At least seven people have been killed in a crush at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul as desperate Afghans continue to attempt to flee the country one week after the Taliban seized power, the British military reported on Sunday.
There have been several stampedes which resulted in people being crushed in recent days as thousands of people continue to crowd the airport hoping to be among those lucky enough to be flown out of Afghanistan.
“Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible,” the British Defense Ministry said in a statement.
Meanwhile, the Associated Press reports that US military aircraft are performing dive bomb landings at the airport in response to an emerging threat from the Islamic State affiliate in Afghanistan, while aircraft deploy flares upon takeoff to avoid being shot down by heat-seeking missiles.
The Taliban seized control of the Afghan capital of Kabul a week ago, effectively taking control of the entire country as the US effected its withdrawal from Afghanistan. Western countries have scrambled to extricate as many of their citizens and allies as possible via the Kabul airport amidst reports of atrocities committed by the Taliban against women, foreigners, and alleged collaborators.