto the tarmac at Kabul's international airport, desperately seeking a route out of Afghanistan. Some have managed to evacuate the city; others continue to try. On August 26, a bomb attack killed 13 US service members and at least 170 others outside the airport.

Afghans now await reports of what kind of regime they will live under. If Taliban rule is anything like it was in the 1990s, it would mean a deterioration in civil liberties, particularly for women and girls whose freedoms grew under the civilian government.

Editor's note: This gallery contains graphic images. Viewer discretion is advised.

Journalists from the Etilaatroz newspaper — video journalist Nemat Naqdi, left, and video editor Taqi Daryabi — undress to show wounds they sustained after Taliban fighters tortured and beat them while in custody. They had been arrested while reporting on a women's rights protest in Kabul on September 8.
Journalists from the Etilaatroz newspaper — video journalist Nemat Naqdi, left, and video editor Taqi Daryabi — undress to show wounds they sustained after Taliban fighters tortured and beat them while in custody. They had been arrested while reporting on a women's rights protest in Kabul on September 8.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F31%2Fasia%2Ftaliban-control-kabul-airport-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">Taliban officials declare victory</a> over the United States from the tarmac of Kabul's international airport on August 31. It was hours after <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F30%2Fpolitics%2Fus-military-withdraws-afghanistan%2Findex.html" target="_blank">the last American troops left Afghanistan.</a>
Taliban officials declare victory over the United States from the tarmac of Kabul's international airport on August 31. It was hours after the last American troops left Afghanistan.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
US President Joe Biden <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F31%2Fpolitics%2Fbiden-afghanistan-withdrawal-speech%2Findex.html" target="_blank">delivers a speech at the White House</a> on August 31, defending the chaotic withdrawal from Kabul a day after the last American military planes left Afghanistan. The withdrawal concluded <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F04%2F14%2Fmiddleeast%2Fgallery%2Fafghanistan-war%2Findex.html" target="_blank">the United States' longest war</a> nearly 20 years after it began. "I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit," Biden said.
US President Joe Biden delivers a speech at the White House on August 31, defending the chaotic withdrawal from Kabul a day after the last American military planes left Afghanistan. The withdrawal concluded the United States' longest war nearly 20 years after it began. "I was not going to extend this forever war, and I was not extending a forever exit," Biden said.
Brendan Smialowski/AFP/Getty Images
Taliban fighters sit in the cockpit of an Afghan Air Force aircraft that was left behind at the airport in Kabul on August 31.
Taliban fighters sit in the cockpit of an Afghan Air Force aircraft that was left behind at the airport in Kabul on August 31.
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
Heavily armed Taliban fighters are seen at the airport in Kabul on August 31.
Heavily armed Taliban fighters are seen at the airport in Kabul on August 31.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
Afghan Air Force attack aircraft are pictured amid armored vests inside a hangar at the Kabul airport on August 31. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the US military had made "unusable all the gear that is at the airport -- all the aircraft, all the ground vehicles."
Afghan Air Force attack aircraft are pictured amid armored vests inside a hangar at the Kabul airport on August 31. Pentagon Press Secretary John Kirby said the US military had made "unusable all the gear that is at the airport -- all the aircraft, all the ground vehicles."
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
Taliban fighters storm the Kabul airport on August 31 after the US military completed its withdrawal.
Taliban fighters storm the Kabul airport on August 31 after the US military completed its withdrawal.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
US Army Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne, boards a C-17 military transport plane to depart Kabul on August 31. He was the last US soldier to leave the country.
US Army Maj. Gen. Chris Donahue, commanding general of the 82nd Airborne, boards a C-17 military transport plane to depart Kabul on August 31. He was the last US soldier to leave the country.
Jack Holt/U.S. Central Command Public Affairs
Celebratory gunfire lights up the sky after the last US aircraft left the Kabul airport.
