Afghanistan crisis live updates: Key northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif falls to Taliban

Taliban fighters have captured Mazar-i-Sharif, the northern city that was the Afghan government's last northern stronghold, with security forces fleeing to the Uzbekistan border, a provincial official said on Saturday.

The German military will assist in the previously announced evacuation of German and local staff from Berlin's embassy in Kabul, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said on Saturday. The foreign ministry estimates its remaining staff count at the embassy in the "high double digits".

Officials have stressed that the newly arriving troops' mission is limited to assisting the airlift of embassy personnel and Afghan allies, and they expect to complete it by month's end. But they might have to stay longer if the embassy is threatened by a Taliban takeover of Kabul by then.

At least 60 Taliban terrorists were killed in airstrikes conducted by the Afghan Air Force (AAF) in Dihdadi district of the country's Balkh province, informed the Afghanistan Ministry of Defense on Saturday.

The Taliban officials are now running affairs of the Afghan border district of Spin-Boldak, which the group captured last month. All taxes and toll fees in the province are being collected by the Taliban. The Chaman-Spin Boldak crossing generates huge revenue for both sides. Nearly 1,000 trucks carrying commercial goods cross the border each day during times of peace.

Qatar said it had urged the Taliban to cease fire and pull back their offensive in Afghanistan during a meeting between the Qatari foreign minister and a top representative of the Afghan insurgents in Doha on Saturday. Foreign Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani met the head of the Taliban's political bureau, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, to follow up on peace talks hosted by the Gulf country, the Qatari foreign ministry said in a statement on its website.

Afghanistan's President Ashraf Ghani said he was in urgent talks with local leaders and international partners as Taliban rebels pushed closer to Kabul. Ghani gave no sign of responding to a Taliban demand that he resign for any talks on a ceasefire and a political settlement, saying "re-integration of the security and defence forces is our priority, and serious measures are being taken in this regard". He spoke soon after the insurgents took Pul-e-Alam, the capital of Logar province that is 70 km (40 miles) south of Kabul, and a key staging post for a potential assault on the capital.

In the video, an unnamed insurgent said all employees were present and would broadcast news, political analysis and recitations of the Quran, the Islamic holy book. It appears the station will no longer play music.

The situation is dangerous outside of the city and inside the city, residents say.