Joe Biden orders US military to prepare strikes against Kabul bomb attackers

• A suicide bomber detonated their device outside Kabul airport, near Abbey Gate
• Gunfire was then reported - understood to have come from another attacker
• As people fled away from the scene, a second blast went off nearby at the Baron hotel
• At least 60 people, including children, are reported to have been killed, with 140 wounded
• US officials say 13 troops were killed. The Taliban say some of their guards were also killed
• Isis-K on Thursday claimed responsibility for the attack
• Boris Johnson chaired a Cobra meeting this afternoon

Read more

• Full report: 13 US troops die in Kabul bomb blasts
• How it happened: Kabul's day of carnage leaves city traumatised
• Who are Isis-K?
• Isis-K has struck a massive blow at the West and the Taliban
• Taliban 'has $85bn of US kit and biometric data of Afghan troops'

Foreign Office staff left documents with the contact details of Afghans working for them on the ground at the British embassy in Kabul, according to a report.

The Times claims it found papers identifying Afghans as Taliban fighters patrolled the embassy.

The paper says documents included the details of a leading member of the embassy staff in Kabul, and the CVs and addresses of applicants for jobs as interpreters.

A source told the paper: “We are grateful to The Times for sharing the information retrieved with us and working with us to enable us to get these three families to safety.”

The White House has confirmed Joe Biden's statement, a few minutes ago, that the US will not be able to provide a safe evacuation for all Afghans who want to flee Kabul.

Mr Biden told reporters: "I know of no conflict – as a student of history – no conflict where, when a war is ended, one side was able to guarantee that everyone they wanted to be extracted in that country would get out."

On Thursday evening, Jen Psaki, the White House press secretary said: "It is not going to be possible got every single Afghan, millions possibly, who wants to leave Afghanistan to be evacuated."

Ms Psaki also said that the US does not believe the Taliban had any involvement in the attack on Kabul.

"We don’t have any knowledge at this point in time – and that has not changed in the last couple of hours – that the Taliban was engaged or involved in this attack," Ms Psaki said.

American evacuation flights are continuing, but Joe Biden has insisted all US troops will leave the country by the end of the month.

There was no indication that the president planned to change his Aug 31 withdrawal deadline, a White House official said.

It was "highly likely" the attack was carried out by the local branch of the Islamic State group, both US and British defence sources said. The group later claimed responsibility for the attack on its Telegram account. 

Read more: 12 US troops die in Kabul bomb blasts

Here's what Telegraph columnists made of Mr Biden's speech:

Joe Biden leaves with one final comment: "Ladies and gentlemen, it was time to leave a 20-year war," he says.

Joe Biden says that although millions of Afghans would like to come to the US, he will not be able to get  them all out.

The US president claims that no conflict in history has ever ended with any side guaranteeing a safe extraction for people who want it.

"I know of no conflict — as a student of history — no conflict where, when a war is ended, one side was able to guarantee that everyone they wanted to be extracted in that country would get out," he says.

Mr Biden then says he will accept some responsibility for the situation in Afghanistan.

"I bear responsibility for fundamentally all that’s happened of late," he says.

"But here’s the deal: you know as well as I do that the former president made a deal with the Taliban."

Joe Biden is asked why US forces are not also using Bagram airbase to bring people out of Afghanistan.

He insists that the military told him that Bagram was "not much value added" and wanted to focus resources on Kabul.

He also avoids the question of whether the US had given personal information of Afghan allies to the Taliban, as we reported earlier. 

Politico today quoted a US defence official as saying the US had effectively provided a "kill list" of Afghans who had worked with the Americans.

Mr Biden admits that the US co-ordinates with the Taliban on security. He says: "Yes, there may have been occasions like that."

"I can't tell you with any certitude that there was any list of names. It may very well have happened."

“I’ve ordered my commanders to develop operational plans to strike Isis key assets, leadership, and facilities,” Mr Biden says.

“We will respond with force and precision at our time at a place we choose in a moment of our choosing.”

Joe Biden is asked what additional force he is providing to protect Americans and Afghans in Kabul and says he will authorise whatever he is asked for by military chiefs.

The president is then asked about criticism of the crisis in Kabul in which the US only seems able to protect the airport with help from the Taliban.

He insists that it is in the Taliban's interest to co-operate and help the US get people safely out of the country, calling it "mutual self-interest". Mr Biden adds that there is no evidence that the Taliban colluded with Isis-K in today's attack.

