Afghanistan LIVE: At least 13 dead in twin blasts outside Kabul airport

Afghanistan crisis LIVE updates: Indian government has called for an all-party meeting on the developments in Afghanistan after Taliban takeover. Stay tuned for Latest LIVE news

7:09 PM

Security threat at Kabul airport 'imminent', says US diplomat

The security threat that prompted the State Department to urge Americans to move away from the perimeter of the Kabul airport was credible and urgent, the acting U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan said Thursday.
 

Speaking to ABC News from Kabul, Ross Wilson said he could not discuss specifics of the threat or its current status.
 

“It was clearly regarded as credible, as imminent, as compelling,” he said.
 

Ross spoke as the United States worked to get remaining Americans out of the country. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Wednesday that as many as 1,500 Americans may be awaiting evacuation from Afghanistan amid growing warnings of terrorist threats targeting the airport.

President Joe Biden has set a Tuesday deadline for ending the evacuation.

6:47 PM

'Taliban's Afghanistan takeover will damage US-Pak ties'

Afghanistan's takeover by the Taliban could weaken ties between the United States and Pakistan in the near future, according to experts, ANI reported.

Pakistan - said to be the largest backer of the Taliban and key player in the Afghan peace deal -- has a "special responsibility" to pressure the terror group to follow their commitments. Pakistan was among the few countries which had recognized the Taliban regime when they governed Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001.

Experts claim that Islamabad and Washington would be responsible for the situation in Afghanistan, whichever way it turns, since recent developments in the war-ravaged country are the result of the US and Pakistan's inability to maintain peace over the years.

6:43 PM

Some evacuees from Afghanistan have tested positive for Covid-19: Govt

Some of those evacuated from Afghanistan have tested positive for COVID-19 and they have been isolated and are being treated, the government said on Thursday, PTI reported.

Responding to a question at a press conference, Union Health Secretary Rajesh Bhushan said, "Whoever lands (in India) they are given anti-polio vaccine because wild polio is still prevalent in Afghanistan and Pakistan. We have also made arrangement that all of their RT-PCR tests are done and some of them have tested positive."

He said over 400 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan so far.

6:18 PM

Armed forces won't let political turmoil in any other country affect India: Om Birla on Afghan crisis

The armed forces would not let political turmoil in any other country affect India, Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla said on Thursday in a reference to the crisis in Afghanistan, PTI reported.

In an apparent reference to China, Birla, who is on a three-day visit to Ladakh, said the expansionist approach of a few countries results in border disputes and asserted that India always propagates peace and works for strengthening democratic setup in other nations.

The Lok Sabha speaker is on a week-long trip to Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh as part of the 'parliamentary outreach programme for empowerment of panchayati raj institutions'.

6:16 PM

Canada halts Afghanistan evacuations as deadline looms

Canada has ended evacuations from Kabul's airport, a Canadian general said on Thursday, as the clock ticks down on dramatic Western efforts to help people flee the Taliban takeover ahead of a full American withdrawal, AP reported.

General Wayne Eyre, the country's acting chief of Defence Staff, said all the other countries have to leave the airport before the Americans can wrap up their mission. Canadian military flights evacuated about 3,700 people.

"We stayed in Afghanistan for as long as we could. We were amongst the last to cease evacuation operations. We wish we could have stayed longer and rescued everyone who was so desperate to leave. That we could not is truly heartbreaking, but the circumstances on the ground rapidly deteriorated," Eyre said.

5:59 PM

Russia says it will study Taliban's actions before deciding on recognition

5:37 PM

DGCA allows Boeing 737 Max planes to fly

5:33 PM

Animal charity's staff, pets seek way out of Afghanistan

A former Royal Marine who runs an animal charity in Afghanistan said Thursday that he, his Afghan staff and dozens of dogs and cats are stuck outside Kabul's airport as they try to get a flight out of the country before evacuation efforts end, AP reported.

Paul Pen Farthing appealed to the Taliban to allow the group safe passage into the airport. He tweeted to Taliban spokesman Suhail Shaheen that we have been here for 10 hours after being assured that we would have safe passage. Truly would like to go home now.

Farthing has been pressing for days to get staff of his Nowzad charity out of Afghanistan, along with the group's rescued animals.

4:56 PM

Pak PM Imran Khan calls on international community for positive engagement with Afghanistan

Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan on Thursday called for the formation of an inclusive government in Afghanistan and asked the international community for positive engagement with Kabul as a way forward to avert any humanitarian crisis and ensure peace and stability in the war-ravaged country, PTI reported.

 

Khan made the comments during his meeting with Executive Director of United Nations World Food Program (WFP) David Beasley here. During the meeting, they discussed ways of facilitating the continued provision of humanitarian assistance to the Afghan people.

 

Khan said that positive engagement of the international community with Afghanistan was the way forward to avert any humanitarian crisis and secure peace and stability in Afghanistan.

4:55 PM

People evacuated from Afghanistan will be administered anti-polio vaccine: Health Secretary Bhushan

2:58 PM

Govt shares evacuation data with Oppn

1:12 PM

European nations warn of attacks in Afghanistan

European nations offered stark warnings Thursday about the waning days of a massive airlift to bring people out of Afghanistan after the Taliban seized control of the country, with a British official saying an “imminent attack” could target Kabul's international airport. France said it would halt its evacuations Friday while Denmark said its last flight had already left Kabul's airport, the AP reported.

12:42 PM

British Minister warns of 'imminent attack' at Kabul airport

The British government says large numbers of people hoping to leave Afghanistan remain outside Kabul airport, despite warnings to leave because of the risk of a suicide bombing. British Armed Forces Minister James Heappey told the BBC on Thursday there was ”very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack” at the airport, according to Reuters.

12:39 PM

British official warns of attack on Kabul airport

British official warns of 'very, very credible reporting of an imminent attack' targeting Kabul airport amid evacuations. 

11:47 AM

Immigrant families from San Diego area stuck in Afghanistan

A school district in a San Diego suburb that is home to a large refugee population said many of its families who had taken summer trips to Afghanistan to see their relatives have gotten stuck there with the chaos following the withdrawal of US troops.

 

The Cajon Valley Union School District, in the suburb of El Cajon, east of San Diego, said the families of 24 students from various schools had reported they would not able to start the school year on August 17 because the children and their parents were unable to get through the throngs of people at the Kabul airport. Thousands of people have been converging on the airport, desperate to escape since the Taliban seized control of the country.

 

The families had travelled separately to Afghanistan for summer vacation.