Afghanistan Taliban Crisis: At Least Five Killed In Kabul Airport As Hundreds Of Afghans Try To Board Leaving Flights
The Kabul Airport is the only airport in Afghanistan that is currently operating international flights Since Sunday hours after the Taliban took over the Afghan capital hundreds of citizens had forced their way into the Kabul Airport. The US military has taken over security of the Kabul airport to execute the massive airlift of foreign diplomats and citizens after the Afghan government collapsed.
Unbelievably shocking scenes are being played out at the Kabul Airport, the only airport in Afghanistan that is currently operating international flights.
Since Sunday, hours after the Taliban took over the Afghan capital, hundreds of citizens had forced their way into the Kabul Airport, in a desperate attempt to flee the country.
The US military has taken over security of the Kabul airport to execute the massive airlift of foreign diplomats and citizens after the Afghan government collapsed on Sunday.
#Afghanistan: Total chaos and helplessness at Kabul airport this morning (August 16).pic.twitter.com/16nHRO0RCY
¡ª Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) August 16, 2021
Those evacuation flights are processed on the separate, military, side of the airport.
On Monday there was much chaos at the airport as people tried to board the few flights available.
The sheer helplessness at Kabul airport. It¡¯s heartbreaking! #KabulHasFallen pic.twitter.com/brA3WRdPp8
¡ª Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) August 16, 2021
"We are afraid to live in this city," a 25-year-old ex-soldier told AFP as he stood among huge crowds on the tarmac.
"Since I served in the army, the Taliban would definitely target me."
Another day begins in Kabul, a sea of people rushing into the Kabul airport terminal. #AFG pic.twitter.com/UekpGJ2MWd
¡ª Jawad Sukhanyar (@JawadSukhanyar) August 16, 2021
Several videos posted on social media showed hundreds of people trying to board flights that are leaving.
Things took a tragic turn after the US troops opened fire on Monday morning at the people who stormed the tarmac, leaving at least five dead.
"I feel very scared here. They are firing lots of shots into the air," a witness told news agency AFP.
Bodies of passengers killed by security forces on the tarmac of Kabul Airport via ?@TOLOnews? pic.twitter.com/dXUIuPX83Q
¡ª Saad Mohseni (@saadmohseni) August 16, 2021
Most countries have already stopped commercial flights to Afghanistan and only evacuation flights for diplomats and standard citizens are being flown.
Air India's flight scheduled to Kabul on Monday will not be able to operate as Afghanistan has closed its airspace, the national carrier informed on Monday.
AFP
"Due to the closure of Afghanistan airspace, flights cannot go there," Air India said.
The airline had a scheduled flight for Kabul from Delhi at 8.30 am in the morning on Monday but was rescheduled to 12.30 pm.
Bobins Abraham is the Assistant News Editor at Indiatimes. He has more than twelve years of experience in TV and digital journalism. An avid student of history and geopolitics, he is a conservationist and environmentalist at heart. He writes on environment, sustainability, human-animal conflict and more.
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