“I spent eight years in the Bay of Guantanamos”, the Taliban commander makes news from the presidency

The Taliban commander conducted a press conference within the Presidential Palace in Kabul, as militants declared Afghanistan's Islamic state after the country's president joined thousands of Afghan citizens towards a massive exodus.

He was quoted as saying he spent eight years in Guantanama Bay, before the uprising in Afghanistan.

Taliban fighters attacked the ancient palace on Sunday and demanded a peaceful transfer of power as the capital fell into chaos.

US-backed Afghan President Ashraf Ghan left the country for Tajikistan, effectively giving the Taliban power in a move signaling the end of the 20-year Western intervention launched after the 11 September attacks, while thousands of Afghan citizens set out towards the Pakistani border.

Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen told Al-Jazeera that the rebels “are awaiting a peaceful transfer of the city of Kabul”. But when it was shown what kind of agreement the Taliban wanted, Shaheen said they were seeking an unconditional surrender from the central government.

Although not mentioned at the conference, foreign media have distributed the beginning of the conference video, where armed Taliban are seen inside the Presidential Palace.