Taliban insurgents were returning to power in Kabul on Monday after a military advance across Afghanistan as U.S-led forces departed, and Western nations stepped up efforts to evacuate their citizens from the capital.

After 20 years of war, foreign forces are pulling out of Afghanistan. It has been the US' longest-running conflict on foreign soil.

Taliban spokesman: 'The war is over in Afghanistan'

A short while ago the spokesman for the Taliban’s political office told Al-Jazeera Mubasher TV on Sunday that the war is over in Afghanistan and that the type of rule and the form of regime will be clear soon.

Spokesman Mohammad Naeem said that no diplomatic body or any of its headquarters was targeted, saying that the group assures everyone it will provide safety for citizens and diplomatic missions.

“We are ready to have a dialogue with all Afghan figures and will guarantee them the necessary protection,” he told the Qatar-based channel. He said the group takes every step responsibly and is keen on having peace with everyone.

US military has flown 500 embassy personnel out of Kabul so far – report

The US military is aiming to get 5,000 embassy personnel out of Kabul a day later this week, NBC chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander reports.

For now, they have flown 500 out of the country.

President Joe Biden’s predecessor Donald Trump has issued a new call for the US president to "resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan”.

He has also claimed that the US’ withdrawal would be “much different and much more successful” were he still president.

The Biden team has hit back saying that the US-Taliban exit deal was negotiated under Trump’s presidency.

However, exact details of the exit were left up to Biden’s administration. The BBC's North America editor Jon Sopel earlier wrote that the "policy may have been framed by Donald Trump but Joe Biden owns this unfolding chaos.

The pace at which the Taliban has taken control of the country has caused Mr Biden to come under enormous criticism. Officials in his administration are now admitting that they over-estimated the capacity of Afghan troops.

Secretary of state Anthony Blinken told CNN news that the fall of the country "has happened more quickly than we anticipated."