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The Afghan capital's international airport was frenetic Monday with thousands of Afghans looking for a way out of Kabul.

A day after the Afghan capital fell to the Taliban without a fight, U.S. and other foreign forces continue to protect and hold Kabul's international airport, where panicked crowds have fled to seek refuge from the Taliban.

A roundup compiled by VOA of some reaction by U.S. lawmakers and analysts to President Joe Biden's speech on Afghanistan:

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said Monday that the "world is watching" Afghanistan during these "pivotal" days, as he called on the Taliban to exercise "utmost restraint" to protect Afghan lives and allow humanitarian assistance to reach those in need.

With the Taliban seizing control of Afghanistan, Turkey seeks to avert a refugee exodus, with the country already hosting over four million refugees, with about 120,000 of them from Afghanistan, according the United Nations.

Men with Kalashnikovs roamed the streets of Kabul on foot, in security vehicles and on motorcycles Monday as the insurgents solidified their hold on Afghanistan's capital.

The rapid Taliban offensive across Afghanistan that culminated Sunday with the flight of Afghan President Ashraf Ghani was meticulously planned and executed with ruthless efficiency, say Western military experts.

The Taliban previously ruled Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 and imposed a strict form of Islamic law on the country. Here are some key facts about the group's beliefs and history.

Taliban fighters patrolled the streets of Kabul on Monday, a day after the group swept into the Afghan capital and President Ashraf Ghani left the country.

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The Australian Defence Force will be deploying more than 250 personnel to support urgent Australian Government efforts to evacuate Australian citizens and visa holders from Afghanistan.

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President Joe Biden today addressed the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the actions U.S. troops are now taking to facilitate the departure of allies and Afghan partners. He spoke from the White House.

Afghanistan has fallen to the Taliban, and U.S. troops now in the country are working to secure Hamid Karzai International Airport to enable the safe departure of U.S., allied and Afghan partners from the country.

Seven people have been reported killed as thousands of Afghans flooded the runways and terminals of the Kabul airport amid chaos, attempting to leave after Taliban militants seized control of the country ahead of the withdrawal of U.S.-led coalition forces after a presence of nearly two decades.

The sudden seizure of Kabul by Taliban militants after they made rapid advances across the country has triggered sharp criticism of the U.S. policy in Afghanistan, with Washington being held responsible for ultimately failing to build a democratic government capable of withstanding the insurgents despite spending hundreds of billions of dollars and providing two decades of military support.

The Taliban's rapid takeover of Afghanistan has led many to criticize U.S. President Joe Biden's administration for allowing the internationally backed government in Kabul to collapse.

Uzbekistan says its armed forces have shot down an Afghan military plane after the aircraft illegally entered the Central Asian nation's airspace.

The head of the United Nations has urged the body's Security Council to use "all tools" at its disposal to guarantee that human rights will be respected in Afghanistan after Taliban militants seized control of the country.

A senior Russian official says the country's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, will hold talks with Taliban representatives on August 17 to discuss the security of Russian citizens and embassy personnel.