Gunshots Heard Outside Kabul Airport As Afghans Scramble To Escape Crossfire

As the US evacuation operation continues in the Afghanistan capital and people throng the Kabul airport in hopes of getting a flight out of the country, gunshots were heard once again outside the Hamid Karzai International airport on Saturday afternoon. The Taliban terrorists were seen open firing to stop the civilians from leaving the country, while Afghans scrambled to avoid getting caught in the crossfire. Apart from consecutive gunshots, coloured smoke was also witnessed at the airport amid chaos. 

Visuals of gunshots and killings have become more prevalent at the Kabul airport ever since the Taliban snatched power from the Afghanistan government and declared the country an 'Islamic Emirate.' 

Earlier on Thursday, two ISIS suicide bombers and gunmen attacked the crowd gathered at the Kabul Airport, resulting in the death of more than 160 people, including 13 US military personnel. So far, 150 people have been injured in the attack claimed by ISIS-K terrorists.

The suicide bombing attacks have slowed down evacuation efforts of countries helping their nationals flee Afghanistan amidst the Taliban's takeover. Acknowledging the fact that time was running



out to evacuate people stranded in Afghanistan ahead of the 31 August deadline, the White House report stated that nearly 4,200 people were transported from Kabul on Friday in just 12 hours.

The US and the UK accelerated the evacuation process as United States President Joe Biden has chosen August 31 as the deadline for the full withdrawal of his troops. On August 26, Secretary of State Antony Blinken had emphasized that the focus in the coming days would be on assisting remaining American citizens and some Afghans who have worked with the US government.

US Strikes ISIS-K Planner 

The United States military on Friday struck back against the ISIS-K in the aftermath of the devastating twin blasts at the Kabul Airport. As per agency sources, the US launched a drone strike against an Islamic State member in Nangarhar. The ISIS-K member was reportedly involved in planning the attacks against the US in Kabul. At least 169 Afghans including several children also lost their lives in the attack.

Sharing details of the drone strikes that targeted the ISIS-K planner, the Pentagon in a statement said that as per initial indications, the target had been eliminated.