7 Afghans killed in Kabul airport chaos: British military

A panicked rush of people trying to enter Kabul’s international airport led to the death of seven Afghan civilians, the British military said on Sunday.

The deaths come as a new, perceived threat from the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan has seen US military planes do rapid, diving combat landings at the airport surrounded by Taliban fighters. Other aircraft have shot off flares on takeoff, an effort to confuse possible heat-seeking missiles targeting the planes.

The changes come as the US Embassy issued a new security warning on Saturday telling citizens not to travel to the Kabul airport without individual instruction from a US government representative. Officials declined to provide more specifics about the IS threat but described it as significant. They said there have been no confirmed attacks as yet by the militants, who have battled the Taliban in the past.

Also read: Biden says Kabul evacuation comes with ‘massive risk of loss’

On Sunday, the British military acknowledged the seven deaths.

“There have been stampedes and crushing injuries in the crowds, especially as Taliban fighters fire into the air to drive away those desperate to get on any flight out of the country. Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible,” the defence ministry said in a statement.

On Saturday, British and Western troops in full combat gear tried to control the crowds pressing in. They carried away some who were sweating and pale. With temperatures reaching 34 degrees Celsius, the soldiers sprayed water from a hose on those gathered or gave them bottled water to pour over their heads.

“Listen, sir, you need to calm down,” one soldier told a man lying in the dirt, as another gave him an orange liquid.

It wasn’t immediately clear whether those killed had been physically crushed, suffocated or suffered a fatal heart attack in the crowd. Soldiers covered several corpses in white clothes to hide them from view. Other troops stood atop concrete barriers or shipping containers, trying to calm the crowd. Gunshots occasionally rang out.

Also read: Daughter stranded with toddler near Kabul airport: Woman’s plea for rescue

Speaking to an Iranian state television channel late Saturday night in a video call, Taliban spokesman Mohammad Naeem blamed the deaths on the Americans in what quickly became a combative interview.

“The Americans announced that we would take you to America with us and people gathered at Kabul airport,” Naeem said, “If it was announced right now in any country in the world, would people not go?”

The host on Iranian state TV, which has criticised America since the 1979 Islamic Revolution, quickly said, “It won’t happen in Iran.”

Naeem responded, “Be sure this will happen anywhere.”

Thousands rushed the airport last Monday in the chaos that saw the US try to clear off the runway with low-flying attack helicopters. At least two Afghans plunged to their deaths while hanging off the side of a US military cargo plane. It has been difficult to know the full scale of the deaths and injuries from the chaos. The Biden administration is considering calling on US commercial airlines to provide planes and crews to assist in transporting Afghan refugees once they are evacuated from their country by military aircraft.

Under the voluntary Civil Reserve Air Fleet programme, civilian airlines add to military aircraft capability during a crisis related to national defence. That programme was born in the wake of the Berlin airlift. On Saturday, the US Transportation Command said it had issued a warning order to US carriers Friday night on the possible activation of the programme.

If called upon, commercial airlines would transport evacuees from stations way outside Afghanistan to another country or from Virginia’s Dulles International Airport to US military bases.

Also read: How IS threat has left US plans for evacuation and exit in tatters

Meanwhile, the Taliban’s top political leader arrived in Kabul for talks on forming a new government. The presence of Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who returned to Kandahar earlier this week from Qatar, was confirmed by a Taliban official who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to talk to the news media.

Baradar negotiated the militant’s 2020 peace deal with the US, and he is now expected to play a key role in negotiations between the Taliban and officials from the Afghan government that the militant group deposed.

Afghan officials familiar with talks held in the capital say the Taliban have said they will not make announcements on their government until the August 31 deadline for the US troop withdrawal passes.

Today along with HE @KarzaiH, we met with Mr Abdul Rahman Mansour, the acting governor of Taliban for Kabul. We discussed the security of the citizens of Kabul, & reiterated that protecting the life, property & dignity of the citizens of the capital should be prioritised. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/3muuF1TOak

— Dr. Abdullah Abdullah (@DrabdullahCE) August 21, 2021

Abdullah Abdullah, a senior official in the ousted government, tweeted that he and ex-President Hamid Karzai met Saturday with Taliban’s acting governor for Kabul, who assured us that he would do everything possible for the security of the people of the city.