The Taliban swept into Kabul and seized power on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing an end to a two-decade campaign in which the U.S. and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan.

       Pedestrians and motorists in Kabul ended up in traffic gridlock Sunday as Afghans rushed to safety with uncertainty and rumors swirling that the Taliban would enter the city and take over.

       (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

       Another scene of pedestrians and motorists in Kabul in traffic gridlock Sunday as Afghans rushed to safety with uncertainty and rumors swirling that the Taliban would enter the city and take over.

       (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

       An Afghan soldier who didn’t want to use his name looks at Kabul below Sunday and says, “This is like a quick death,” referring to the fall of the city. He said it was going to be a hard moment for him when he removes his uniform permanently after 10 years of service at an outpost at Wazir Akbar Khan Hill in Kabul.

       (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

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       Afghan soldiers stayed behind guarding their post on Wazir Akbar Khan Hill for one last night in Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday. They slump over and drag their feet. Their plan was to leave at first light to return to their villages to normal life but they are determined to fight if the Taliban comes to their homes.

       (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

       A military vehicle with militants patrols Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday.

       (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)