Several videos emerged online allegedly showing the fire which broke out at Kabul airport as the US and other western states continue their evacuation efforts there.
The cause of the alleged fire, and whether there were any casualties at the airport, as yet remain unknown.
Earlier in the day, a group of unidentified assailants attacked the airport which at present is in the hands of US and NATO forces with the assistance of the remaining Afghan security forces. The attackers killed one member of the Afghan Security Forces and injured three more. The reason for their attack remains a mystery.
The early morning assault took place as the US and other countries withdraw their citizens from Afghanistan after it had been rapidly seized by the Taliban* with the exception of a few resisting provinces. Hundreds of Afghans, who are fleeing the Taliban, flocked to the airport as well, trying to escape from the country by boarding one of the departing NATO planes.
Even though 30,000 people have already been taken out of the country, many more remain at the overcrowded airport. The US earlier deployed extra troops to help moving Afghans out of the country and lobbied commercial airlines on 22 August to help with the effort. Washington planned to complete withdrawal by 31 August, but the Taliban seized Kabul without a fight after a blitz offensive on 15 August. Now, the US fears it might need additional time to wrap up the chaotic evacuation, while the Taliban warns the NATO countries not to stay for too long.