Celebratory gunfire lights up the sky after the last US aircraft left the Kabul airport.
AFP/Getty Images
Taliban fighters bow in prayer on August 31 after they secured the Kabul airport and inspected the equipment that was left behind.
Taliban fighters bow in prayer on August 31 after they secured the Kabul airport and inspected the equipment that was left behind.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
Planes are seen on the tarmac at the Kabul airport late on August 30.
Planes are seen on the tarmac at the Kabul airport late on August 30.
AFP/Getty Images
A C-17 military transport plane is a dot in the sky as it leaves Kabul on August 30.
A C-17 military transport plane is a dot in the sky as it leaves Kabul on August 30.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
A casket is brought to a grave site at a mass funeral in Kabul on August 30. <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F29%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-kabul-evacuation-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">Ten members of one family</a> — including seven children — were dead after a US drone strike targeted a vehicle in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, a relative of the dead told CNN. The United States carried out what it called a defensive airstrike in Kabul, targeting a suspected ISIS-K suicide bomber who posed an "imminent" threat to the airport, US Central Command said. The Pentagon has said the strike resulted in secondary explosions and that those explosions may have been what killed the civilians.
A casket is brought to a grave site at a mass funeral in Kabul on August 30. Ten members of one family — including seven children — were dead after a US drone strike targeted a vehicle in a residential neighborhood of Kabul, a relative of the dead told CNN. The United States carried out what it called a defensive airstrike in Kabul, targeting a suspected ISIS-K suicide bomber who posed an "imminent" threat to the airport, US Central Command said. The Pentagon has said the strike resulted in secondary explosions and that those explosions may have been what killed the civilians.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Samia Ahmadi, right, whose father and fiancé were both dead following the US drone strike, mourns her loved ones on August 30.
Samia Ahmadi, right, whose father and fiancé were both dead following the US drone strike, mourns her loved ones on August 30.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
A damaged car is seen in Kabul after <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F29%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-kabul-evacuation-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">a US drone strike</a> reportedly targeted a suspected ISIS-K suicide bomber on August 29. US officials believe ISIS-K, the ISIS branch that rivals the Taliban in Afghanistan, was likely behind <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F26%2Fmiddleeast%2Fgallery%2Fkabul-deadly-blasts-afghanistan-airport%2Findex.html" target="_blank">the August 26 bomb attack</a> that killed <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F27%2Fus%2Fkabul-attack-us-service-members-killed%2Findex.html" target="_blank">13 US service members</a> and at least 170 others.
A damaged car is seen in Kabul after a US drone strike reportedly targeted a suspected ISIS-K suicide bomber on August 29. US officials believe ISIS-K, the ISIS branch that rivals the Taliban in Afghanistan, was likely behind the August 26 bomb attack that killed 13 US service members and at least 170 others.
Stringer/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
US President Joe Biden and other officials watch as flag-draped cases <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F29%2Fpolitics%2Fbiden-dover-afghanistan-service-members-killed%2Findex.html" target="_blank">carrying the remains of American service members killed in Afghanistan</a> return to the United States on August 29.
US President Joe Biden and other officials watch as flag-draped cases carrying the remains of American service members killed in Afghanistan return to the United States on August 29.
Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images
Members of the Badri 313 Battalion, a group of Taliban special forces fighters tasked with securing the area surrounding the Kabul airport, perform evening prayers on August 28.
Members of the Badri 313 Battalion, a group of Taliban special forces fighters tasked with securing the area surrounding the Kabul airport, perform evening prayers on August 28.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Time/Redux
Women weep at a mosque in Kabul on August 27 as they view the body of Hussein, a victim of the<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F26%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-kabul-airport-blast-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank"> suicide bombing </a>a day earlier.
