The war was over in Afghanistan, said a spokesman for the Taliban's political office on Sunday in an interview. The spokesman also called for peaceful relations with the international community. US President Joe Biden and other top officials were left stunned by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan

The war was over in Afghanistan, said a spokesman for the Taliban's political office on Sunday in an interview with Al Jazeera TV.

The spokesman also called for peaceful relations with the international community. Mohammad Naeem, spokesman for the group, said the Taliban did not want to live in isolation and the type of rule and the form of regime would be clear soon.

Naeem added, the group has respected women's and minorities' rights and freedom of expression within Sharia law. The group is also ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them necessary protection.

After Taliban insurgents entered Kabul on Sunday, President Ashraf Ghani left the country saying he wanted to avoid bloodshed. It brought the group close to taking over the country two decades after they were overthrown by a US-led invasion.

Meanwhile, US President Joe Biden and other top officials were left stunned by the pace of the Taliban's nearly complete takeover of Afghanistan. The planned withdrawal of US forces has now become a mission to ensure a safe evacuation.

The Afghan government's rapid collapse and the ensuing chaos raised several questions. While referring to the Afghan military, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken told CNN, "We've seen that that force has been unable to defend the country, and that has happened more quickly than we anticipated."

Several netizens also said the images of US helicopters circling the Kabul embassy evoked the humiliating departure of its personnel from Vietnam many years ago.

A US State Department official also said the country’s flag is no longer flying at embassy amid evacuations from the capital. Nearly all embassy personnel have been relocated to the city's international airport.