Crowd Rushes Towards Kabul Airport as Afghan Citizens Desperately Attempt to Flee

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A crowd of people ran towards Kabul’s international airport on the morning of August 16, as citizens tried desperately to flee after the Taliban took control of the capital on Sunday.

Video by Jawad Sukhanyar shows dozens of people sprinting towards Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul while the sound of shots being fired echoes in the background.

Scenes of chaos were reported at the airport on Sunday night as people tried to board international flights, prompting the US embassy in Kabul to advise citizens not to travel to the airport until notified as the security situation was “unsafe”.

A spokesman for the Taliban told Al Jazeera on Monday that the war in Afghanistan was “over” after insurgents took control of the presidential palace in Kabul. According to reports, Afghanistan President Ashraf Ghani fled Kabul on Sunday. Credit: Jawad Sukhanyar via Storyful