Women weep at a mosque in Kabul on August 27 as they view the body of Hussein, a victim of the suicide bombing a day earlier.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
Ruhullah, 16, mourns during <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2021%2F08%2F27%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-airport-bombing-family.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">the burial of his father,</a> Hussein, a former police officer who was killed in the attack at the Kabul airport. Ruhullah survived the blast but got separated from his father and did not know he had died until he made his way back to his family a day later.
Ruhullah, 16, mourns during the burial of his father, Hussein, a former police officer who was killed in the attack at the Kabul airport. Ruhullah survived the blast but got separated from his father and did not know he had died until he made his way back to his family a day later.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
US President Joe Biden pauses as he listens to a question about the suicide bombing on August 26. He <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F26%2Fpolitics%2Fbiden-kabul-attack%2Findex.html" target="_blank">vowed to retaliate</a> for the attack. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," he said.
US President Joe Biden pauses as he listens to a question about the suicide bombing on August 26. He vowed to retaliate for the attack. "We will not forgive. We will not forget. We will hunt you down and make you pay," he said.
Evan Vucci/AP
People who were injured in the August 26 suicide bombing are visited by family members at a hospital in Kabul.
People who were injured in the August 26 suicide bombing are visited by family members at a hospital in Kabul.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Smoke rises from the explosion outside the airport in Kabul on August 26.
Smoke rises from the explosion outside the airport in Kabul on August 26.
Wali Sabawoon/AP
An injured person arrives at a hospital after the suicide bombing outside the airport in Kabul on August 26.
An injured person arrives at a hospital after the suicide bombing outside the airport in Kabul on August 26.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
Families who fled Kabul, Afghanistan, wait to board a bus in Chantilly, Virginia, after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on August 25.
Families who fled Kabul, Afghanistan, wait to board a bus in Chantilly, Virginia, after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on August 25.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
This satellite image shows crowds gathered outside a gate to the international airport in Kabul on August 23. Western countries were in <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F23%2Fasia%2Fkabul-airport-afghanistan-intl-hnk%2Findex.html" target="_blank">a frantic race</a> to complete what US President Joe Biden called "one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history."
This satellite image shows crowds gathered outside a gate to the international airport in Kabul on August 23. Western countries were in a frantic race to complete what US President Joe Biden called "one of the largest, most difficult airlifts in history."
Satellite image ©2021 Maxar Technologies
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, addresses hundreds of religious leaders who were attending an event held by the Taliban's Preaching and Guidance Commission on August 23.
Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman for the Taliban, addresses hundreds of religious leaders who were attending an event held by the Taliban's Preaching and Guidance Commission on August 23.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
Boys play in a retention pool in Kabul on August 22, at the tomb of Mohammed Nadir Shah, a former king of Afghanistan.
Boys play in a retention pool in Kabul on August 22, at the tomb of Mohammed Nadir Shah, a former king of Afghanistan.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
Amir Saib Zada negotiates with customers at his shop that sells luggage and burqas in Kabul's Lycee Maryam Bazaar on August 22.
Amir Saib Zada negotiates with customers at his shop that sells luggage and burqas in Kabul's Lycee Maryam Bazaar on August 22.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
People gather outside the airport in Kabul as a military transport plane takes off on August 21.
People gather outside the airport in Kabul as a military transport plane takes off on August 21.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
Families who fled Kabul board a bus in Chantilly, Virginia, after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on August 21.
Families who fled Kabul board a bus in Chantilly, Virginia, after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport on August 21.
Jose Luis Magana/AP
In this photo released by the US Air Force, an air crew prepares to load evacuees onto a C-17 transport plane at the airport in Kabul on August 21.
In this photo released by the US Air Force, an air crew prepares to load evacuees onto a C-17 transport plane at the airport in Kabul on August 21.
Taylor Crul/US Air Force/Getty Images
Khalil Haqqani, a leader of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network and a US-designated terrorist, delivers remarks after Friday prayers at the Pul-e Khishti Mosque in Kabul on August 20. It was the first Friday prayers since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
Khalil Haqqani, a leader of the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani network and a US-designated terrorist, delivers remarks after Friday prayers at the Pul-e Khishti Mosque in Kabul on August 20. It was the first Friday prayers since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
A boy sells Taliban flags to put on vehicles in the middle of a Kabul intersection on August 20.
