The ISIS group claimed a rocket attack on Kabul airport on Monday, as US troops raced to complete their withdrawal from Afghanistan and evacuate allies under the threat of further violence.
Several rockets were fired at Kabul's airport Monday, witnesses and security sources said, less than 48 hours before the United States is due to complete its troop withdrawal from Afghanistan.
The sound of rockets whooshing over the capital was heard by AFP staff before the morning rush hour began.
A security official who worked in the administration toppled two weeks ago by the Taliban said the rockets had been fired from a vehicle in north Kabul.
The sound of the airport's missile defence system could be heard by local residents, who also reported shrapnel falling into the street -- suggesting at least one rocket had been intercepted.
Smoke could be seen rising above buildings in the north, where the Hamid Karzai International Airport is located.
Social media posts -- which could not immediately be verified -- also showed a vehicle on fire after being apparently struck by retaliatory fire.
Here are the highlights on Afghanistan-Taliban crisis:
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- ANI (@ANI) August 30, 2021
US Warns Terror Threat To Kabul Airport "Real" In Evacuation's Final HoursThe Pentagon warned Monday of "real" and "specific" threats of new attacks at Kabul airport just hours ahead of a US deadline to complete its frenzied withdrawal from Afghanistan, which has been marred by ISIS violence. Read Here
After helping in the evacuation of more than 500 Indians from Afghanistan, Indian Air Force (IAF) transport aircraft have returned to their respective home bases.
The Indian Air Force had deployed its C-17 Globemasters and C-130J Super Hercules aircraft for evacuation operations of Indians stuck in Afghanistan, which is now under the control of the Taliban.
A plane carrying desperately-needed medical supplies landed in Afghanistan on Monday, the World Health Organization said, a first since the Taliban took control of the country two weeks ago.
Hospitals and clinics are rapidly running out of supplies in the war-ravaged country, and a deadly attack at Kabul airport Friday has further complicated the delivery of aid.
The Pentagon warned on Monday of a "real" and "specific" threat of new attacks at Kabul airport, just hours ahead of a US deadline to complete its frenzied withdrawal from Afghanistan that has been marred by ISIS violence.
President Joe Biden has set a deadline of Tuesday to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan, drawing to a close his nation's longest war, which began in retaliation for the September 11 attacks.
A plane carrying World Health Organization medicines and health supplies landed in Afghanistan on Monday, the UN health agency said, the first shipment to get in since the country came under the control of the Taliban.
"After days of non-stop work to find a solution, I am very pleased to say that we have now been able to partially replenish stocks of health facilities in Afghanistan and ensure that - for now - WHO-supported health services can continue," Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO regional director for the eastern Mediterranean, said in a statement.
The WHO had warned on Friday that medical supplies would run out within days in Afghanistan, announcing that it hoped to establish an air bridge into the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif by then with the help of Pakistani authorities.
The Kremlin on Monday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to create a "safe zone" in Afghanistan's capital Kabul to protect humanitarian operations.
"This is certainly a proposal that must be discussed," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
He said that it was "very important" to discuss all aspects of "such a zone".
The United States air lifted about 1,200 people from Kabul on Sunday, the White House said on Monday, as the massive evacuation from Afghanistan enters its final day.
In the days since taking power in Afghanistan, a wide range of Taliban figures have entered Kabul -- hardened commandos, armed madrassa students and greying leaders back from years of exile.
There has been one major exception -- the group's supreme leader.
But the Taliban confirmed Sunday that Hibatullah Akhundzada is in Afghanistan and could soon make a public appearance for the first time.
"He is present in Kandahar. He has been living there from the very beginning," said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid.
"He will soon appear in public," added deputy spokesman Bilal Karimi.
#Taliban militants surround TV anchor during news show; visuals go viral pic.twitter.com/mEjvBmf7b6
- NDTV (@ndtv) August 30, 2021
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