Afghanistan crisis live updates: US troops surge evacuations out of Kabul but threats persist

Pakistan FM urges Taliban, Afghan leaders to work for inclusive political settlement to ensure sustainable peace

US troops surge evacuations out of Kabul but threats persist

The U.S. military reported its biggest day of evacuation flight out of Afghanistan by far on Monday, but deadly violence that has blocked many desperate evacuees from entering Kabul's airport persisted, and the Taliban signaled they might soon seek to shut down the evacuation. Twenty-eight US military flights ferried about 10,400 people to safety out of Taliban-held Afghanistan over the 24 hours that ended early Monday morning, a White House official said. The chief Pentagon spokesman, John Kirby, said the faster pace of evacuation was due in part to coordination with Taliban commanders on getting evacuees into the airport.

16,000 evacuated from Kabul airport in past 24 hours: Pentagon

Around 16,000 people were evacuated over the past 24 hours from Afghanistan through the Kabul airport, the Pentagon said Monday, as the US speeds toward completing its airlift by an August 31 deadline. General Hank Taylor told reporters that 61 military, commercial and charter flights involving a number of countries flew out from Hamid Karzai International Airport in the 24 hours to 3:00 am Monday (0700 GMT) carrying people escaping the country after the Taliban seized power.

In the last 24 hours, 25 US Military C-17s, 3 C-130s, & a combination of 61 chartered, commercial & other military flights departed Kabul, Afghanistan. The total passenger count for those flights was approximately 16,000: US Major General Hank Taylor

Amid Kabul evacuation chaos, Biden under pressure to extend deadline

With thousands of desperate Afghans and foreigners crowding into Kabul's airport in the hope of fleeing Afghanistan's new Taliban rulers, pressure grew on U.S. President Joe Biden on Monday to extend the deadline for the evacuation operation. Biden on Sunday warned that the evacuation was going to be "hard and painful" and he said a lot could still go wrong. U.S. troops might stay beyond their Aug. 31 deadline to oversee the evacuation, he said.

US cannot simply abandon Afghanistan: China

China is once again criticising the United States over Afghanistan, saying America cannot simply abandon the war-torn country. “The United States is the root cause and the biggest external factor in the Afghan issue,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin said on Monday. “It cannot just run away like this.”

Russia says Moscow is ready to deliver weapons and equipment to central asian allies that border Afghanistan at special low prices

Germany has airlifted almost 3,000 people originating from 43 countries from Kabul airport, Chief of Defence Eberhard Zorn told reporters on Monday in Berlin.Among the evacuees are 143 Germans, around 1,800 Afghans and around 350 European Union nationals, he said.

No new government until last US soldier leaves Afghanistan: Taliban sources (AFP)

US military evacuated more than 10,000 people from Kabul on Sunday

The US military flew approximately 10,400 people out of Kabul over 24 hours on Sunday, and 61 coalition planes helped evacuate approximately 5,900, a White House official said on Monday. Since August 14, the US has gotten 37,000 people out of Taliban-controlled Afghanistan, or helped with their evacuation, the official said.

Taliban spokesman warns of 'consequences' if Afghan pullout extended, report AFP

Taliban assure it won't allow TTP to use Afghan land against Islamabad: Pakistan govt

Jeet Bahadur Thapa shudders to recall how he and other Indians thought they might be killed by the Taliban gunmen any moment after they were made to sit on ground in an open area at Kabul airport for five hours by the militia before they could leave for India. Thapa, 30, a native of Chinore village here, was working as a supervisor in a consultancy company in Afghanistan for two and a half years and was among those evacuated after the Taliban took over Kabul.

3 Sikh scripture copies, 75 people being flown in from Kabul on IAF aircraft

Three copies of Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib and 75 people, including 46 Afghan Sikhs and Hindus, are being evacuated from war-ravaged Afghanistan on an IAF plane, people coordinating the evacuation efforts with the Indian government said on Monday.

Kabul airport problems blocking medical supplies for Afghans: WHO

More than 500 tonnes of medical supplies including surgical equipment and severe malnutrition kits due to be delivered to Afghanistan this week are stuck because of Kabul airport restrictions, the World Health Organization said on Monday.Aid agencies say it is critical that medical and food supplies reach some 300,000 people displaced in Afghanistan over the past two months amid advances by the Islamist Taliban insurgents that culminated in the capture of Kabul on Aug. 15.

Floor Leaders of political parties would be briefed by EAM Dr S Jaishankar on the present situation in Afghanistan, on 26th August at Parliament House Annexe in Delhi: Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi

Taliban extend amnesty to Ashraf Ghani, Amrullah Saleh

Taliban have extended amnesty to ousted Afghan President Ashraf Ghani and Afghan former Vice President Amrullah Saleh, senior Taliban leader Khalil Ur-Rahman Haqqani said.Speaking to Geo News on Sunday, Haqqani, a and Haqqani Network leader who has been put in charge of Kabul security, said: "We forgive Ashraf Ghani, Amrullah Saleh, and (Afghan Presidential Security Adviser) Hamdullah Mohib. We forgive everyone, starting from a general who fought against us to a common person."

'Hours now, not weeks' for UK Afghan evacuations, defence minister says

Britain is "down to hours now, not weeks" in its evacuation plan for people from Kabul and forces on the ground need to use every moment they have to get people out, Defence Minister Ben Wallace said on Monday.He told broadcasters he did not think there was any likelihood that British forces would stay on after the United States left which is expected by Aug. 31.

Taliban won't extend August 31 deadline for Western forces to leave

PM Modi has instructed MEA to brief floor leaders of political parties on political developments in Afghanistan: Jaishankar