Now Joe Biden asks the room to join him in a moment of silence to those Americans who lost their lives in Kabul today.

He asks God to bless those who serve the US overseas.

He agrees to take questions from journalists.

Mr Biden addresses the attackers in Kabul today. He says: "We will not forgive, we will not forget, we will hunt you down and make you pay."

The president says he has empathy for the families of those US troops, comparing their loss to his own experiences, saying grief is "like being sucked into a black hole in the middle of your chest, with no way out".

He adds: "We have a sacred obligation to the families of those heroes - it is not temporary, it lasts forever."

Mr Biden also suggests that the attackers may have come from prisoners that were recently released by the Taliban, adding that the US will retaliate.

"We will not be deterred by terrorists. We will not stop the mission. We will continue the evacuation," he says.

The president starts his address.

“Tough day,” Mr Biden begins.

"These American service members who gave their lives were heroes," he says. Mr Biden said his heart aches for those who have lost loved ones.

"We are outraged as well as heartbroken," he says.

The Taliban said on Thursday night it "warned the foreign forces the repercussions of the large gathering at Kabul airport".

The group's spokesman, Mohammad Naeem, told Al Jazeera that the gathering of a large number of people at the airport prevented adequate security measures from being taken.

As we wait for Joe Biden, Telegraph columnist Fraser Nelson says America's enemies are poised to profit from the chaos in Afghanistan today:

The horror at Kabul Airport gives a vivid example of what “less America” looks like – and this will just be the start. A few days ago, the G7 met – not to agree any plan of action, but to beg Biden to hold the airport for a few days longer. He refused. Without America, the rest of the G7 has nothing to say. The same is true for Nato. Biden says he is diverting his attention to China, which raises an obvious question: which other allies are no longer a priority? Where might be the next place to fall?

Read more: Fraser Nelson: How the new Moscow-Beijing axis is already exploiting Biden's exhaustion

Joe Biden is due to address the American people from the White House at any moment. 

America's deadliest day in Afghanistan for a decade has ramped up pressure on Joe Biden, with Republicans saying the US president had "blood on his hands", Ben Farmer, Lucy Fisher and Nick Allen write.

The devastating attack threw the final hours of international airlifts from Kabul airport into chaos. On Thursday night, the Pentagon said 15 US service members had also been injured in the blasts.

Afghan civilians carried the injured to hospital in wheelbarrows while body parts filled a sewage canal where hundreds had massed in an attempt to gain access to the airport.  

Read more: Twelve US troops die in Kabul blasts

The chair of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee has said the blasts in Kabul today are "what defeat looks like".

Tom Tugendhat told BBC Radio 4 that the West has surrendered control over the future of Afghanistan.

The Tory MP said:  "This is what defeat looks like. Defeat is when you don't control any of the process anymore and if you are lucky you just about get out with your lives and a bit of your equipment and that's what we are doing at the moment.

"We don't have any control, we don't have any say. It's a defeat."

Mr Tugendhat, a former Territorial Army soldier who served in Afghanistan, described the crisis in Afghanistan as "the sun setting over some really pretty terrible decisions by the West over a number of years".

A large explosion that was heard in Kabul late on Thursday was due to the US military destroying ammunition, the Taliban said.

The blast, which was heard by witnesses up to 4km away from the airport, raised fears of another bomb attack after the double explosion in Kabul on Thursday that killed more than 60 people.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman, said on Thursday night that the further blast was American troops detonating military supplies as part of the planned withdrawal.

The Taliban now has access to $85 billion worth of American military equipment which could be used against the United States and its allies, a Republican congressman has warned, Jamie Johnson and Max Stephens write.

Jim Banks, a former US Navy reservist, said that the vast amount of hardware left behind includes 75,000 vehicles, 200 airplanes and helicopters and 600,000 small arms and light weapons. 

“The Taliban now has more Black Hawk helicopters than 85 per cent of the countries in the world,” he said in a speech in Washington.

Mr Banks says he is sure of the numbers because he worked as a foreign military sales officer, acquiring the equipment that America provided, then turning it over to Afghan forces.

“Unfathomable to me and so many others, the Taliban now has biometric devices which have the fingerprints, eye scans and biographical information of all the Afghans who helped us and were on our side in the last 20 years," Mr Banks said. 

