Afghanistan: The exodus from the Taliban-controlled country accelerates

a u.s transporter plane approaches kabul airport through the late afternoon sun apache helicopters circling watching the runway checking if it's clear and if it's safe to land even a reaper drone is dispatched to oversee the plane's arrival but it isn't safe listen as it pulls away even the military can't land now and this is why utter pandemonium on the entire airfield hundreds of afghans having breached all security swarming around air force planes attempting to clamber on board they're desperate to get away from this country destination anywhere but here eventually the plane did take off we won't show the picture but minutes later two people fell to their deaths it's chaos outside the terminal as well thousands have descended onto the airport road it's clogged up with people and vehicles afghan army and the taliban firing shots into the air trying to push the crowds back other talibs try their more traditional method of crowd control if you do get past this is what you can expect the airport is surrounded by huge blast walls but even here they clamber up trying to make their way through gaps in the cement the international airlift has been seriously compromised throughout the day the sound of gunfire reverberated around us and it's near two apache helicopters circled above monitoring the source of the shooting an overwatch of the mayhem below at times there was a clear exchange of fire by whom remains unknown there's a lot of gunfire um outside the compound we're staying in helicopters have been up now for a while providing uh cover the taliban are in the streets outside it goes up to the civilian part of the airport they're totally in control of this area in contrast the city proper remains remarkably calm it's the usual result when the taliban come to town and have they come to town the city is awash with taliban fighters and to all intents and purposes they control all districts of kabul on street corners and at all intersections they oversee kabul's residence as slowly but surely the capital comes back to life after being deserted it's still quiet by kabul standards but that is changing what is striking is the amount of sophisticated equipment they have taken from the afghan military rows of armored personnel carriers humvees and trucks are parked on larger roads the fighters patrol around town in their traditional pickup trucks all armed to the teeth for a battle that in reality they have actually won other fighters passed through their checkpoints in their newly acquired vehicles in groups they were relaxed and happy to be filmed 20 years ago this would have been all but unthinkable and certainly not without the permission of senior commanders khari bashir in his new special forces helmet says people in kabul are getting used to the idea of a new reformed taliban [Music] [Applause] foreign the truth is that thousands may be millions of afghans and much of the international community don't believe they will have changed their ways or forgive people with links to foreign powers they disagree while the taliban creates its new government and the world watches on the effort to remove foreigners and their afghan employees continues the truth is that in this chaos the foreigners will become a priority and like afghanistan itself the afghans will likely be left behind

Channel: Sky News

Views: 124,866

Keywords: Kabul, Taliban, Afghanistan, SKY, NEWS, SKY NEWS, USA, UK, AFGHAN, LAW, GOVERNMENT, EXODUS, SAFTEY, REVENGE, KILLING, WOMEN, GIRLS, HUMANITY, VIOLENCE, UNITED NATIONS, UN, SECURITY COUNCIL, REPRESENTATIVE, ALLIES, WAR, ambassador, United States, US, Munir Akram, Pakistan, India, persecution, Security council, United Nations, Stuart Ramsay, Friends, Family, United Kingdom, Explainer, Screen, Data, China, Central Asia, conflict, neighbours, fall, fell, deaths, dead

Id: ecSdv86LUuM

Length: 4min 34sec (274 seconds)

Published: Mon Aug 16 2021