Afghanistan: Airport chaos continues as US exit deadline looms
The deadline for the total withdrawal of US combat troops from Afghanistan nears amid warnings of a terror threat at the airport and thousands of Afghans desperately trying to flee the country.
People remain stranded at airport
As massive airlift operations to evacuate foreigners and at-risk Afghans near their end, many people remain stranded at the airport. European nations have warned they will not be able to airlift all at-risk Afghans before August 31.
On course to end evacuation operations
NATO countries such as Belgium and Denmark have already ended their evacuations, while others are planning to end them soon. France has announced that it will end its evacuation operations on Friday afternoon. And the UK is planning to end its airlift efforts before US forces depart at the end of the month.
US soldiers secure the airport, but not for long
The US military, which has about 5,800 personnel on the ground, is currently controlling the Kabul airport. The Pentagon said that the military will continue evacuating people from Kabul airport until August 31 if needed but will prioritize the removal of US troops and military equipment on the last couple of days.
Germany to end its mission soon
The German military is reportedly set to halt airlift operations in Afghanistan on Thursday. The decision comes four days before the August 31 deadline for evacuations and a US troop withdrawal. To date, Germany's Bundeswehr has managed to safely evacuate over 5,100 people, including more than 3,600 Afghans.
Afghans desperate to get out
Over the past couple of weeks, thousands of desperate Afghans have been scrambling to find a way to get out of the country. They fear a return to the Taliban's brutal rule when the Islamic fundamentalist group last governed the country from 1996 and 2001 and want to escape it at all costs.
Outside the security perimeter, the Taliban control the area
While US troops are guarding the area inside the security perimeter outside the Kabul airport, Taliban fighters are guarding the territory outside. The Taliban have ruled out any extension to the August 31 deadline to pull out foreign troops, describing it as a "red line."
Terror warnings abound
In the past few days, concerns have been growing about the deteriorating security situation in Kabul, particularly at the airport, with warnings of a potential attack by the so-called Islamic State terror outfit. Despite the warnings, reports suggest that areas outside the airport continue to be crowded.