Harrowing footage from Afghanistan's Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul shows the moment desperate civilians held onto a moving US Air Force plane following the Taliban's storming of the city.
On Sunday, Taliban soldiers took control of Afghanistan's capital city of Kabul, forcing Afghan President Ashraf Ghani to flee the country, along with many high-ranking officials. As reported by CNBC, the Taliban entered the presidential palace and declared the war "over".
Ghani has since said in a statement that he fled to prevent "a flood of bloodshed".
He added: "The Taliban have won with the judgment of their swords and guns, and are now responsible for the honor, property, and self-preservation of their countrymen."
Today (Monday, August 16), footage has emerged from the Hamid Karzai International Airport showing hundreds - if not, thousands - of people rushing the airport and its runways in an attempt to flee the country.
One video, in particular, has left social media users in disbelief, as it appears to show people clinging to a moving US Air Force plane. Per Insider, the exact time this video was recorded is not known.
The footage was shared to Twitter by CNN News 18 contributing editor Aditya Raj Kaul, who captioned the post: "United States of America fled Afghanistan leaving behind innocent Afghans.
"These shocking visuals from Kabul today describe the US withdrawal from Afghanistan. Betrayal. Escape. Lack of empathy. No clarity. Failure. Chaos."
The footage has since amassed over 119,000 views on Kaul's tweet alone.
Sky News reports that the US embassy has since issued a warning "the security situation in Kabul is changing quickly" - and US citizens in Kabul were told to quickly find shelter.
An announcement by the Pentagon revealed that there are plans to deploy an additional 1,000 soldiers in order to assist in evacuation efforts. They will help bring US citizens as well as Afghans who worked for them to safety.
Reuters has also reported that, according to witnesses, "at least five people" have died at the airport as a result of the chaos.
In response to the developing crisis, Donald Trump has demanded that US President Joe Biden "resigns in disgrace".
In a release shared to Twitter by his spokesperson, Liz Harrington, Trump stated:
"It is time for Joe Biden to resign in disgrace for what he has allowed to happen to Afghanistan, along with the tremendous surge in COVID, the Border catastrophe, the destruction of energy independence, and our crippled economy."
Trump then repeated his unverified contention that Biden did not win the 2020 US Presidential election fairly, stating: "It shouldn’t be a big deal, because [Biden] wasn't elected legitimately in the first place."
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