A boy sells Taliban flags to put on vehicles in the middle of a Kabul intersection on August 20.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
People and vendors gather on the streets of Kabul on August 20.
People and vendors gather on the streets of Kabul on August 20.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
Despite the presence of Taliban fighters around them, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fedition.cnn.com%2Fworld%2Flive-news%2Fafghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-19-21%2Fh_ad5e0cb508dff16355498c85740a3667" target="_blank">Afghans wave the country's national flag</a> during an Independence Day rally in Kabul on August 19. The Taliban seek to replace the black, red and green Afghan flag with their own white and black flag.
Despite the presence of Taliban fighters around them, Afghans wave the country's national flag during an Independence Day rally in Kabul on August 19. The Taliban seek to replace the black, red and green Afghan flag with their own white and black flag.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
Afghans sit inside a US military aircraft to leave Kabul on August 19. The US Air Force <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fworld%2Flive-news%2Fafghanistan-taliban-us-news-08-20-21%2Fh_e066c6b39a904ab84d766a8f77176b1f" target="_blank">evacuated approximately 3,000 people from Kabul's international airport that day,</a> according to a White House official. Nearly 350 US citizens were among the evacuees, the official said, with the others being family members of US citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants and their families, and other vulnerable Afghans. Some civilian charter flights had also departed the Kabul airport in the previous 24 hours.
Afghans sit inside a US military aircraft to leave Kabul on August 19. The US Air Force evacuated approximately 3,000 people from Kabul's international airport that day, according to a White House official. Nearly 350 US citizens were among the evacuees, the official said, with the others being family members of US citizens, Special Immigrant Visa applicants and their families, and other vulnerable Afghans. Some civilian charter flights had also departed the Kabul airport in the previous 24 hours.
Shakib Rahmani/AFP/Getty Images
In this photo released by the Taliban, fighters <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F21%2Fpolitics%2Fus-weapons-arsenal-taliban-afghanistan%2Findex.html" target="_blank">brandish US assault weapons</a> at an Independence Day parade in Qalat, Afghanistan, on August 19. The Taliban's newfound American arsenal is likely not limited to small arms, as the group captured sizable stockpiles of weapons and vehicles held at strongholds once controlled by US-backed forces.
In this photo released by the Taliban, fighters brandish US assault weapons at an Independence Day parade in Qalat, Afghanistan, on August 19. The Taliban's newfound American arsenal is likely not limited to small arms, as the group captured sizable stockpiles of weapons and vehicles held at strongholds once controlled by US-backed forces.
Handout/Taliban
In this still image taken from <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fvideos%2Fworld%2F2021%2F08%2F20%2Fkth-kabul-airport-wall-baby-afghanistan-ac360-vpx.cnn" target="_blank">a video posted to social media,</a> a baby is handed to American troops over the perimeter wall of the airport in Kabul on August 19. Maj. James Stenger, a spokesman for the Marines, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nytimes.com%2F2021%2F08%2F20%2Fworld%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-kabul-baby.html" target="_blank" target="_blank">confirmed to The New York Times</a> that the baby received medical treatment and was reunited with their father at the airport.
In this still image taken from a video posted to social media, a baby is handed to American troops over the perimeter wall of the airport in Kabul on August 19. Maj. James Stenger, a spokesman for the Marines, confirmed to The New York Times that the baby received medical treatment and was reunited with their father at the airport.
Omar Haidari/Reuters
A heavily armed Taliban fighter guards the Afghanistan central bank in Kabul on August 19.
A heavily armed Taliban fighter guards the Afghanistan central bank in Kabul on August 19.
