Taliban seize control of Kabul airport after US withdrawal — live updates

• Taliban take control of Hamid Karzai International Airport
• Pentagon confirms all US troops have left airport
• UN Security Council is urging Taliban to let people leave after US withdrawal

This article was last updated at 00:17 UTC/GMT.

Some Afghan families still stranded

Six Afghan refugee families who had resettled in the United States only to end up stuck in their homeland after a summer visit that coincided with the mass allied troop withdrawal, have made it safely out, San Diego-area school officials said.

Nevertheless, at least one, and perhaps two other Afghan immigrant families with students in the Cajon Valley Union School District east of San Diego remained stranded in their homeland.

This comes after Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed there were more than 100 people still stranded in Afghanistan. The last US airlift evacuation left Kabul airport just before midnight on Monday August 30.

Blinken vows to help Americans and others still in Afghanistan

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken vowed to keep up “relentless” efforts to help Americans, Afghans and others who wanted to leave the Afghanistan. Blinken was speaking at the State Department and said less than 200 Americans were believed to be still in Afghanistan. Blinken said the US embassy in Kabul would remain shut for the forseeable future and American diplomats who had worked in the embassy would now be based in Doha, Qatar.

US military equipment disabled ahead of departure

Scores of aircraft and armored vehicles along with a rocket defense system were disabled by the US military before leaving on Monday.

The Central Command’s General Kenneth McKenzie said that 73 aircraft were rendered useless by the time airlift operations were completed. 

“Those aircraft will never fly again… They’ll never be able to be operated by anyone,” he said. “Most of them are non-mission capable to begin with. But certainly they’ll never be able to be flown again.”

General says hundreds of US citizens still in Afghanistan

General Kenneth McKenzie says the were still US citizens numbering in the “very low hundreds” in Afghanistan.

McKenzie said there had been no US civilians on the last few flights out of Kabul.

As the commander in charge of the withdrawal and evacuation mission McKenzie said: “The military phase of this operation has ended. The diplomatic sequel to that will now begin.” He said there would be aggressive negotiations to get Afghan partners out of the country.

US president to make national address

US President Joe Biden said he would make a national adress on Tuesday after 20 years of war in Afghanistan.

“Tomorrow afternoon, I will address the American people on my decision not to extend our presence in Afghanistan beyond August 31,” he said.

His announcement came shortly after the Pentagon confirmed that the last US military aicraft had taken off from Kabul.

The president praised the military for its part in the evacuations in Kabul. Biden also said the global community must make sure the Taliban honoured its pledges to let people leave. 

“The international community expects the Taliban to deliver on moving forward, notably freedom of travel. The Taliban has made commitments on safe passage and the world will hold them to their commitments,” Biden said.

US general says Taliban were ‘helpful’

The US General in charge of the final evacuation said the Taliban had been” significantly helpful” in the effort to airlift those who were eligible to leave the country. General Frank McKenzie did however say that the militant group would “reap what they sowed.”

McKenzie was referring to the so-called Islamic State fighters who the Taliban had recently freed from prisons and now number in the region of 2000.

Taliban declare Afghanistan independent following US withdrawal

There are reports of celebratory gunfire in Afghanistan’s capital city, Kabul, following the confirmed withdrawal of US troops.

“Tonight at 12:00 am Afghan time, the remaining American troops left Kabul airport and our country gained full independence,” Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban’s spokesman tweeted.

AFP correspondents reported hearing celebratory gunfire at checkpoints in the city. Unconfirmed videos shared on social media showed Taliban fighters firing into the air. 

Last US troops leave Afghanistan — Pentagon

The US military has announced the the last of its troops have left Afghanistan after an almost 20-year campaign. 

“I’m here to announce the completion of our withdrawal from Afghanistan,” Central Command Commander General Kenneth McKenzie said. Hamid Karzai International Airport has been the scene of chaos, death, and panic following the Taliban’s capture of Kabul.

Allied countries had to scramble to airlift more than 122,000 people out of the country. 

UN Security Council calls for Taliban to honor pledges

The UN Security Council has urged the Taliban to let people leave Afghanistan following the US withdrawal. It was not a united voice, however. Russia and China abstained from voting and did not veto the measure. The Taliban have said they would allow normal travel after taking control of the airport.

jsi, kb/aw (AFP, AP, Reuters, dpa)

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