At least one Afghan security force member was reportedly killed and three others injured in a fierce firefight at the Kabul International Airport on Monday morning, according to the German Bundeswehr. American and German forces were also reportedly involved in the short but fierce gunfight.
The chaos outside the Kabul airport unfolded as thousands waited to take the flights out of the war-torn country. So far thousands have been evacuated from Kabul but the numbers look meager compared to those still stranded. On Sunday, at least seven Afghans died in a stampede after people rushed to enter the airport.
Sudden Attack
The fierce gunfight between Afghan security force members and the Taliban started at the wee hours of Monday. Although it isn't known what ignited the fight, local media reports claim that the Taliban killed one Afghan soldier, while three were wounded. The condition of the wounded is still not known.
"This morning at 4:13 a.m. CEST [02:13 GMT], an exchange of gunfire broke out between Afghan security forces and unknown attackers at the North Gate of the Kabul Airport. A member of the Afghan security forces was killed and three others were wounded", a tweet from the German Joint Forces Operations Command read.
The fight primarily was between the Afghan and Taliban fighters but the German Bundeswehr reported that American and German forces too were involved in a bid to defend the airport and the safe evacuation of those trying to flee Afghanistan.
Utter Chaos
Multiple clashes have been reported in and outside the Kabul airport over the past week after Taliban took siege of the presidential palace. Since then thousands have been rushing to the airport in a bid to flee the country.
This has seen some major accidents resulting in the death of civilians. Monday's gunfight, however, is the first fierce clash between Afghan and Taliban fighters. According to latest reports, there could be more casualties but nothing has been confirmed so far.
Meanwhile, U.S. President Job Biden said on Sunday that the United States had extended the safe zone around the Kabul International Airport and that the Taliban have been cooperative in this effort. However, that may not be all correct given the latest incident of the gunfight and other contradictory reports coming in.
Several countries have already started evacuating their citizens but thousands still remain stranded at the airport. Also, isolated reports of Taliban torturing Americans and citizens from other countries have been coming in, which speaks a lot about the chaos going around.
