Secunder Kermani
BBC News

Image source, Getty Images

A contingent of soldiers from the now defeated Afghan army are helping American forces guard some of the gates at Kabul International Airport.

They fire shots regularly into the air above the heads of the hundreds of people milling around them, at times beating them with strips of rubber hosing.

Everywhere I go dozens of desperate people gather around me trying to show me documents they’ve brought with them. Many have worked with foreign troops or embassies, but very few have actually received permission to board an evacuation flight.

They’re hoping somehow they’ll be allowed inside the airport but it doesn’t seem likely. The rush is making it difficult for those who have received emails telling them to turn up here to actually get through.

I spoke to one former security adviser, who has been granted a US visa, but is struggling to make his way to the gate with his young family.

Isn’t it more dangerous trying to leave the country than to stay?

“We have no option,” he replies.

BBC Monitoring

The Taliban have attempted to push back against their anti-sport reputation in a meeting with the captain of the Afghan national cricket team.

A photo posted on the group's Arabic-language Twitter account showed political leaders meeting with the side's captain and batsman Hashmatullah Shahidi.

According to the tweet, participants in the meeting spoke about "future programmes and ways to improve the performance and standard of the team".

During their previous rule, from 1996 to 2001, the Taliban placed heavy restrictions on organised sports.

In recent days, the group have been keen to portray life gradually returning to normality in Afghanistan.

However, the Afghanistan Cricket Board recently said it expected the incoming Taliban authorities to block plans to create a national women's team. Since the Taliban's takeover of Kabul on 15 August, there have been international calls for the emergency evacuation of female players from Afghanistan.

Image source, Reuters

Leaders of G7 nations need to coordinate evacuation efforts from Kabul airport and consider whether they should continue beyond the 31 August deadline set by the United States, German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas has said.

Mr Maas told reporters that discussions had begun between Germany, the US, Turkey and the Taliban with the aim "facilitating a civil operation of Kabul airport to enable the evacuation of people beyond August 31".

However, he stressed that the airport would only be kept open beyond 31 August if security could be guaranteed.

The situation at the airport was getting more chaotic, Mr Maas noted, after a firefight broke out between unidentified gunmen, Western security forces and Afghan guards at the north entrance on Monday, resulting in the death of an Afghan soldier.

The Taliban earlier ruled out the possibility of Western troops remaining beyond the 31st, with spokesman Suhail Shaheen warning of "consequences" if the US delayed the withdrawal of its forces.

Image source, Getty Images

The US military is due to finish its withdrawal from Kabul on 31 August, but UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said that he plans to urge US President Joe Biden to delay the deadline.

For now, the Pentagon is giving little away.

"I'm not aware of specific conversations we’ve had in respect to the deadline," Kirby said, adding that they are in "constant communication with the Taliban" about US activities at Hamid Karzai Airport.

Image source, Getty Images

The US has evacuated 16,000 Afghan people in just the past 24 hours alone, according to a top US general.

Around 11,000 were flown out by the US military, while the rest were taken by charter and commercial flights.

Since 14 August, 37,000 have been taken from the Kabul airport, said US Army Maj Gen Hank Taylor.

He added that the number of troops at Hamid Karzai International Airport remains at 5,800, and that local commanders "continue to actively monitor threats" in the area.

"We’re taking this day by day. We’d like to see the numbers rise but we’re taking it day by day," said military spokesman John Kirby.

He added that law enforcement and intelligence personnel are present at these evacuation locations to ensure that "nobody comes to the United States that hasn’t been scrutinised in a robust manner".

Lyse Doucet
Chief International Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

The book recording vaccination certificates lies open. There are still a few passports on the shelf. But the little booth where medical staff at Kabul International Airport once collected Covid tests is now strewn with scraps of paper and shards of broken blue glass. American soldiers patrol the ground; they sit surrounded by coils of razor wire in front of the iconic sign “I Love Kabul” with its big red heart.

Two billboards dominating this civilian section of the airport now send new signals. A huge hoarding with two layers of photographs of former President Ashraf Ghani is torn. On the other side, a quote from the late famous former commander Ahmad Shah Massoud seems even more apt: “to compensate political mistake is difficult”.

A few buses packed with Afghans manage to reach - no doubt with the best of connections - this relatively quiet civilian side of the airport to escape the chaos and crush at the main gate for processing passengers. Families hastily pile out of vehicles to walk to the military section, also under US control, where evacuation flights are lifting off with ever greater frequency as the end of the US military mission in Afghanistan draws near.

Just beyond this American-controlled zone, Taliban fighters are now firmly in charge. It’s a startling changing of the guard. Many now sport American-issued uniforms, hold new US-made M4 rifles, cradling them the way American-trained soldiers would have been taught - more signs of the valuable booty that’s fallen into Taliban hands.

There’s traffic gridlock in the streets outside. I’ve always seen the entrance of Kabul airport as a symbol of the cityscape. Over the past two decades, this intersection has changed with the times – from desolate streets in late 2001 when the Taliban were toppled, to a thicket of billboards, changing over the years, urging Afghans to buy mobile telephones, vote for politicians, support their national security forces. No doubt new messages will soon take pride of place. For now, the white Taliban flag flutters from new checkposts and on gleaming pickups bristling with guns.