What the Taliban now has access to, according to Mr Banks:

• 75,000 vehicles
• 20 planes and helicopters
• 600,000 small arms and light weapons
• Night-vision goggles
• Body armour
• Medical supplies 

We are receiving unconfirmed reports of another blast in Kabul, near the airport.

Two witnesses have told Reuters that they heard a large blast 3-4 kilometres from the airport.

The explosion was reported to be US-backed forces destroying some of their equipment before leaving.

The United Nations has called for an urgent meeting to discuss the crisis in Afghanistan.

Antonio Guterres, the UN Secretary-General told permanent members of the Security Council to meet on Monday, his spokesman said.

Mr Guterres sent letters formally inviting the US, Britain, France, Russia and China, according to AFP.

Isis-K appear to have formally claimed responsibility for the attack on Thursday at Kabul airport that left 12 US soldiers dead and killed at least 60 people.

The group have posted the name and a photograph of the alleged suicide bomber, claiming he got within "five metres" of US troops before setting off his bomb.

In a statement on its Telegram channel via the Amaq News Agency, Isis-K said: "The attacker was able to reach a distance of no less than five metres from the American forces, who were supervising the procedures for collecting documents from hundreds of translators and contractors in preparation for their evacuation from the country."

The US will continue its evacuation mission despite the attack in Kabul, General McKenzie says. 

"We are continuing to execute the mission," he tells reporters. "Our mission is to evacuate US citizens, third country nationals, special immigrant visa holders, US embassy staff and Afghans at risk.

"Despite this attack we are continuing the mission."

The  Pentagon briefing has now ended - to a backdrop of reporters barking questions at hastily-exiting officials.

General McKenzie says there was one suicide bomber at Abbey gate. 

"We don't know much about the second bomb other than it went off by the Baron hotel," he added.

"It will take us time to work out how many Afghan casualties there are."

Lloyd Austin said: "Terrorists took their lives at the very moment these troops were trying to save the lives of others."

General McKenzie says that they do not need extra troops at the airport.

"We have the resources we need to protect ourselves," says General McKenzie.

"We take the threat of these attacks very seriously. We are working very hard.

“If we can find who is associated with this we will go after them,” he added.

General McKenzie said it was his working assumption that the first bomber was going through the checkpoint when he detonated the device.

General McKenzie is asked about the ongoing threat from ISIS: "We expect the attacks to continue," he says.

“We know 12 service members have been killed and 15 wounded," he said.

“Despite this attack we are continuing the mission

“We continue to execute our number one mission to get as many American citizens and evacuees out of Afghanistan

“Isis will not deter us from exercising our mission."

The Foreign Secretary said in a statement:

“This evening I called US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, to express our sorrow that US troops lost their lives in Kabul today and that more have been injured. They paid the ultimate sacrifice while helping others reach safety.

“I also want to extend my condolences to the families of all those Afghans killed or injured. It is tragic that as they sought safety they have suffered at the hands of terrorists.

“Today’s attack is a stark reminder of the dangerous situation in which UK military and civilian personnel have been working so hard to evacuate people and we should be proud of their bravery and what they have achieved.

“The UK and US remain resolute in our mission to get as many people out as possible. It is testament to the remarkable courage of our personnel that they continue to do so while under fire. We will not let the cowardly acts of terrorists stop us.”

General Kenneth F. McKenzie confirms that 12 US servicemembers have died today following the explosion in Kabul.

He said there were two suicide bombers and a number of gunmen.

You can watch it live here:

The Prime Minister has hailed the efforts of the UK Military Strategic Command Centre in moving people out of Afghanistan.

12, 000 people have been evacuated in the last 10 days.

President Joe Biden has a difficult choice: Continue the evacuation and risk more deaths or end it earlier than planned and risk leaving behind Americans who are still seeking to leave the country.

As details of the attacks emerged, the White House rescheduled Biden's first in-person meeting with Israel's new prime minister and cancelled a video conference with governors about Afghan refugees arriving in the United States.

Mr Biden had pledged to get out of Afghanistan every American who wished to leave. As of Wednesday, the State Department said about 4,500 American citizens had been flown out, with about 1,500 yet to go.

In Washington, House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of California called for Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., to bring the chamber back into session to consider legislation that would prohibit the US withdrawal until all Americans are out of Afghanistan.

Such a return is highly unlikely because Democrats aligned with Biden hold majority control.

Despite intense pressure to extend the Tuesday deadline, Biden has repeatedly cited the threat of terrorist attacks against civilians and US service members as a reason to keep to his plan.