Victor J. Blue/The New York Times/Redux
In this photo released by the White House on August 18, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are briefed by their national security team on the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
In this photo released by the White House on August 18, US President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are briefed by their national security team on the evolving situation in Afghanistan.
The White House
People walk past a half-destroyed poster of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on August 18.
People walk past a half-destroyed poster of former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani in Kabul on August 18.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty salon in Kabul where images of women had been defaced by spray paint. As news broke that the Taliban had captured Kabul, some images of uncovered women <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F16%2Fmiddleeast%2Fkabul-streets-taliban-regime-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">were painted over in the Afghan capital.</a> When the Taliban last ruled in Afghanistan, women were barred from public life and only allowed outside when escorted by men and dressed in burqas.
A Taliban fighter walks past a beauty salon in Kabul where images of women had been defaced by spray paint. As news broke that the Taliban had captured Kabul, some images of uncovered women were painted over in the Afghan capital. When the Taliban last ruled in Afghanistan, women were barred from public life and only allowed outside when escorted by men and dressed in burqas.
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
A man carries a bloodied child as a wounded woman lies on the street after Taliban fighters fired guns and lashed out with whips and other objects to control a crowd outside the airport in Kabul on August 17. "The violence was indiscriminate," <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2FAC360%2Fstatus%2F1427797623105327115" target="_blank" target="_blank">Los Angeles Times photographer Marcus Yam told CNN.</a> "I even watched one Taliban fighter, after firing some shots in the general direction of the crowd, smiling at another Taliban fighter — as though it were a game to them or something."
A man carries a bloodied child as a wounded woman lies on the street after Taliban fighters fired guns and lashed out with whips and other objects to control a crowd outside the airport in Kabul on August 17. "The violence was indiscriminate," Los Angeles Times photographer Marcus Yam told CNN. "I even watched one Taliban fighter, after firing some shots in the general direction of the crowd, smiling at another Taliban fighter — as though it were a game to them or something."
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
A man reacts as he watches Taliban fighters use violence to control a crowd outside the airport on August 17. At least a dozen people were wounded in the incident, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.latimes.com%2Fworld-nation%2Fstory%2F2021-08-17%2Fsnapshot-of-suffering-afghans-trying-to-reach-airport-are-penned-up-beaten-by-taliban" target="_blank" target="_blank">according to the Los Angeles Times.</a>
A man reacts as he watches Taliban fighters use violence to control a crowd outside the airport on August 17. At least a dozen people were wounded in the incident, according to the Los Angeles Times.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid addresses reporters in Kabul on August 17. "We don't want Afghanistan to be a battlefield," he said. "Today the fighting is over. ... Whoever was against the opposition has been given blanket amnesty." Those promises have been met with <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F17%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-taliban-withdrawal-tuesday-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">skepticism by the international community.</a> It was <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F17%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-taliban-withdrawal-tuesday-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">the Taliban's first news conference</a> since they took control of Kabul.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid addresses reporters in Kabul on August 17. "We don't want Afghanistan to be a battlefield," he said. "Today the fighting is over. ... Whoever was against the opposition has been given blanket amnesty." Those promises have been met with skepticism by the international community. It was the Taliban's first news conference since they took control of Kabul.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
People climb atop a plane at the airport in Kabul on August 16. Hundreds of people<a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F16%2Fmiddleeast%2Fkabul-afghanistan-withdrawal-taliban-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank"> were on the tarmac, trying to find a way out of the country.</a>
People climb atop a plane at the airport in Kabul on August 16. Hundreds of people were on the tarmac, trying to find a way out of the country.
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
Afghans rush to the airport in Kabul as they try to flee the capital on August 16.
Afghans rush to the airport in Kabul as they try to flee the capital on August 16.
Haroon Sabawoon/Anadolu Agency/Getty Images
A US soldier points a gun while working to secure Kabul's airport on August 16. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of 1,000 more American troops into the country due to the deteriorating security situation, a defense official told CNN, upping the number of troops in the country to 6,000. 
