Taliban militants at Kabul airport on Sunday fired into the air and defeated desperate crowds to flee Afghanistan, a day after seven people were crushed to death near the fractured nation’s airfield.
The militants used the batons to defeat the growing Afghan agglomerations and force them to queue in the midst of growing panic at the airport, where it appears that a tense understanding between U.S. forces is being maintained for now. the Taliban.
The scene unfolded amid chaos outside the Afghan airport, where thousands of people want to flee the country after a quick Taliban takeover following the withdrawal of US troops.
Some 5,800 U.S. forces have been introduced to secure the airport, while extreme Islamic militants remain outside controlling panicked crowds of Afghans trying to leave.
“We are looking for full clarity on the exit plan of the foreign forces,” a Taliban official told Reuters. “Managing chaos outside Kabul airport is a complex task.”
A minimum of 20 people have died at and around the airport in the past week, including seven on Saturday, a NATO official said on departure.
U.S. officials said 17,000 people were evacuated from the airport last week, including 2,500 Americans, but thousands more remain at and around the airport.
Australian officials said they sent four flights to Kabul on Saturday and evacuated more than 300 people, while the Netherlands said it would increase its military presence in Afghanistan to help continue evacuation efforts.
U.S. Army Major General William Taylor said the airfield is “still safe” for now.
With publishing cables