‘They cut off my son’s head’: Thousands flee as Taliban make gains in Afghanistan

The Taliban have claimed huge swathes of territory and several provincial capitals in Afghanistan in recent days as Western forces complete their withdrawal from the country.

Government forces are struggling to resist the insurgents, whose use of violence and terror has driven tens of thousands of civilians from their homes in northern provinces. Many are seeking refuge in the capital Kabul, some with only the clothes on their back.

“They took one of my sons by the head as if he was a sheep, cut off his head with a knife and threw his head away,” one man told broadcaster France 24.