A US soldier points a gun while working to secure Kabul's airport on August 16. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin approved the deployment of 1,000 more American troops into the country due to the deteriorating security situation, a defense official told CNN, upping the number of troops in the country to 6,000. 
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
Afghans sit on the tarmac as they wait to leave the airport in Kabul on August 16.
Afghans sit on the tarmac as they wait to leave the airport in Kabul on August 16.
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
Afghans run alongside a US Air Force transport plane on the runway of the Kabul airport on August 16. <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fcnn.com%2Fvideos%2Fworld%2F2021%2F08%2F16%2Fkabul-clinging-to-airplane-taking-off-tarmac-afghanistan-ward-vpx.cnn%2Fvideo%2Fplaylists%2Fafghanistan-falls-to-the-taliban%2F" target="_blank">Video showed</a> people clinging to the fuselage of the aircraft as it taxied.
Afghans run alongside a US Air Force transport plane on the runway of the Kabul airport on August 16. Video showed people clinging to the fuselage of the aircraft as it taxied.
Verified UGC/AP
In this photo released by the US Air Force, an Afghan child sleeps on the floor of an Air Force transport plane during an evacuation flight out of Kabul on August 15.
In this photo released by the US Air Force, an Afghan child sleeps on the floor of an Air Force transport plane during an evacuation flight out of Kabul on August 15.
US Air Force
An Afghan soldier, who didn't want to use his name, is seen at an outpost in Kabul on August 15. He looked at the city below and said, "This is like a quick death," referring to the fall of Kabul. He said it was going to be a hard moment for him when he removes his uniform permanently after 10 years of service.
An Afghan soldier, who didn't want to use his name, is seen at an outpost in Kabul on August 15. He looked at the city below and said, "This is like a quick death," referring to the fall of Kabul. He said it was going to be a hard moment for him when he removes his uniform permanently after 10 years of service.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Shutterstock
Taliban fighters sit inside the presidential palace in Kabul on August 15. The palace was <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F15%2Fpolitics%2Fbiden-administration-taliban-kabul-afghanistan%2Findex.html" target="_blank">handed over to the Taliban</a> after being vacated hours earlier by Afghan government officials.
Taliban fighters sit inside the presidential palace in Kabul on August 15. The palace was handed over to the Taliban after being vacated hours earlier by Afghan government officials.
Zabi Karimi/AP
A Taliban flag is seen on a motorcycle ridden by a Taliban fighter on August 15.
A Taliban flag is seen on a motorcycle ridden by a Taliban fighter on August 15.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
British forces arrive in Kabul on August 15 to assist British nationals in evacuating the city.
British forces arrive in Kabul on August 15 to assist British nationals in evacuating the city.
Leading Hand Ben Shread/British Ministry of Defence/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
A US military helicopter flies above the US Embassy in Kabul on August 15. The embassy was evacuated as Taliban fighters entered the city.
A US military helicopter flies above the US Embassy in Kabul on August 15. The embassy was evacuated as Taliban fighters entered the city.
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
Taliban fighters ride a Humvee near a Kabul roundabout on August 15.
Taliban fighters ride a Humvee near a Kabul roundabout on August 15.
Jim Huyleborek/The New York Times/Redux
Evacuees crowd the interior of a US Air Force transport plane as they travel from Kabul to Qatar on August 15.
Evacuees crowd the interior of a US Air Force transport plane as they travel from Kabul to Qatar on August 15.
Courtesy of Defense One/Reuters
A traffic jam is seen in Kabul on August 15 as some Afghans were looking to flee the city.
A traffic jam is seen in Kabul on August 15 as some Afghans were looking to flee the city.
Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
US President Joe Biden holds a virtual meeting with senior officials and members of his national security team on August 15. Biden was working from Maryland's Camp David, the presidential retreat where he was vacationing at the time.
