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16th Aug 2021

US troops fire shots as Afghans climb airbridges amid chaos at Kabul airport

Danny Jones

The chaos continues

As Afghan civilians look to flee the city of Kabul and the rest of the country as Afghanistan falls deeper into the hands of the Taliban and tensions rise.

At least five people have already been reported dead inside the airport and while the details surrounding the incidents have not yet been released, there are multiple videos showing shots being fired by US troops as they attempt to control the crowds.

Thousands of displaced civilians have flooded the airports, attempting to get onboard the last flights out of the city, with scenes of them climbing on top of each other in order to clamber airbridges in an attempt to cram into the plane.

Several clips show hundreds chasing planes down the runway in a last-ditch effort to cling on to departing aircraft.

This is the scene just outside the Hamid Karzai airport in the country’s capital; you can hear the US troops’ machine-gun fire ringing out over panicked heads as they sprint towards the terminal.

While both British and US troops are currently in place at the airport to both help with the evacuation and deter any possible Taliban attack, it is clear that their main goal is to secure the airport first and foremost.

Afghan outlet TOLONews also posted a video to social media which shows an onlooker filming US troops that are posted up in positions around the airport, weapons at the ready.

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