Who are the Taliban and what's happening in Afghanistan?

People in Afghanistan are waking up to a new leadership after the country's government collapsed and a military group called the Taliban took control of the capital city of Kabul.

Afghanistan is a country in South Central Asia that has been caught in war and fighting for decades.

The Taliban are a military group that have been fighting for power in the country.

Lots of people are concerned about what this takeover by the Taliban could mean both for people in Afghanistan and in other parts of the world.

Read our guide to find out more about the situation in Afghanistan.

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Who are the Taliban?

The Taliban is an extreme Islamic group, which ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

They say they are followers of Islam, but their beliefs are much more extreme than those of the majority of Muslims.

They have been fighting to take back control of Afghanistan and want to enforce their own strict version of Sharia, or Islamic law.

Taliban fighters have been fighting in Afghanistan for decades

When the Taliban leaders were in control, they banned many things, including education for girls, television, music and cinema.

Men were made to grow beards and women had to wear burkas, which is a one-piece veil that covers the face and body.

The Taliban's strict laws and extreme punishments made them unpopular with other countries.

People living under Taliban control could be punished very harshly for breaking their rules. They have been accused of various human rights and cultural abuses.

How did the Taliban manage to take back control?

For the most of the last 20 years, the US have supported the government in Afghanistan that was put in place following the war there. You can find out more about the war if you keep reading.

But US president Joe Biden announced in April 2021 that all American forces would leave the country by 11 September.

Over the past few months ago the Taliban had began gaining control of territories around the country but how quickly they have been able to take control of new areas has accelerated in recent days.

The capital city, Kabul, was key to the Taliban seizing full control in Afghanistan

The capital Kabul was the last major city in Afghanistan to hold out against the Taliban, but it has now claimed victory there.

Fighters have seized the presidential palace and the President Ashraf Ghani has fled to Uzbekistan.

The former president Hamid Karzai is offering to lead the transition of power with the Taliban

Why was there a war in Afghanistan?

The 9/11 attacks in America led to the invasion of Afghanistan by US-led forces

In September 2001, nearly 3,000 people were killed in the 9/11 terrorist attacks that happened in New York and Washington in America.

The United States believed that a group called al-Qaeda, and its leader Osama Bin Laden, were responsible for the attacks.

Bin Laden was thought to be hiding in Afghanistan, under the protection of the Taliban.

There was a lot of international pressure on the Afghan leaders to hand over Osama Bin Laden. When the Taliban didn't do this, the United States decided they would use their armed forces.

The US militarily quickly removed the Taliban from power and promised to support democracy in the country. A new Afghan government was put in place.

The US was being supported by Nato (an international organisation which brings together the armies of various countries) and other countries that agreed with them, including the UK. They tried to help the new government build a stable nation.

The Taliban were no longer in control but regrouped in different parts of the country and neighbouring states. They continued to launch attacks against the international forces who remained in Afghanistan.

Many people believed that future peace in Afghanistan could only come if the government negotiated with the Taliban.

In early 2019, the US and the Taliban began peace talks aimed at finding a solution to the 17-year conflict in Afghanistan.

Eventually the US agreed to withdraw its troops and leave power to the new Afghan government.

What will happen now the Taliban is in charge again?

Education for women was banned when the Taliban were in control previously, so many fear the same rules will be applied again

Activists are expressing concerns for women in Afghanistan due to reports the Taliban is already forcing changes to how they dress and their choice to work, in some parts of the country.

Many Afghan citizens have told the BBC that the next few months are going to be difficult and they don't know if something as simple as sending children to modern schools is going to be possible or not.

Due to fear and uncertainty over what could happen under the Tabliban's rule, thousands of residents and foreign nationals have been trying to escape Kabul.

Lots of people have been waiting on the tarmac at the Kabul airport hoping to board a flight out of the country

There was panic in Kabul as the Taliban drew closer to victory with some Afghan people heading for the airport, abandoning cars and making their way on foot in a desperate bid to get out of the country.

But commercial flights have been suspended with priority reportedly being given to US military flights that are evacuating diplomatic staff.

More than 60 countries have issued a joint statement calling for security and civil order to be immediately restored, and asking the Taliban to allow those who wish to leave to do so

Earlier today, the US completed the evacuation of its embassy and took down the flag at its diplomatic quarters

What have the US and British governments been doing?

The US has deployed thousands of troops to help remove its staff and the Afghans who assisted with its mission.

Helicopters carrying embassy workers could be heard over the city on Sunday, and there were reports of smoke rising near the embassy as important documents were destroyed.

About 600 British troops have been deployed to help UK nationals to leave the country.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said his priority was getting "all those who have helped the UK effort over 20 years" out of Afghanistan "as fast as we can".

British Forces have been arriving in Kabul, Afghanistan, to provide support to British nationals leaving the country

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is set to recall Parliament from its summer break to discuss the crisis.

Some other countries are closing their embassies altogether, but Russia said it would not because it has been provided with security assurances by the Taliban.