Kabul airport – live updates

The U.S. embassador has departed for the airport, taking the embassy’s flag with him, according to media reports.

Taliban fighters made dramatic gains on Sunday, entering the outskirts of the capital, Kabul, as the US deployed troops to evacuate thousands of people, government officials said.

• UPDATE Evacuations have resumed from Kabul Airport after hours-long halt – Pentagon.
• UPDATE Ariana News Agency reports Afghan national team footballer Zaki Anwari was one of the victims who died after falling from a U.S. C-17 at Kabul airport.
  
• UPDATE Livestream from Kabul Airport.
  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zAEb64nPzt4
• UPDATE An Afghan shoot a video while on the USAF C-17 moving on runway yesterday at Kabul Airport.
  https://twitter.com/theragex/status/1427610600364982274
• UPDATE A German A400M has landed in Kabul but evacuated only 7 people. The govt said it’s due to chaos at Kabul Airport.
• UPDATE A French A400M has landed in Kabul during the night to evacuate 45 citizens. They are expected to land at Paris CDG in the afternoon today.
  
• UPDATE All military and civilian flights halted at Kabul airport: Pentagon.
• UPDATE Satellite image taken today by Maxar shows hundreds of people on runway at Kabul Airport.
  
• UPDATE US soldiers kill two armed men at Kabul airport, says Pentagon.
• UPDATE People tried to climb on a USAF C-17 while taxiing at Kabul Airport this morning. Seconds after takeoff, two people fell from the landing gear.
  

  Watch: A video shows the moment Afghan citizens dropped from an aircraft near #Kabul airport after clinging on to a US Air Force plane in an attempt to flee the country amid the #Taliban takeover. #Afghanistan https://t.co/2vc7iuFmgj pic.twitter.com/MdrNlasobn

  — Al Arabiya English (@AlArabiya_Eng) August 16, 2021

• UPDATE Two people fell from the landing gear of a USAF C-17 taking off from Kabul this morning according to Aśvaka – آسواکا News Agency.
  

  This is probably following this incident #Kabul https://t.co/tVQSjXJ9v9

  — AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) August 16, 2021

• UPDATE NOTAM issued for Afghanistan stating that FIR Kabul (OAKX) is now uncontrolled airspace:

  AIRCRAFT TRANSITING THROUGH 
  KABUL  FIR WILL BE FLYING IN UN-CONTROLLED AIRSPACE AT
  THEIR OWN RISK

• UPDATE BREAKING As a C-17 is taxiing at Kabul Airport, an Apache helicopter is trying to remove Afghans from the runway.
  

  BREAKING As a C-17 is taxiing at Kabul Airport, an Apache helicopter is trying to remove Afghans from the runway https://t.co/KUFqbCKL70

  — AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) August 16, 2021

• UPDATE Several fire sessions have been heard at Kabul Airport this morning, at least 3 people have been killed, US soldiers are protecting the military area.
  

  #Breaking: At least three people have been killed by gunfire at Kabul airport.

  Heavy gunfight going on. pic.twitter.com/yxfVnwbMFn

  — Ahmer Khan (@ahmermkhan) August 16, 2021

• UPDATE Air India #AI126 is avoiding Afghanistan’s airspace and diverting to Sharjah, probably to refuel and resume route to New Delhi.
• UPDATE Commercial flights out of Kabul cancelled due to chaos at airport: official.
• UPDATE Terrific chaotic scenes at Kabul this morning. US soldiers controlling only part of the tarmac for evacuation.
  

  Terrific chaotic scenes at Kabul this morning. US soldiers controlling only part of the tarmac for evacuation https://t.co/MdnIn837Xf

  — AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) August 16, 2021

• UPDATE Air India has prepared a set crew for emergency operations from Kabul to New Delhi. Flight from Delhi to fly to Kabul at 12:30 pm.
• UPDATE Biden sends another 1,000 troops to Kabul to aid evacuations: Pentagon official
• UPDATE All commercial flights suspended from Kabul airport, only military aircraft allowed to operate – NATO.
• UPDATE Evacuations continue during the night at Kabul Airport.
  

  Evacuations continue during the night at Kabul Airport pic.twitter.com/XvR9sZEUT0

  — AIRLIVE (@airlivenet) August 15, 2021

• UPDATE U.S. Embassy in Kabul issues security alert: “Reports of the airport taking fire. Shelter in place. Do not come to the Embassy or airport at this time.”
• UPDATE The runway is declared unsafe for landing due to possible mortar barrage.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dGx6ZFevJ4

Abdullah Abdullah, the head of the Afghan National Reconciliation Council, said Ghani had left and blamed him for the country’s situation.

An Afghan official said forces at Bagram air base, home to a prison housing 5,000 inmates, have surrendered to the Taliban.