The advance moved ahead of plans, and the next day the Northern Alliance forces (supported by ODA 555)[2] entered Kabul and met no resistance inside the city.

[9][10] Following the battle, the Taliban forces in Kabul evacuated the city, emptying the national treasury but in their haste leaving behind weapons and other possessions.

[14] Meanwhile, as the Taliban's control over Kabul was deteriorating, a tip reached CIA headquarters about an al-Qaeda convoy in the city, carrying a possible "high-value target."

An airstrike was carried out, killing Atef and dealing a significant blow to al-Qaeda, as he had been one of the leading members of the organization and was seen as a likely successor to Osama bin Laden.

The alliance primarily consisted of minority ethnic groups within Afghanistan; Uzbeks, Tajiks, and Hazaras, while the Taliban was dominated by the majority ethnic group, the Pashtuns, and it was feared that the seizure of the city would make it more difficult to form a broad and inclusive coalition that would bring stability to the nation, particularly if the Taliban position in the south did not collapse and they continued to fight on as a guerrilla force.