Afghan president says he fled Kabul to prevent bloodshed

Mr Ghani posted a video on his Facebook page late on Wednesday, confirming that he was in the United Arab Emirates

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul as the Taliban closed in. Picture: Rahmat Gul/AP

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani has defended his decision to flee Kabul in the face of the Taliban advance, describing it as the only way to prevent bloodshed.

He also denied claims by his country’s ambassador to Tajikistan that he had stolen 169 million dollars (£123m) from state funds.