The old order has crumbled; the new order is being created. For now, daily life just goes on. Young boys pushing carts with sugar cane or fizzy drinks still make their way through the fray - street children wave rusted tins, burning with incense, to provide positive spirits for a price.

A spokesman for US Central Command, which oversees the US war in Afghanistan, has just put out a statement on the gun battle at Kabul airport that happened earlier on Monday.

"No US or coalition forces were hurt during a brief exchange of gunfire," said Cpt William Urban, adding that the incident began when an unknown person opened fire on Afghan troops.

"The Afghans returned fire, and in keeping with their right of self-defence, so too did US and coalition troops," the statement added.

"One member of the Afghan forces was killed by the hostile actor; several Afghans were wounded during the exchange," he said.

The injured are now being treated at a field hospital at the airport, Urban said, adding: "Our condolences go out to the teammates and loved ones of the fallen Afghan soldier."

Image source, Ministry of Defence

The UK has evacuated 1,300 people from Afghanistan over the last 24 hours, according to Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

Giving an update to broadcasters, he said that figure was made up of British nationals and people on the ARAP (Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy) schemes such as interpreters.

He said that since 14 August, the UK had taken 6,600 people out of Afghanistan.

"There are, of course, many, many more, and the hardest thing is, to be honest, about the reality, which is we won't get them all out, but we are doing it every hour of every day to get them through."

Image source, EPA

Numerous countries have been sending aircraft to Afghanistan to bring back their citizens following the Taliban's takeover a week ago. Here’s the latest on those evacuations:

• Germany has airlifted almost 3,000 people originating from 43 countries from Kabul airport, Chief of Defence Eberhard Zorn has said. They include 143 Germans, some 1,800 Afghans and about 350 European Union nationals, he said
• Two evacuation flights carrying 226 people arrived in Belgium on Monday morning from Islamabad, the hub for Belgium's rescue mission. Four military flights from Kabul are due to ferry more people to the Pakistani capital later. Foreign Minister Sophie Wilmes tweeted that Belgium's Operation Red Kite has already brought 400 people from Kabul's airport

• Switzerland’s government said it has evacuated around 100 people from Afghanistan so far. It also said a 300-seat aircraft took off from Zurich on Monday heading for the Uzbek capital Tashkent to bring back people who had already been evacuated from Kabul
• Hungary has evacuated 173 people from Afghanistan - including many at the request of the United States and Austria - on a plane that arrived in Budapest via Uzbekistan earlier on Monday, Foreign Minister Peter Szijjarto said. Some 96 Afghan nationals who had helped Hungary and its allies in Afghanistan had arrived in Hungary and been placed in quarantine, a statement added
• France is using a staging post in the United Arab Emirates as it seeks to evacuate more than 1,000 Afghans who are fleeing the country. A flight with 250 French and Afghans aboard left for Paris on Sunday, followed by another in the early hours of Monday morning with 150 passengers
• And Japan sent a military aircraft to Afghanistan earlier on Monday. A total of three military transport planes are expected to be sent to Afghanistan to repatriate Japanese citizens and Afghans working at the Japanese embassy

France has joined the UK in calling for the United States to delay the withdrawal of its forces beyond 31 August.

French Foreign Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian told reporters: “We are concerned about the deadline set by the United States on 31 August. Additional time is needed to complete ongoing operations.”

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson will ask the US for an extension at an emergency meeting of the G7 tomorrow in order to allow evacuation flights to continue.

It is generally considered that other allied forces would be unable to maintain a presence at Kabul airport without US troops on the ground.

The Taliban say they will not extend the deadline for Western forces to leave Afghanistan.

Spokesman Suhail Shaheen told the BBC's Yalda Hakim that 31 August was a red line and that any extension would be a "clear violation" of the Doha agreement between the United States and the Taliban.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to request that US troops remain at Kabul airport past the 31 August deadline at Tuesday's virtual meeting of G7 leaders.

Image source, Getty Images

India is continuing efforts to evacuate citizens from Afghanistan.

A group of 146 stranded Indians, who were initially evacuated to Doha, arrived in Delhi on Monday.

Some 168 were also airlifted from Kabul on Sunday. The group reportedly included 24 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, two of whom were MPs in Afghanistan's now-fallen government.

Their evacuation came amid reports that dozens from the religious minorities were earlier stopped from boarding flights at the weekend.

"All achievements of the last 20 years in Afghanistan have been lost. Nothing is left. It's zero now," said Afghan MP Narinder Singh Khalsa, external after landing in India, according to The Indian Express newspaper.

Read more about the evacuations here

Image source, Ministry of Defence

Downing Street says the UK’s evacuation efforts will continue as long as it is safe to do so.

It comes after a Taliban spokesman said that British and American troops staying in Afghanistan past 31 August would be crossing a "red line".

Asked about the comments, the prime minister's official spokesman said: "I've seen the reports. I don't think we've had any direct communication to that end.

