Nato Afghanistan

Russia's top diplomat told Afghanistan's neighbours on Wednesday to refuse to host US or NATO military forces following their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Staff involved in efforts to evacuate as many people from Kabul as possible after the Taliban seized power did their best in extremely difficult conditions, NATO's senior civilian representative to Afghanistan said on Saturday.

Italy's last evacuation flight from Kabul will leave Afghanistan in the "next few hours", with a top NATO envoy on board, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday.

The Taliban has joined global leaders and NATO in condemning twin suicide bombs that ripped through crowds waiting to be evacuated outside Kabul airport, killing at least 85 people, including 13 US troops.

The international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it is to protect improvements made in Afghanistan during two decades of NATO deployment, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

Western countries worked at a "war-footing pace" on Tuesday to get people out of Afghanistan, a NATO country diplomat said.

Germany is in talks with both NATO allies and the Taliban about keeping Kabul airport open beyond the planned August 31 US withdrawal date, to help evacuate as many Afghans who need protection as possible, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday.

India on Monday brought back 146 of its nationals in four different flights from Qatar's capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Afghanistan by NATO and American aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation.

At least 20 people have died in the past seven days in and around the Kabul airport during the evacuation effort after Taliban insurgents took over the Afghan capital last week, a NATO official said on Sunday.

NATO on Friday called on the Taliban to allow people being evacuated to leave Afghanistan, and vowed that the allies would remain in "close coordination" while operations continue.

Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have shot and killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him, the German public broadcaster said.

More than 18,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul airport since the Taliban took over the Afghanistan capital, a NATO official told Reuters on Friday.

NATO foreign ministers will hold an emergency videoconference on Friday to discuss the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and what steps they can take, the alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said.

The Taliban must not let Afghanistan become a breeding ground for terrorism again, NATO said on Tuesday, warning that the alliance after its withdrawal still has the military power to strike any terrorist group from a distance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday the alliance was surprised by the speed of the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan, but blamed Afghan leaders for the "tragedy".

Russia's top diplomat told Afghanistan's neighbours on Wednesday to refuse to host US or NATO military forces following their withdrawal from Afghanistan.

Staff involved in efforts to evacuate as many people from Kabul as possible after the Taliban seized power did their best in extremely difficult conditions, NATO's senior civilian representative to Afghanistan said on Saturday.

Italy's last evacuation flight from Kabul will leave Afghanistan in the "next few hours", with a top NATO envoy on board, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said Friday.

The Taliban has joined global leaders and NATO in condemning twin suicide bombs that ripped through crowds waiting to be evacuated outside Kabul airport, killing at least 85 people, including 13 US troops.

The international community must maintain dialogue with the Taliban if it is to protect improvements made in Afghanistan during two decades of NATO deployment, German Chancellor Angela Merkel said Wednesday.

Western countries worked at a "war-footing pace" on Tuesday to get people out of Afghanistan, a NATO country diplomat said.

Germany is in talks with both NATO allies and the Taliban about keeping Kabul airport open beyond the planned August 31 US withdrawal date, to help evacuate as many Afghans who need protection as possible, Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said Monday.

India on Monday brought back 146 of its nationals in four different flights from Qatar's capital Doha, days after they were evacuated from Afghanistan by NATO and American aircraft in view of the deteriorating security situation.

At least 20 people have died in the past seven days in and around the Kabul airport during the evacuation effort after Taliban insurgents took over the Afghan capital last week, a NATO official said on Sunday.

NATO on Friday called on the Taliban to allow people being evacuated to leave Afghanistan, and vowed that the allies would remain in "close coordination" while operations continue.

Taliban fighters in Afghanistan have shot and killed a relative of a Deutsche Welle journalist while hunting for him, the German public broadcaster said.

More than 18,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul airport since the Taliban took over the Afghanistan capital, a NATO official told Reuters on Friday.

NATO foreign ministers will hold an emergency videoconference on Friday to discuss the unfolding situation in Afghanistan and what steps they can take, the alliance's chief Jens Stoltenberg said.

The Taliban must not let Afghanistan become a breeding ground for terrorism again, NATO said on Tuesday, warning that the alliance after its withdrawal still has the military power to strike any terrorist group from a distance.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said Tuesday the alliance was surprised by the speed of the Taliban's victory in Afghanistan, but blamed Afghan leaders for the "tragedy".