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Photos: Fear and uncertainty loom over Kabul as the Taliban takes charge in Afghanistan

A man carries a bloodied child, as a woman lies wounded on the street
A man carries a bloodied child, as a woman lies wounded on the street after Taliban fighters use gun fire, whips, sticks and sharp objects to maintain crowd control over thousands of Afghans who continue to wait outside the Kabul Airport for a way out.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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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.

A man cries as he watches fellow Afghans get wounded.
A man cries as he watches fellow Afghans wounded as Taliban members use gunfire, whips, sticks and sharp objects to maintain crowd control outside the Kabul international airport.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
A child cries as a man carries another child, badly bloodied.
A child reacts to the violence outside the Kabul international airport.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Men try to help a wounded woman to her feet
Men assist a woman injured in the violence outside the airport.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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A man with a turban carries a  walkie-talkie, joined by other people
Taliban members gather at a rally in the Kampani area near Kabul to showcase military equipment captured from the defeated Afghan army.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Soldiers try to guide cars and pedestrians in the street.
Soldiers help direct traffic amid the chaos in Kabul.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
Pedestrians and motorists ended up in a traffic gri lock as Afghans rush to safety
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)
 Pedestrians and motorists in a traffic gridlock on a street.
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 looks at city below from his home
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)
Afghan soldiers guard their post on Wazir Akbar Khan Hill above Kabul at night.
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)
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A military vehicle with militants patrols a street.
A military vehicle with militants patrols Kabul, Afghanistan, on Sunday.
(Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)
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