US President Joe Biden holds a virtual meeting with senior officials and members of his national security team on August 15. Biden was working from Maryland's Camp David, the presidential retreat where he was vacationing at the time.
The White House/AP
Taliban fighters are seen in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on August 14. The Taliban had seized Kandahar, the country's second-largest city, and a number of other provincial capitals. Kandahar, which lies in the south of the country, had been besieged by the Taliban for weeks. Many observers <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2Fworld%2Flive-news%2Fafghanistan-taliban-us-troops-intl-08-13-21%2Findex.html" target="_blank">considered its fall as the beginning of the end</a> for the country's government.
Taliban fighters are seen in Kandahar, Afghanistan, on August 14. The Taliban had seized Kandahar, the country's second-largest city, and a number of other provincial capitals. Kandahar, which lies in the south of the country, had been besieged by the Taliban for weeks. Many observers considered its fall as the beginning of the end for the country's government.
Juan Carlos/Hans Lucas/Redux
People wait to cross the Afghan-Pakistani border at Chaman, Pakistan, on August 13. The border crossing was closed for several days before it was reopened.
People wait to cross the Afghan-Pakistani border at Chaman, Pakistan, on August 13. The border crossing was closed for several days before it was reopened.
Akhter Gulfam/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
Displaced Afghans from the country's northern provinces arrive at a makeshift camp in Kabul on August 10. Provincial capitals in the north were among the first to fall to the Taliban.
Displaced Afghans from the country's northern provinces arrive at a makeshift camp in Kabul on August 10. Provincial capitals in the north were among the first to fall to the Taliban.
Paula Bronstein/Getty Images
Shops in Kunduz, Afghanistan, are damaged after fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan military forces on August 8. Kunduz was <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F08%2Fasia%2Fafghanistan-taliban-kunduz-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">the first major city to fall to the Taliban</a> since they began their offensive in May.
Shops in Kunduz, Afghanistan, are damaged after fighting between Taliban militants and Afghan military forces on August 8. Kunduz was the first major city to fall to the Taliban since they began their offensive in May.
Abdullah Sahil/AP
Hanif, who was struck in the temple by a stray bullet, and his older brother, Mohammed, are seen at the Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar on August 5. Kandahar had been under siege for a month.
Hanif, who was struck in the temple by a stray bullet, and his older brother, Mohammed, are seen at the Mirwais Regional Hospital in Kandahar on August 5. Kandahar had been under siege for a month.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
An Afghan security officer stands guard at the site of a car bomb explosion in Kabul on August 4. <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F08%2F03%2Fmiddleeast%2Ftaliban-afghanistan-us-airstrikes-helmand-herat-intl%2Findex.html" target="_blank">A car bomb exploded near the home of Afghanistan's acting defense minister</a> the day before. In the weeks prior, Kabul had largely been spared from the violence hitting other parts of Afghanistan.
An Afghan security officer stands guard at the site of a car bomb explosion in Kabul on August 4. A car bomb exploded near the home of Afghanistan's acting defense minister the day before. In the weeks prior, Kabul had largely been spared from the violence hitting other parts of Afghanistan.
Wakil Kohsar/AFP/Getty Images
An Afghan woman and her children carry their belongings after fleeing their home in Kandahar on August 4.
An Afghan woman and her children carry their belongings after fleeing their home in Kandahar on August 4.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
An Afghan militia fighter looks out for Taliban insurgents at an outpost in Afghanistan's Balkh Province on July 15.
An Afghan militia fighter looks out for Taliban insurgents at an outpost in Afghanistan's Balkh Province on July 15.
