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Axios
Axios
World

German military reports deadly firefight involving U.S. forces at Kabul Airport

An Afghan guard was killed and three others wounded in a "firefight" with "unknown attackers" at Kabul's airport — which also involved German and U.S. security forces, Germany's military said Monday.

The latest: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said later Monday that the U.S. could not yet determine which group was responsible for the attack.


Of note: The incident happened as thousands of Afghans and foreigners seeking to leave Afghanistan were at the airport's north gate, per Reuters.

  • The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan issued an alert Saturday, warning Americans against going to Kabul's airport "because of potential security threats."

The big picture: There have been chaotic scenes at the airport since the Taliban took control of Kabul on Aug. 15, with several people losing their lives as they tried to flee Afghanistan. Taliban fighters "beat back crowds" at the airport Sunday, Reuters noted.

  • President Biden has sought to step up evacuation efforts and said Sunday that this could be extended beyond the Aug. 31 U.S. troop withdrawal deadline.

What they're saying: Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters in Singapore on Monday that getting American citizens and Afghan allies safely out of Afghanistan was the Biden administration's "singular focus at this time."

What to watch: Biden was due to attend a virtual G7 leaders' meeting Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan.

  • The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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