Associated Press are now reporting that 11 marines and a Navy medic were killed in the Afghanistan attacks.

A Pentagon briefing is now expected at 3pm, which is 8pm in the UK.

As many as 10 US marines are thought to have died in today's attack, an official has told Reuters.

The Pentagon has confirmed that "a number of US service members were killed."

Initial reports put the number of marines who died at four, but it is now understood to be significantly higher.

It is an incredibly complex situation on the ground in Kabul, with different organisations announcing different overall death tolls.

The Taliban says that 13 people have died, but this looks to be a severe underestimation given the videos and pictures being shared from the scene on social media.

One health official has told the New York Times and Wall Street Journal that more than 60 Afghan civilians were killed and 150 others were wounded.

We will update the numbers when we have more clarity.

Dame Karen Pierce, who became the UK's ambassador to the US last year, previously served in Afghanistan.

A Ministry of Defence spokesman says the UK operation is carrying on at same flow rate as before the attack.

Some troops have been diverted to the area to help on security and medical provision.

It has been confirmed no UK military or diplomatic people were casualties but they could not say whether any UK 'entitled persons' were caught up.

Joe Biden insisted that the US pull its troops out of Afghanistan, ending America's longest war.

Few people disagreed that this was the right thing to do, but the manner of the withdrawal has taken many by surprise.

The announcement was made in spring, but in the meantime, the Taliban seized control of the country.

Mr Biden pressed ahead with his plans to pull out troops by August 31 and pleaded with the insurgents for safe passage.

Within 48 hours of the first air lifts, 12 people died - some clinging from US cargo planes as they took off. The runway was not secured and thousands of people poured onto the tarmac.

Some good progress was made on evacuations, with 80,000 flown out on US planes, but Mr Biden faced pressure from world leaders, including Boris Johnson, to extend his August 31 deadline.

He refused.

Now, having never really gained control of the situation outside the airport, a number of US marines have died in a double suicide bomb attack.

Mr Biden will now have to decide whether to send more troops into Kabul to try and shore up the airport, or continue with the airlift and get out of the country as quickly as possible.

Germany has pulled out all its soldiers from Afghanistan with its last evacuation flight from Kabul, Defence Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer said Thursday.

"All soldiers, members of the foreign ministry and federal police who have led this mission to a safe end for us on the ground have been flown out of Kabul," said the minister, adding that the military evacuation mission has therefore now ended.

Elsewhere, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is convening a meeting on Monday on Afghanistan with the UN envoys for Britain, France, the United States, China and Russia - the permanent, veto-wielding members of the Security Council - diplomats said.

Boris Johnson has vowed to continue the evacuation effort in Afghanistan following a "barbaric" terrorist attack at Kabul airport which left multiple people dead including US troops in at least two explosions.

The Prime Minister said  the "overwhelming majority" of eligible people have already been helped to flee the Taliban by the RAF and "we are going to keep going up until the last moment" as the deadline rapidly approaches.

After chairing an emergency Cobra meeting, Mr Johnson said: "I can confirm that there's been a barbaric terrorist attack, what looks like a series of attacks, in Kabul, on the airport, on the crowds at the airport, in which members of the US military, very sadly have lost their lives and many Afghan casualties as well."

The Prime Minister told reporters in Downing Street that the the evacuation programme would work "flat out" according to "the timetable we've got".

"That's what we're going to do because the overwhelming majority of those who are eligible have now been extracted from Afghanistan," he added.

John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary has confirmed that "a number of US service members were killed in today's complex attack at Kabul airport."

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that four US marines have died in the attack.

The US ambassador in Kabul has told staff there that four US Marines were killed in an explosion at the city’s airport and three wounded, a U.S. official with knowledge of the briefing told the paper.

The Telegraph's video team has collected footage from people on the ground following today's suicide attack outside Kabul airport.

The German Chancellor says that the assumption is that the attacks were carried out by suicide bombers who targeted people hoping to leave Kabul via the airport.

Condemning the "heinous" attack, Mrs Merkel said that Germany would continue to help people in AFghanistan after August 31.

Zabihullah Mujahid, the Taliban spokesman has tweeted, saying that the attack took place in an area that was the responsibility of US troops.

A google translation from Pashto says: "The Islamic Emirate strongly condemns the bombing of civilians at Kabul airport, which took place in an area where US forces are responsible for security.

