Officials of Afghanistan's ruling Taliban movement began fleeing the capital yesterday amid growing expectations the United States was preparing a punishing attack.
While a Pakistani delegation arrived to try to avert war, Taliban officials and their families were heading out of the city for the relative safety of the countryside, but it was not clear if this was under instructions from their spiritual leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, witnesses said.
Tens of thousands of Afghans streamed out of major cities and headed toward the borders with Pakistan and Iran amid fears the United States was preparing to unleash a "mighty war" on the country for harbouring Osama bin Laden, the prime suspect in last week's terror attacks on the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.
The fleeing Taliban representatives appeared mainly to be junior commanders and officials, witnesses said.
The majority of the leadership is based in Kandahar.
Witnesses said hundreds of ordinary residents of the capital were also trying to escape.
"Better leave now before you are trapped," said one resident.
Fear of reprisal has triggered a rush to get families out of the cities, but the border was effectively closed.
Only trucks carrying such items as grapes and melons, and Afghans equipped with valid travel documents, were being allowed to enter Pakistan at the Torkham gate that divides the Khyber Pass from Afghanistan, officials said.
Pakistan had also tightened security at crossing points along the porous 1,400-km (870-mile) border as worries grew about the number trying to cross.
The exodus of Afghans was flowing out of Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad in the east.
Others were heading towards Iran from Herat in the east and Mazar-i-Sharif in the north.
Iran has already closed its border with Afghanistan.
These who couldn't leave were bracing for war, stocking up on food as prices soared and the Afghani currency slid.