The United States and Western allies will seek to evacuate as many of their citizens and Afghan staff as possible from Kabul’s airport in the coming weeks, following the collapse of Afghanistan’s military and government to the Taliban.
Chaos in Kabul
A government collapse and a Taliban takeover has thrown Afghanistan’s capital into chaos as people rush to evacuate to safety.
AIRPORT
Military and commercial
evacuation flights
Desperate
civilians storm
the terminal
Helicopter
evacuations
to airport
KABUL CITY
U.S. EMBASSY
AIRPORT
Military and commercial
evacuation flights
Desperate civilians
storm the terminal
from main roads
Helicopter
evacuations
to airport
KABUL CITY
U.S. EMBASSY
AIRPORT
Military and commercial
evacuation flights
Desperate civilians
storm the terminal
from main roads
Helicopter
evacuations
to airport
KABUL CITY
U.S. EMBASSY
AIRPORT
Military and commercial
evacuation flights
Desperate civilians
storm the terminal
from main roads
Helicopter
evacuations
to airport
KABUL CITY
U.S. EMBASSY
AIRPORT
Military and commercial
evacuation flights
Desperate civilians storm the terminal from main roads
Helicopter
evacuations
to airport
KABUL CITY
U.S. EMBASSY
U.S. military flights evacuating diplomats and civilians from the capital restarted on Tuesday after the runway at Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport was cleared of thousands desperate to flee following the Taliban’s rapid takeover of the capital.
The number of civilians had thinned out, a Western security official at the airport told Reuters on Tuesday, a day after U.S. troops had fired in the air to disperse crowds and people clung to a U.S. military transport plane as it taxied for take-off.
U.S. forces took charge of the entire airport, the only way to fly out of the country, as the militants were winding up a dramatic week of advances across the country with the takeover of the capital without a fight.
Three U.S. military bases were prepared to accept up to 22,000 Afghan allies in the coming weeks, Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday.
The evacuation process over Tuesday night was smooth, with a little over 2,200 diplomatic and foreign security staff and Afghans who worked for embassies leaving Kabul, said a western security official.
Hungarian Air Force
Tbilisi
Ankara
UZBEKISTAN
TURKEY
Kabul
Turkish Air Force
IRAN
AFGHANISTAN
Qatary Air Force
SAUDI
ARABIA
Doha
U.S. military flights
*US flights are not fully tracked after takeoff
RUSSIA
Hungarian Air Force
UZBEKISTAN
Tbilisi
GEORGIA
US flights are not fully tracked after takeoff
Ankara
TURKMENISTAN
TURKEY
Kabul
SYRIA
Turkish Air Force
IRAN
AFGHANISTAN
IRAQ
Qatary Air Force
PAKISTAN
Doha
EGYPT
U.S. military flights
SAUDI ARABIA
UAE
RUSSIA
Hungarian Air Force
UZBEKISTAN
Tbilisi
GEORGIA
Ankara
TURKMENISTAN
US flights are not fully tracked after takeoff
TURKEY
Kabul
SYRIA
Turkish Air Force
AFGHANISTAN
IRAQ
IRAN
Qatary Air Force
PAKISTAN
EGYPT
Doha
U.S. military flights
SAUDI ARABIA
UAE
RUSSIA
Hungarian Air Force
UZBEKISTAN
Tbilisi
GEORGIA
Istanbul
Ankara
TURKMENISTAN
TURKEY
US flights are not fully tracked after takeoff
Turkish Air Force
SYRIA
Kabul
AFGHANISTAN
IRAQ
IRAN
Qatary Air Force
PAKISTAN
EGYPT
Doha
U.S. military flights
SAUDI ARABIA
UAE
Data from flight tracking service FlightRadar24 shows some military flights out of Kabul on Aug. 16 and 17, however, most flights are not tracked. The flights of the C-130 and C-17 cargo planes shown are a fraction of those actually operated and the number of evacuees onboard is also unknown.
A U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III cargo jet that had been cleared to evacuate, airlifted 640 Afghans - considerably more than its 134 trooper designated passenger load - towards Qatar late on Sunday night according to Defense One, a U.S. national security news site.
Evacuees crowd the interior of a U.S. Air Force C-17 Globemaster III transport aircraft. August 15, 2021. Courtesy of Defense One/Handout via REUTERS
The Hamid Karzai International airport operates as a military base in addition to having commercial operations. The northern section houses the military hangars.
C-130
Traffic jams
Chinook
helicopters
C-130
Helicopters
Military side
Civilian side
Main runway
Entry road
Boeing C-17
Helicopters
Military side
Helicopters
Chinook
helicopters
C-130
Boeing C-17
Helicopters
Main runway
C-130
Traffic jams
Civilian side
Entry road
Military side
Helicopters
Chinook
helicopters
C-130
Boeing C-17
Helicopters
Main runway
C-130
Traffic jams
Civilian side
Entry road
C-130
Traffic jams
Chinook
helicopters
C-130
Helicopters
Entry road
Main runway
Boeing C-17
Helicopters
Civilian side
Military side
Military side
Helicopters
Chinook
helicopters
C-130
Boeing C-17
Helicopters
Main runway
C-130
Civilian side
Traffic jams
Entry road
As Taliban fighters entered the city, thousands of desperate Afghan civilians thronged its southern terminal on the civilian side of the airport in the hope that they might escape. Many breached the airport walls and security, spilling onto the tarmac.
