Seven Afghans killed in chaos at Kabul airport

A panicked crush of people trying to enter Kabul's international airport killed seven Afghan civilians in the crowds, the British military said on Aug. 22, showing the danger still posed to those trying to flee the Taliban's takeover of the country.

class='cf'>

The deaths come as a new, perceived threat from the Islamic State group affiliate in Afghanistan has seen U.S. military planes do rapid, diving combat landings at the airport surrounded by Taliban fighters. Other aircraft have shot off flares on takeoff, an effort to confuse possible heat-seeking missiles targeting the planes.

The changes come as the U.S. Embassy issued a new security warning Saturday telling citizens not to travel to the Kabul airport without individual instruction from a U.S. government representative. Officials declined to provide more specifics about the IS threat but described it as significant. They said there have been no confirmed attacks as yet by the militants, who have battled the Taliban in the past.

On Sunday, the British military acknowledged the seven deaths of civilians in the crowds in Kabul. There have been stampedes and crushing injuries in the crowds, especially as Taliban fighters fire into the air to drive away those desperate to get on any flight out of the country.

"Conditions on the ground remain extremely challenging but we are doing everything we can to manage the situation as safely and securely as possible," the Defense Ministry said in a statement.

class='cf'>

Thousands rushed the airport last Monday in chaos that saw the U.S. try to clear off the runway with low-flying attack helicopters S everal Afghans plunged to their deaths while hanging off the side of a U.S. military cargo plane. It's been difficult to know the full scale...