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A30 world news
Dialuna 23 augustus 2021

Crush at Kabul airport kills 7 as Afghans try to flee

(AP) — At least seven Af- mains far below the 5,000 to
ghans died in a panicked 9,000 that the military says it The Taliban blame the cha-
crush of people trying has the capacity to airlift daily. otic evacuation on the U.S.
to enter Kabul’s interna- military, saying there’s no
tional airport, the British Britain said it had airlifted need for Afghans to fear
military said Sunday, as more than 5,000 people, in- them, even though their
thousands were still try- cluding 1,000 in the last 14 fighters shoot into the air and
ing to flee the country in hours. beat people with batons as
a chaotic exodus a week they try to control the crowds
after the Taliban takeover. U.S. Defense Secretary outside the airport.
Lloyd Austin activated the
The Taliban moved to con- Civil Reserve Air Fleet pro- The Taliban have sought to
front the first stirrings of gram, requesting 18 aircraft project a more moderate im-
armed resistance since cap- from U.S. carriers to assist age than when they last ruled
turing nearly all of Afghani- in transporting Afghan refu- the country, from 1996 until
stan in a matter of days ear- gees after they are evacuated the U.S.-led invasion follow-
lier this month. Anti-Taliban to other countries. The vol- ing the 9/11 attacks, which al-
fighters claimed to have Thousands poured onto the in satellite photos. They car- untary program, born in the Qaida carried out while being
seized three mountainous tarmac last week, and sev- ried away some who were wake of the Berlin airlift, sheltered by the Taliban. Dur-
districts, and a prominent eral Afghans plunged to their sweating and pale. With tem- adds to the military’s capa- ing their earlier rule, women
militia commander in the deaths after clinging to a U.S. peratures reaching 34 degrees bilities during crises. were largely confined to their
only province not yet under military cargo plane as it took Celsius (93 F), the soldiers homes, television and music
Taliban control pledged to off, some of the seven killed sprayed water from a hose on President Joe Biden has were banned, and public ex-
fight back if attacked. on Aug. 16. those gathered and gave out vowed to bring home all ecutions were held — all in
bottled water. Americans from Afghani- accordance with the Taliban’s
The British military on Sun- The Taliban have pledged stan and to evacuate Afghans harsh version of Islamic rule.
day acknowledged at least amnesty to those who worked The U.S. Embassy, which who aided the U.S. war ef-
seven deaths at the airport. with the U.S., NATO and has relocated to the military fort. U.S. military helicopters This time, the Taliban are
Others may have been tram- the toppled Afghan govern- side of the airport, has told have been used to collect 169 holding talks with Afghan of-
pled, suffocated or suffered ment, but many Afghans still American citizens and oth- Americans from outside the ficials from previous govern-
heart attacks as Taliban fight- fear revenge attacks. There ers not to come to the airport airport. Tens of thousands of ments on a political transi-
ers fired into the air to try to have been reports in recent until they receive precise in- Americans and others are still tion and say they will restore
drive back the crowds. Sol- days of the Taliban hunting structions. hoping to fly out. peace and security after de-
diers covered several corpses down their former enemies. cades of war. Afghan officials
in white clothing. Other It’s unclear if Taliban leaders U.S. National Security Ad- There also have been con- familiar with the talks say the
troops stood on concrete are saying one thing and do- viser Jake Sullivan told CNN cerns about a potential at- Taliban have said they will
barriers, trying to calm the ing another, or if fighters are that 3,900 people had been tack on the airport by a local not announce a government
crowd. taking matters into their own airlifted out of Kabul on U.S. Islamic State affiliate. U.S. until after the Aug. 31 dead-
hands. military flights in the past 24 military planes have been ex- line for the U.S. troop with-
Kabul’s airport, now one of hours, up from 1,600 the pre- ecuting corkscrew landings, drawal.
the only routes out of the Outside the airport on Sat- vious day. That’s in addition and other aircraft have fired
country, has seen days of urday, Western troops in full to about 3,900 people airlifted flares upon takeoff, measures But they already face stirrings
chaos since the Taliban en- combat gear tried to control on non-U.S. military flights used to prevent missile at- of resistance.
tered the capital on Aug. 15. crowds big enough to be seen over the past 24 hours. It re- tacks.

Gaza border clashes wound 24 Palestinians, Israeli policeman

(AP) — Israeli gunfire the fence in northern Gaza
on Saturday wounded 24 and attempted to climb over
Palestinians, including a while throwing explosives
13-year-old boy who was at troops. It said that troops
shot in the head, health fired tear gas and live rounds
officials said. An Israeli toward the protesters.
policeman was critically
wounded by Palestinian It also said a member of the
gunfire during the clashes paramilitary border police
along Gaza’s border with was hospitalized in grave
Israel. condition after being shot.
Amateur video from the
The violence erupted af- Palestinian side showed a
ter hundreds of Palestinians protester running up to the
took part in a demonstration concrete barrier and firing a
Saturday organized by Gaza’s pistol into a hole used by an
Hamas rulers to draw atten- Israeli sniper.
tion to a stifling Israeli block- 2019 to draw attention to Is- sive cease-fire after 11 days of of people and goods in and
ade of the territory. The dem- In Gaza, the Hamas-run rael’s stifling blockade over fighting. out of the territory. Israel has
onstration grew violent after Health Ministry said 24 Pal- the tiny seaside territory. imposed the blockade with
dozens of people approached estinians were wounded by Khalil al-Haya, a senior Egyptian help since 2007,
the fortified border fence and Israeli fire. Two of them, in- Israel and Hamas are bit- Hamas official, told protest- saying it is needed to prevent
threw rocks and explosives cluding the 13-year-old boy, ter enemies that have fought ers that the confrontation Hamas from arming itself.
toward Israeli soldiers from were in critical condition. four wars and countless with Israel “was still open.”
behind a black smoke screen skirmishes since the Islamic In a statement, the Israeli
spewing from burning tires. The violent confrontations militant group seized control There has been growing ten- army said troops responded
were reminiscent of the of Gaza in 2007, a year after sion in recent weeks, with with live rounds after hun-
The Israeli military said that weekly border demonstra- winning a Palestinian elec- Hamas calling for Israel to dreds of Palestinians dem-
hundreds of demonstra- tions organized by Gaza’s tion. The most recent war, in ease the blockade, which onstrated at the Gaza-Israeli
tors approached one area of Hamas rulers in 2018 and May, ended in an inconclu- greatly restricts movement border.