US ramps up Kabul airlift as withdrawal deadline looms: Live News

About 16,000 people evacuated in 24 hours as US troops work desperately to airlift more before the Taliban ‘red line’.

About 16,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan over the past 24 hours, according to the Pentagon, as US troops lead an increasingly desperate effort to airlift thousands more before the Taliban’s “red line” for Western forces to leave the country. US President Joe Biden is under increasing pressure to extend an August 31 deadline to pull out American forces, with Britain expected to lobby for that at a virtual G7 summit on Tuesday. Widespread chaos punctuated by sporadic violence has gripped Kabul’s airport since the Taliban took over on August 15, with Western and Afghan forces driving back crowds desperate to flee.