A man pulls a girl to get inside Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul, Afghanistan August 16, 2021. REUTERS/Stringer
Satellite imagery taken on August 16 by Maxar Technologies showed crowds of people on the runway and others outside the airport desperate to get inside and flee the country.
In one image, the crowd can be seen on the main runway approaching the military side of the airport and a line of armoured vehicles.
Crowds crossing
towards main runway
and military area
People next to the
main runway
Satellite image: Maxar Technologies, August 16
Chaos at the terminal
Multiple aircraft still on the tarmac at the airport were swarmed by people hoping that at least one could carry them to safety.
The images below have been reorientated and placed to give an overview of the civilian side of the airport.
Satellite imagery showing civilian side of Kabul airport on 16th August.
Image Courtesy: Maxar technologies
TERMINAL
BUILDING
Armoured
vehicles
Dense
crowd
Kam Air - A340
Scheduled to Delhi
but cancelled
Bakhtar Afghan Airlines
Crowd
Kam Air
Both Boeing 737s
still grounded
Ariana Afghan Airlines
Arrived from Delhi
on Aug.14
Crowds
Parked
aircraft
Crowds crossing
towards main runway
and military area
Crowd of people
next to the main runway
Crowds gathered at
smaller entry gate
RUNWAY
Turkish Airlines
Flight TK707
Evacuation flight made it out of Kabul before air space closed.
Military
surveillance
aircraft
Satellite imagery showing civilian side of Kabul airport on 16th August.
Image Courtesy: Maxar technologies
TERMINAL
BUILDING
Armoured
vehicles
Dense
crowd
Kam Air - A340
Scheduled to Delhi
but cancelled
Bakhtar Afghan Airlines
Crowd
Kam Air
Both Boeing 737s
still grounded
Ariana Afghan Airlines
Arrived from Delhi
on Aug.14
Crowds
Parked
aircraft
Crowds crossing
towards main runway
and military area
Crowd of people
next to the main runway
Crowds gathered at
smaller entry gate
RUNWAY
Turkish Airlines
Flight TK707
Evacuation flight made it out of Kabul before air space closed.
Military
surveillance
aircraft
Satellite image
taken Aug. 16
TERMINAL
BUILDING
AIRPORT ROAD
Armoured
vehicles
Dense
crowd
Kam Air - A340
Scheduled to Delhi
but cancelled
MAIN
ENTRANCE
AIRPORT
Bakhtar Afghan Airlines
Crowd
Both Boeing 737s
still grounded
Kam Air
Ariana Afghan Airlines
Arrived from Delhi
on Aug.14
Crowds
Crowds crossing
towards main runway
and military area
Parked aircraft
Parked aircraft
RUNWAY
Crowds gathered at
smaller entry gate
RUNWAY
Military
surveillance
aircraft
Turkish Airlines - Flight TK707
Evacuation flight made it out of
Kabul before air space closed.
Satellite imagery showing civilian side of Kabul airport on 16th August.
Image Courtesy: Maxar technologies
TERMINAL
BUILDING
Armoured
vehicles
Dense
crowd
Kam Air - A340
Scheduled to Delhi
but cancelled
Bakhtar Afghan Airlines
Crowd
Kam Air
Both Boeing 737s
still grounded
Ariana Afghan Airlines
Arrived from Delhi
on Aug.14
Crowds
Crowds crossing
towards main runway
and military area
Crowd of people
next to the main runway
Crowds gathered at
smaller entry gate
RUNWAY
Turkish Airlines
Flight TK707
Evacuation flight made it out of Kabul before air space closed.
Military
surveillance
aircraft
Satellite image
taken Aug. 16
TERMINAL
BUILDING
AIRPORT ROAD
Armoured
vehicles
Dense
crowd
Kam Air - Airbus A340
Scheduled to Delhi
but cancelled
MAIN
ENTRANCE
AIRPORT
Bakhtar Afghan Airlines
Crowd
Both Boeing 737s
still grounded
Kam Air
Ariana Afghan Airlines
Arrived from Delhi
on Aug.14
Crowds
Crowds crossing
towards main runway
and military area
Parked aircraft
Parked aircraft
RUNWAY
Crowds gathered at
smaller entry gate
RUNWAY
Military
surveillance
aircraft
Turkish Airlines - Flight TK707
The evacuation flight made it out of
Kabul before air space was closed.
