Afghanistan: Ousted president Ashraf Ghani in UAE 'on humanitarian grounds'

Ousted Afghan president Ashraf Ghani, who fled as the Taliban entered Kabul, is in the United Arab Emirates, the Gulf state has said.

In a statement, the UAE foreign ministry said Mr Ghani and his family had been welcomed on "humanitarian grounds".

It is the first time Mr Ghani's whereabouts have been confirmed.

After his departure, Mr Ghani said he wanted to avoid bloodshed.

"The Taliban had made it clear that they were ready to carry out a bloody attack on all of Kabul and the people of Kabul to oust me. In order to prevent a flood of bloodshed, I decided to leave," he said in a statement on Facebook.

He added that the militants had "won victory in a judgment of sword and gun" and they "have a responsibility to protect the honour, prosperity and self-respect of our compatriots".