Afghan Guard Killed in Firefight at Kabul Airport as Biden Mulls Extending Mission

At least one Afghan guard was killed and three injured in a firefight at the north gate of Kabul’s Hamid Karzai International Airport, where some 20,000 Afghans and foreigners are still awaiting transport out of Afghanistan. A sniper outside the airport reportedly fired at Afghan guards inside the airport on Monday morning leading them to return fire, as US forces fired at the Afghan guards. German military forces also were involved in the incident. Taliban fighters are stationed outside of the airport in an attempt to maintain order as Afghans and foreigners flood the airport in an attempt to leave the county following its takeover by the Taliban. US President Joe Biden said in an address to the nation of Sunday afternoon that US troops might stay past the target date of August 31 to withdraw all foreign forces to oversee a “hard and painful” evacuation. The Taliban responded Monday saying they would not agree to an extension of the evacuation mission, and calling it a “red line.” Meanwhile, the US government called up 18 civilian aircraft from six commercial airlines – known as the Civil Reserve Air Fleet – to carry people from temporary locations after they land on flights from Afghanistan to the US or a third country.