In the days leading up to the Taliban entering Kabul, hundreds of Afghans fled the country on the few commercial flights available. Flight data from FlightRadar24 shows that from Aug. 14 to 15, some 21 international flights departed from Kabul to Georgia, India, Iran, Pakistan, Qatar, Turkey, UAE and Uzbekistan.
Turkish Airways operated an additional flight out of Kabul on August 16, as shown in the image above, the last commercial evacuation before Afghan air space was closed.
Many Afghans fled to the Middle East and other parts of Asia, but as commercial airlines suspended operations, people were left stranded as the Taliban began to close in on the city.
RUSSIA
Turkish Airlines
UZBEKISTAN
Tbilisi
Tashkent
Istanbul
TURKEY
CHINA
Mashhad
Kabul
Tehran
Islamabad
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN
Zabol
PAKISTAN
Delhi
Dubai
EGYPT
Doha
Kam Air
and Air India
UAE
Emirates
and Flydubai
SAUDI ARABIA
INDIA
OMAN
RUSSIA
Turkish Airlines
UZBEKISTAN
Tbilisi
Tashkent
Istanbul
TURKEY
CHINA
Mashhad
Tehran
Kabul
Islamabad
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN
Zabol
PAKISTAN
Delhi
Dubai
Doha
EGYPT
Kam Air and Air India
UAE
SAUDI ARABIA
Emirates and Flydubai
OMAN
INDIA
RUSSIA
UZBEKISTAN
Turkish Airlines
GEORGIA
Tbilisi
Tashkent
Istanbul
TURKMENISTAN
TURKEY
CHINA
Mashhad
Tehran
Kabul
Islamabad
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN
Zabol
PAKISTAN
Delhi
QATAR
Dubai
Kam Air and Air India
EGYPT
Doha
Emirates and Flydubai
SAUDI ARABIA
INDIA
OMAN
RUSSIA
Turkish Airlines
GEORGIA
Tbilisi
Tashkent
UZBEKISTAN
Istanbul
TURKMENISTAN
TURKEY
CHINA
Mashhad
Tehran
Kabul
Islamabad
AFGHANISTAN
IRAN
Zabol
PAKISTAN
Delhi
QATAR
Kam Air and Air India
Dubai
EGYPT
Doha
SAUDI ARABIA
UAE
Emirates and Flydubai
INDIA
OMAN
Chaotic scenes at the airport on Monday included a group clinging to a U.S. military transport plane as it taxied on the single runway. One person appeared to fall from the plane during takeoff, according to television footage.
Media also reported two people fell to their deaths from the underside of a U.S. military aircraft after it took off, crashing to their deaths on roofs of homes near the airport.
Fall of Afghanistan
Afghanistan’s quick fall to the Taliban came at the end of a nearly 20-year war that began in October 2001. As the United States withdrew military forces, the militant group began establishing their dominance in the region.
The lightning rout of Afghan forces saw the Taliban taking over at least 17 provincial capitals in 10 days and the capital Kabul on Aug. 15.
Provincial capitals
taken by the Taliban
Kandahar
Second biggest city
Zaranj
The first provincial capital to fall
Kabul
Taliban enters the capital
Aug. 14
Aug. 6
Aug. 10
Provincial capitals
taken by the Taliban
Kandahar
Second biggest city
Zaranj
The first provincial capital to fall
Kabul
Taliban enters the capital
Aug. 14
Aug. 6
Aug. 10
Provincial capitals
taken by the Taliban
Kandahar
Second biggest city
Zaranj
The first provincial capital to fall
Kabul
Taliban enters the capital
Aug. 14
Aug. 6
Aug. 10
Thousands of U.S. troops have been flown to Kabul to secure the airport and aid in the evacuation of American diplomats, civilians and Afghans who helped the U.S. government.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid speaks during a news conference in Kabul, Afghanistan August 17, 2021. Picture by STRINGER | REUTERS.
After their quick seizure of Kabul, the Taliban said in a press conference on Tuesday they wanted peaceful relations with other countries and would respect the rights of women within the framework of Islamic law.
The Taliban’s announcements, though short on details, suggested a softer line than during their rule 20 years ago.
President Joe Biden’s pledge to evacuate thousands more at-risk Afghans who worked for the U.S. government will run into the cold reality of a fast-closing window of opportunity, insecurity across the country and major logistical hurdles.
Biden announced his intent to start evacuating at-risk Afghans in July, despite calls by lawmakers and refugee groups to do so months earlier. Since July, only 2,000 Afghans have been flown to the United States.
The Pentagon is aiming to evacuate up to 22,000 Special Immigrant Visa applicants, their families and other at-risk people.
“It’s a nice goal to have, but realistically it’s going to be a challenge,” said a U.S. official of the 22,000-person target, speaking on condition of anonymity.
By
Simon Scarr, Marco Hernandez, Wen Foo, Manas Sharma and Anand Katakam
Sources
FlightRadar24; Maxar Technologies; Reuters reporting.
Edited by
Tom Hogue