: Panic at Kabul Airport as Afghans Rush to Flee Taliban After U.S. Evacuates Staff #WorldNEWS (KABUL, Afghanistan) — The U. S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan

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Panic at Kabul Airport as Afghans Rush to Flee Taliban After U.S. Evacuates Staff #WorldNEWS
(KABUL, Afghanistan) — The U. S. military struggled to manage a chaotic evacuation from Afghanistan on Monday as the Taliban patrolled the capital and tried to project calm after toppling the Western-backed government.
The Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing a stunning end to a two-decade campaign in which the U. S. and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan. The countrys Western-trained security forces collapsed in a matter of days, even before the withdrawal of the last U. S. troops.
Thousands of Afghans fearing a return to Taliban rule are trying to flee the country through Kabuls international airport. Videos circulating on social media showed hundreds of people racing across the tarmac as U. S. soldiers fired warning shots in the air. Another showed a crowd pushing and shoving its way up a staircase, trying to board a plane, with some people hanging off the railings.
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Massouma Tajik, a 22-year-old data analyst, described scenes of panic at the airport, where she was among hundreds of Afghans hoping to board an evacuation flight.

Video: Afghans crowded #Kabul airport Sunday night hoping to board international flights. #Afghanistan pic. twitter. com/NXHxog0AAQ
— TOLOnews (@TOLOnews) August 16, 2021

After waiting six hours, she heard shots from outside, where a crowd of men and women were trying to climb aboard a plane. She said U. S. troops sprayed gas and fired into the air to disperse them. Gunfire could be heard in the voice notes she sent to The Associated Press.
The U. S. Embassy has been evacuated and the American flag lowered, with diplomats relocating to the airport to aid with the evacuation. Other Western countries have also closed their missions and are flying out staff and civilians.
By morning, Afghanistans Civil Aviation Authority issued an advisory saying the “civilian side” of the airport had been “closed until further notice” and that the military controlled the airspace.
Afghanistan’s airspace is often used by long-haul carriers moving between the Far East and the West. Early Monday morning, flight-tracking data showed no immediate commercial flights over the country.
In the capital itself a tense calm set in, with most people hiding in their homes. There were scattered reports of looting and armed men knocking on doors and gates. The Taliban freed thousands of prisoners as they swept across the country and the police melted away.

Shakib Rahmani–AFP/Getty ImagesA U. S. army soldier stands guard as Afghans wait to leave from the airport in Kabul on August 16, 2021.
The Taliban deployed fighters at major intersections and sought to project calm, circulating videos showing quiet city streets.