"We will continue to run our evacuation process as long as the security situation allows."

He added that the issue would be included in discussions with G7 leaders tomorrow.

Image source, Reuters

The Panjshir region - in particular the Panjshir Valley - is famous for having successfully fought off invasions, including from Soviet forces during the Soviet-Afghan war from 1979 to 1989, and the Taliban in the 1990s.

The region is now under the control of the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF), which was founded by Ahmad Massoud - the son of Afghan resistance hero Ahmad Shah Massoud.

Ahmad Shah Massoud was a powerful guerrilla commander who led the resistance against the USSR, and then went on to lead the Afghan government's military wing against rival militias in the 1990s.

After the Taliban gained control, he was the main opposition commander against their rule, until his assassination in 2001.

The NRF's ultimate goal is a decentralised form of governance in the country.

The Taliban are urging Afghan people to stay and rebuild their country but will not stand in the way of those who want to leave, if they have the correct documentation, a spokesman has told the BBC.

Suhail Shaheen said people could still leave on commercial flights after the deadline for foreign troops to leave by 31 August.

He said: "We are not putting hurdles in their way if they have a passport issued - they can go on commercial flights at any time. We want them to stay in the country but if they intend to go, they can... if they have the proper documents."

But he stressed there would be "consequences" if the foreign forces stayed beyond 31 August. He did not elaborate on what this would mean, saying only that the Taliban leadership would decide.

G7 members will meet virtually tomorrow to discuss whether to try to extend the 31 August deadline amid chaotic scenes at Kabul airport.

Frank Gardner
BBC Security Correspondent

Image source, Getty Images

There are two underlying threats to the ongoing evacuation at Kabul airport.

The most immediate one comes from IS, the Islamic State group. IS is no friend of the Taliban and they have already fought clashes with them in the recent past.

US intelligence picked up threat reporting over the weekend of a possible planned IS suicide attack at the airport, hence the US warning to avoid the airport unless you have valid travel documents.

The second threat is that the Taliban could lose patience with this entire operation which does not show them in a good light at all. So far, they have been cooperative but they have made it clear there can be no extension beyond the 31 August deadline as they view any Western military forces in Afghanistan as an "occupation".

Should the US or its allies try to stay on after the deadline without an agreement with the Taliban, that would bring an extreme risk of attack or violent disruption.

Today Programme
BBC Radio 4

Former Greek foreign minister Georgios Katrougalos tells the BBC that the European Union needs to “adopt a quota” for the settlement of Afghan refugees across member states.

Katrougalos says the EU has failed "to adopt a fair and efficient migration policy" and says it needs to adopt its own "autonomous foreign policy" rather than "following the Americans".

"We are an economic giant, but on issues of foreign policy we clearly did not play this role", he says.

"This is going to be also a test on how Europe can also show to the world that we can act also morally, not just having in mind our self-interests."

Image source, Reuters

An anti-Taliban resistance group has said it has thousands of people ready to fight.

The BBC has not independently verified this claim, which was made by Ali Nazary, the head of foreign relations for the National Resistance Front of Afghanistan (NRF).

Mr Nazary told the BBC in an interview that the group had "thousands of forces ready for the resistance" but wanted to pursue peaceful negotiations first.

"If this fails... then we're not going to accept any sort of aggression," he said.

It comes as the Taliban say they have surrounded the group's Panjshir valley stronghold and put them under siege.

Resistance figures have also said the Taliban are now advancing in the region, which is northeast of the capital Kabul.

BBC Breakfast

Delaying the withdrawal of US forces from Afghanistan would be “great in the short term” but world leaders also need to think more longer term, says Rory Stewart, who used to be the UK's international development secretary.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson is expected to ask US President Joe Biden to give US forces more time to leave Afghanistan, at an emergency gathering of leaders from the G7 countries tomorrow.

However, Stewart told the BBC that the G7 must also think about the next “two to five years in Afghanistan”.

“As the United States and Britain withdraw, we’re creating a vacuum and a lot of other countries are going to come into that – Pakistan, Iran, China, Russia will start providing funding to the Taliban as we leave.

“We’re going to end up with many, many refugees. Last time around when the Taliban took over, there were nearly four million refugees.”

He urged Mr Johnson to consider how countries could provide support for refugees, as well as assistance for charities and agencies still operating “on the ground” in Afghanistan.

Image source, Getty Images

Several thousand Afghan interpreters and other staff who worked for British forces are eligible to come to the UK, but many are stuck at Kabul airport as they attempt to flee the Taliban.

One man - who cannot be named to protect his security because he worked with the British forces as an interpreter - told the BBC he was trapped in the crowds outside the airport.

He said he had been waiting almost 12 hours at the gate for British interpreters.

“I'm here with my children, with my wife but there's no way for us to go in and ask someone what's happening with us, with my case.

“There are hundreds of other interpreters and their lives are in danger and their futures are very uncertain. So I think we are in hell.

“And you're waiting for 14 or 15 hours without water, without food.

“The reason why you are suffering all this, because you worked for British army, because you worked for foreigners."