Afghan Soldier Killed in Firefight at Kabul Airport Gate

By Joseph Choi, The Hill

23 August 21

 

t least one Afghan soldier was reportedly killed in gunfire that broke out at the Kabul airport early Monday.

Citing officials from Germany's military, Reuters reports that the incident occurred near the Kabul airport's north gate when Afghan guards exchanged gunfire with unidentified gunmen.

Both U.S. and German forces were also involved in the exchange of gunfire and three other Afghan soldiers are reportedly being treated at a field hospital near the airport.

Roughly 600 former Afghan government soldiers are assisting U.S. forces at the airport. NATO sources told Reuters that the situation is now under control.

The Hill has reached out to the German Federal Ministry of Defense for further comment.

Evacuation operations out of Kabul are ongoing, with thousands of Afghans, U.S. citizens and U.S. military allies seeking escape from the country. Taliban forces stationed outside the airport are reportedly attempting to establish order, using batons and firing shots into the air to forces people into lines.

On Sunday, the British military reported that at least seven Afghans were killed in the crowds near the Kabul airport.

"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 United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense said in a statement.

A deadline of August 31 has been set for U.S. evacuation operations. However, President Biden on Sunday left open the possibility of extending this deadline.

"Our hope is we will not have to extend. But there are going to be discussions, I suspect, on how far along we are in the process," he said during an address.