Embassies of western countries in Kabul have started burning sensitive information recorded on paper and electronic devices as the Taliban insurgents are advancing at lightning speed and the Afghan capital could fall into their hands in a matter of days. Fresh US troops have already landed in Kabul to evacuate diplomats and other American citizens. 

According to a Reuters news agency report, the U.S. embassy in Kabul has provided burn bins and an incinerator to destroy “sensitive material” including papers and electronic devices.

Apart from 3,000 US troops in Kabul, the US is also flying a backup force to nearby Kuwait in case the situation gets out of hand and additional troops are required.

Other NATO countries such as Britain and Germany are also sending troops to help safely evacuate their embassies as government forces are failing to put up a resistance to the rapidly advancing Taliban fighters.

The capture of Kandahar in the south and Herat in the west, which are the second and third largest cities in the country respectively, has come as a devastating blow to the Afghan government.

However, US media reported Pentagon spokesman John Kirby as saying, "Kabul is not right now in an imminent threat environment…. if you just look at what the Taliban has been doing, you can see that they are trying to isolate Kabul."

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