"The Islamic Emirate is paying close attention to the security and protection of its people, and evil circles will be strictly stopped."

Transport secretary Grant Shapps says that airlines should avoid flying over Afghanistan at less than 25,000ft.

United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres condemned on Thursday a "terrorist attack which killed and injured a number of civilians" near the airport in Afghanistan's capital Kabul, a U.N. spokesman said.

"This incident underscores the volatility of the situation on the ground in Afghanistan, but also strengthens our resolve as we continue to deliver urgent assistance across the country in support of the Afghan people," U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.

He said that "as far as we know at this moment" there are no casualties among UN staff.

The President met with his national security team this morning, including Secretary Blinken, Secretary Austin, Chairman Milley, and commanders on the ground.

He will continue to be briefed on updates on the evolving situation throughout the day, the White House says.

This morning’s press briefing by the White House Covid-19 Response Team and federal public health officials has been postponed, as has the press conference with Jen Psaki.

The President’s virtual meeting with Governors has been cancelled.

Vice President Kamala Harris, who is flying back from Asia, was on the call at 9:15am Eastern Time.

Just two days ago, Mr Biden said he would not extend the deadline to pull out of Afghanistan.

A source who was in touch with a witness by text message quoted that witness as saying there appeared to have been two separate but simultaneous attacks, one by a suicide bomber near buses lined up outside Abbey Gate, which was followed by small arms fire.

The second occurred at Baron Gate, named after the nearby Baron Hotel.

The source, speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity, quoted the witness as saying that children were among the casualties.

The Telegraph's Lucy Fisher has been talking to MoD sources about what this attack means for evacuations.

Joe Biden is now under huge pressure to respond.

Will he do a U-turn and instead of leaving on August 31 actually put more troops in? 

He is locked in the situation room discussing the attack with his top military chiefs. In London, the COBRA meeting is expected to start soon.

The first pictures are emerging from the scene of the multi-bomb attack near Kabul airport.

The emergency hospital in Kabul has taken in 60 wounded people so far, it is being reported.

There is also a Ministry of Defence update: "There have been no reported UK military or UK Government casualties following the incidents in Kabul.

"UK forces are working closely with our partners to provide security and medical assistance."

Jens Stoltenberg, Nato Secretary General, says in a statement: "I strongly condemn the horrific terrorist attack outside Kabul airport.

"My thoughts are with all those affected and their loved ones. Our priority remains to evacuate as many people to safety as quickly as possible."

A former Royal Marine who was near to the explosion close to Kabul airport has said his vehicle was targeted by a gunman amid the chaos.

Paul Farthing, known as Pen, who founded the Nowzad shelter in Kabul, is aiming to get 200 dogs and cats out of the country alongside his animal shelter staff.

Mr Farthing, who was outside the airport in a car when the incident occurred, told the PA news agency: "We're fine but everything is chaos here at the moment.

"All of a sudden we heard gunshots and our vehicle was targeted, had our driver not turned around he would have been shot in the head by a man with an AK-47.

"We've been in the airport, and back out of the airport; the whole thing's a mess.

"There's not much more I can say at the moment, I need to make sure the animals and everyone is safe."

At least 13 people are feared dead after a suicide bomber struck outside Kabul airport and another bomb exploded nearby.

A Taliban spokesman said at least 13 had been killed, including children, but the claims have not yet been verified.

Several American troops have been injured. A Pentagon spokesman said the blast near Abbey Gate had resulted in an unknown number of casualties.

This morning, British and American citizens were told to stay away from the area because of a "very credible, imminent and severe" threat to the airport. Those fears have been realised.

Boris Johnson will chair a COBRA meeting this afternoon, while Joe Biden is speaking with his national security team in the west wing's situation room.

The attack is thought to have been carried out by ISIS-K, an offshoot of the Islamic State group.

The suicide bomber struck by Abbey Gate.

The attack was followed up by gunfire and then another explosion near the Baron hotel.

John Kirby, Pentagon press secretary confirms that there was a second blast, in what he called a "complex attack."

 US president Joe Biden is in the situation room, in the west wing. He was supposed to be in a meeting with Israeli prime minister Naftali Bennett.

The situation on the ground in Kabul is moving quickly, following a suicide bomb attack outside the airport. This is what we know so far.