Farshad Usyan/AFP/Getty Images
US Gen. Austin S. Miller, left, greets Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Afghanistan's defense minister, during a change-of-command ceremony in Kabul on July 12. Miller, the top American general in Afghanistan, was stepping down, a symbolic moment as the United States neared the end of its <a href="index.php?page=&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F04%2F14%2Fmiddleeast%2Fgallery%2Fafghanistan-war%2Findex.html" target="_blank">20-year-old war in the country.</a>
US Gen. Austin S. Miller, left, greets Gen. Bismillah Khan Mohammadi, Afghanistan's defense minister, during a change-of-command ceremony in Kabul on July 12. Miller, the top American general in Afghanistan, was stepping down, a symbolic moment as the United States neared the end of its 20-year-old war in the country.
Kiana Hayeri/The New York Times/Redux
A member of the Afghan Special Forces drives a Humvee during a combat mission against the Taliban on July 11. Danish Siddiqui, the Reuters photographer who took this photo, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F07%2F16%2Fmedia%2Fdanish-siddiqui-reuters-journalist-afghanistan%2Findex.html" target="_blank">was killed days later</a> during clashes in Afghanistan. Siddiqui had been a photographer for Reuters since 2010, and he was the news agency's chief photographer in India. He was also part of a Reuters team that won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography covering Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.
A member of the Afghan Special Forces drives a Humvee during a combat mission against the Taliban on July 11. Danish Siddiqui, the Reuters photographer who took this photo, was killed days later during clashes in Afghanistan. Siddiqui had been a photographer for Reuters since 2010, and he was the news agency's chief photographer in India. He was also part of a Reuters team that won the 2018 Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography covering Rohingya refugees fleeing Myanmar.
Danish Siddiqui/Reuters
A member of the Afghan Special Forces prays on a highway before a combat mission in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on July 11.
A member of the Afghan Special Forces prays on a highway before a combat mission in Afghanistan's Kandahar province on July 11.
Danish Siddiqui/Reuters
Afghan commandos look out from a window at a home in Kunduz on July 6. The Taliban were moving rapidly to take over districts in northern Afghanistan.
Afghan commandos look out from a window at a home in Kunduz on July 6. The Taliban were moving rapidly to take over districts in northern Afghanistan.
Jim Huylebroek/The New York Times/Redux
A member of Afghanistan's security forces walks at Bagram Air Base on July 5 after the last American troops <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F07%2F01%2Fpolitics%2Fus-military-bagram-airfield-afghanistan%2Findex.html" target="_blank">departed the compound.</a> It marked the end of the American presence at a sprawling compound that became the center of military power in Afghanistan.
A member of Afghanistan's security forces walks at Bagram Air Base on July 5 after the last American troops departed the compound. It marked the end of the American presence at a sprawling compound that became the center of military power in Afghanistan.
Rahmat Gul/AP
Hundreds of armed men attend a gathering on the outskirts of Kabul on June 23 to announce their support for Afghan security forces and say that they are ready to fight against the Taliban.
Hundreds of armed men attend a gathering on the outskirts of Kabul on June 23 to announce their support for Afghan security forces and say that they are ready to fight against the Taliban.
Reuters
A helicopter is loaded onto a US Air Force plane as American forces carry out their withdrawal from Afghanistan on June 16.
A helicopter is loaded onto a US Air Force plane as American forces carry out their withdrawal from Afghanistan on June 16.
Sgt. 1st Class Corey Vandiver/US Army/DVIDS
US President Joe Biden, speaking from the White House Treaty Room on April 14, <a href="index.php?page=&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cnn.com%2F2021%2F04%2F14%2Fmiddleeast%2Fgallery%2Fafghanistan-war%2Findex.html" target="_blank">formally announces his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan</a> before September 11. "I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats," Biden said. "I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth."
US President Joe Biden, speaking from the White House Treaty Room on April 14, formally announces his decision to withdraw American troops from Afghanistan before September 11. "I am now the fourth American president to preside over an American troop presence in Afghanistan. Two Republicans. Two Democrats," Biden said. "I will not pass this responsibility to a fifth."
Andrew Harnik/Pool/Getty Images