On 15 August, the Taliban* entered Kabul, prompting the Western-backed government to collapse and Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee to the UEA. The seizure of power has forced thousands of Afghans to try to escape from the country out of fear of reprisals from the militants.
Foreign troops are under pressure to wrap up the evacuation by 31 August, as the Taliban has warned it would not extend the deadline for the withdrawing forces even in light of Thursday’s deadly suicide bombing at Kabul Airport. At the same time, the Taliban has said it would allow the evacuation of civilians to continue beyond 31 August.
On Thursday, several explosions targeted Kabul Airport and its periphery, killing 13 US troops and some 170 civilians. The Daesh-K* terror group claimed responsibility for the attacks, prompting a retaliatory US drone strike.
