Today, women and children were trampled underfoot at Kabul airport (left) as desperation mounted with time running out to escape Afghanistan and Taliban rule before western evacuation flights stop.
Meanwhile, a German civilian was shot on their way to the airport, the government said, adding that his injuries are not life-threatening and he will be evacuated ‘soon’.
Planes are taking off from the airstrip today with the US saying it expects to take around 2,000 people and the UK 1,000 – but in a stark admission, UK armed forces minister James Heappey (bottom right) said flights may only continue for a few more days and that people who were promised sanctuary will end up being left behind.
SAS troops are now mounting rescue missions into the city to find and extract those promised seats on the ‘mercy flights’, but those who are awaiting rescue and being hunted by the Taliban fear that help may not reach them in time (top right, US troops lift babies over the barbed wire).
The UK has evacuated some 3,200 people from Afghanistan in recent weeks with the US having flown out 12,000 since the end of July, but to meet even their most-modest promises Britain will have to somehow extract another 3,200 people and the US 10,000 (top inset
