Firefight at Kabul airport as Afghans scramble to flee Taliban | DW News

00:00 Firefight at Kabul Airport
Deadly chaos reigns at Kabul airport, as security forces try to hold off thousands of Afghans desperate to flee the Taliban. German troops were involved in a firefight with unknown attackers that left one Afghan security officer dead and three others injured. At least 20 people have died outside the airport in the week since Taliban militants seized control of the Afghan capital. International leaders are facing mounting pressure to up their evacuation efforts.
The tense situation at Kabul airport erupted early Monday morning into more violence. Unknown assailants exchanged shots with Afghan, US and German military at the northern gate of the airport.
Numerous people have already lost their lives outside these gates. Thousands are still attempting to leave the country and are swarming outside the compound's fences.
At times, people tried to enter the airport any way they could. On Sunday seven people lost their lives in a panicked crush at the gates. There have since been several reports of missing children, after families were separated amid the chaos.
Facing a storm of criticism, US President Joe Biden once more defended US efforts to evacuate people from Kabul.
There have been reports of the Taliban carrying out a door-to-door manhunt, instilling dread in many residents. For Afghans, the question now is what kind of government will be formed and how inclusive it will be of its people.
09:25 Who are the Taliban's leaders?
Meanwhile, as the Taliban consolidate control in Afghanistan two decades after they were removed from power, the group's leadership appears to be taking shape. Some have been part of the Taliban since its creation in the 1990s. Key figures include:
Hibatullah Akhundzada has been the Taliban's supreme leader since 2016. Prior to his rise to the top, he spent decades as a strict hardline judge and cleric. He has final authority on military, political and religious affairs.
Abdul Ghani Baradar is a co-founder of the Taliban and is now their political head. He held senior positions in the late 1990's. Baradar spent 8 years in prison in Pakistan after being captured in 2010. He helped lead negotiations with the US to withdraw troops from Afghanistan last year.
The deputy leader of the Taliban is believed to be Sirajuddin Haqqani. He is head of the Haqqani network in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and led many of their military efforts. The Haqqani network has been a fierce opponent of the US presence in Afghanistan. Haqqani is on the FBI's most wanted list and is believed to be behind several terror attacks.
Mohammad Yaqoob is the head of the Taliban's military operations. He is the son of the deceased Taliban founder Mullah Mohammad Omar.
15:52 Evacuees beginning new lives abroad fear for families in Afghanistan
Many at-risk Afghans are still waiting to be evacuated from Kabul airport. They are mainly interpreters or contractors who worked for US, German or other NATO forces. But some are already beginning new lives outside Afghanistan. DW Washington correspondent Oliver Sallet visited one Afghan construction worker who managed to fly out two weeks ago with his family. They were on one of the last commercial flights to leave before the fall of Kabul.


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