US Tells Citizens To Avoid Kabul Airport Due To 'Security Threats'

The United States on Saturday urged its citizens in Afghanistan to avoid traveling to Kabul airport, citing potential security threats near its gates.

Hamid Karzai International Airport has seen a chaotic crush of people hoping to flee the Taliban takeover of the country a week ago.

As thousands of Americans and Afghans wait at the airport for flights or gather nervously outside its gates, there have been sporadic reports, confirmed by the Pentagon, of Taliban fighters or other militants beating and harassing people trying to flee.

We are advising US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative, the alert from the US embassy in Kabul said.

The warning gave no detail on the danger but a White House official later said aides had briefed President Joe Biden on local counterterrorism operations, including against the Islamic State group.

This morning, the president met with his national security team... They discussed the security situation in Afghanistan and counter-terrorism operations, including ISIS-K, the official said.