The first families from Afghanistan have arrived safely in Aberdeenshire as part of the humanitarian effort to shelter those fleeing their country.
The country’s capital Kabul fell on August 15 after the insurgents made huge gains in recent months following the withdrawal of US troops.
As the Taliban seized control of Afghanistan, millions of people are thought to have fled or are attempting to leave.
The mass exit of thousands of asylum seekers and refugees led to fears of a humanitarian crisis, with some British and American soldiers sent to the country.
Earlier this month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon vowed Scotland would “play its part” in welcoming and supporting people fleeing Afghanistan, through both the programme supporting locally employed staff and resettlement of refugees.
Hundreds of families have already safely relocated to various locations in the country – including Edinburgh and Glasgow – to seek a safe haven from the “horror” scenes in their homeland.
Now, Aberdeenshire Council has confirmed the first families to be resettled in the north-east have safely arrived on August 31.
However, it is not yet known how many families have sought asylum in the area.
The local authority also pledged its commitment to doing “all it can” to support more families through the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.
An Aberdeenshire Council spokesman said: “The first families from Afghanistan have arrived safely in Aberdeenshire, as expected.
“They are being resettled as part of the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy (ARAP) scheme.
“We remain committed to doing all we can to resettle families via ARAP, the new Afghan Citizens Resettlement Scheme and ongoing United Kingdom Resettlement Scheme (UKRS).”