MOSCOW, August 26. /TASS/. The Taliban movement (outlawed in Russia) has removed security from former Afghan President Hamid Karzai and head of the High Council for National Reconciliation Abdullah Abdullah, CNN reported on Thursday, citing a source.

According to the source, on Monday, Taliban members took away Karzai’s cars and confiscated weapons from his security guards, which prompted the ex-president to move to Abdullah Abdullah’s house, which was searched on Wednesday. As a result, both Karzai and Abdullah were left without protection.

CNN added that Karzai and Abdullah were in fact under house arrest.

The Taliban launched a large-scale offensive to take the country under control in the spring after the United States had announced plans to withdraw troops from Afghanistan. On August 15, Afghan President Ashraf Ghani stepped down and fled the country and Taliban fighters swept into the capital, Kabul, without meeting any resistance. Those unwilling to recognize Taliban rule have organized resistance in the Panjshir Valley, led by Ahmad Massoud. Former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, who declared himself caretaker president, called on the Afghan people to support Massoud.

Abdullah Abdullah, Hamid Karzai, and leader of the Islamic Party Gulbuddin Hekmatyar created a coordination council for the peaceful transfer of power to the Taliban after militants had entered the capital. They held a series of meetings with Taliban members on forming new government agencies. Afghanistan’s Ariana News TV channel reported on Wednesday that the three politicians were supposed to join a council that the Taliban planned to establish to rule the country.

Meanwhile, Western nations are in the process of evacuating their citizens and diplomatic personnel, as well as Afghan nationals who worked for them. Vladimir Putin ordered the Russian Defense Ministry to evacuate Russians, the citizens of Collective Security Treaty Organization countries and Ukraine.