• A suicide bomber detonated their device outside the Baron hotel, near Abbey Gate.
• Gunfire was then reported - understood to have come from another attacker.
• As people fled away from the scene, a second blast went off nearby.
• Up to 13 people, including children, are reported to have been killed, according to a Taliban spokesman.
• At least three US troops have been injured - one seriously. 
• The attack is thought to have been carried out by ISIS-K.
• Joe Biden is in the situation room now, while Boris Johnson is Chairing a COBRA meeting this afternoon.
• Brits and Americans were warned to stay away from the airport this morning after intelligence of an "imminent" attack emerged.

Boris Johnson will chair an emergency COBRA meeting this afternoon, says Downing Street.

A Taliban spokesman says that 13 people have been killed, including children.

There are reports that there was also gunfire and a second bomb blast.

UK defence sources are suggesting that no British troops have been injured, but an update from the US State Department says: "Initial reports suggest four or more US service personnel may have been injured or killed in the explosion".

Taliban guards are said to be injured, which would likely suggest the attack came from ISIS-K.

In this piece, our Middle Eastern correspondent James Rothwell explains who ISIS-K are.

Three US soldiers may have been injured in the blast, it has been reported. 

The situation is moving very quickly on the ground, but the attack could put the rest of the air lift in jeopardy.

Two planes have taken off since the attack, but the airport is now understood to be locked down.

The Ministry of Defence says it is working to establish what happened.

US officials say that the explosion looks to be a suicide attack.

The explosion has happened in a drainage canal along the road to the airport.

It has been described as a choke point where people are filtering through to the British and American positions.

Thousands of people have passed through here in the last few days.

Tory MP Nus Ghani said she was on the phone to somebody outside Kabul airport when the explosion happened.

The Wealden MP tweeted: "Explosion at Kabul airport. I was on the phone to an Afghan outside the airport when he heard the explosion.

"Praying that he gets away safely and we get his family safe passage out of this nightmare."

US president Joe Biden has been briefed on the explosion and there is a Pentagon press conference scheduled for the next hour.

In a serious escalation, the Pentagon has confirmed that there has been an explosion outside Kabul airport.

John Kirby, the press secretary says the number of casualties is unknown.

CNN is citing a military official who says that a number of Afghans have been injured.

Tear gas has been fired at people outside Kabul airport in an effort to disperse crowds.

There are still hundreds, if not thousands of people waiting to gain entry to the airport, but the situation is becoming increasingly fractious.

This video shows fire hoses and tear gas, but there are unconfirmed reports of gunfire and even a possible explosion.

Italian intelligence services believe that shots were fired to disperse a crowd at the airport, rather than to bring down a military aircraft.

There is huge tension at the airport this morning, with reports of a possible terror attack "imminent" according to the government.

An Italian  C-130 had to take evasive action, according to reports, as bullets flew past.

The plane landed in Kuwait safely.

It has been widely reported this morning that the US, like many of its Western allies, would be winding down its evacuation mission in the next 36 hours.

That is not the case.

Pentagon press secretary John Kirby says they will continue "until the end of the mission."

Alvise Armellini has more on the Italian plane that was fired upon.

Machine gun shots were fired at an Italian C-130 military plane during departure from Kabul airport, Italian media is reporting, citing military sources.

The plane was carrying journalists and 98 Afghan Afghans, according to RAI, a public broadcaster.

The female commander of the military plane "pulled off an emergency manoeuvre" that avoided the worst, Giuliano Foschini, a La Repubblica journalist who was on board, wrote on the paper's website.

"Inside, we all jumped but luckily they did not hit us and we are fine," he added.

The journalists and Afghan evacuees have already arrived in Kuwait and are continuing their journey to Italy on another plane. 

Canada has ended its evacuation operations in Afghanistan, it has announced.

"Over the last day, our evacuation operations have ceased," Canadian defence ministry representative Lieutenant-General Wayne Eyre told a press conference.

"We wish we could have stayed longer and rescued everyone who was so desperate to leave, that we could not is truly heartbreaking, but the circumstances on the ground, rapidly deteriorated," he added.

There are reports of shots being fired at an Italian military plane as it flew out of Kabul airport.

The plane is understood not to have been damaged.

Little is known about the incident so far, but this morning there were warnings of an imminent attack at the airport.

There have been concern that ISIS-K are plotting to strike.

In this piece, our Middle Eastern correspondent James Rothwell explains who ISIS-K are.

After that extraordinary outburst by the Defence secretary, have any minds been changed?

To recap: Paul Farthing, known as Pen, founded the Nowzad shelter in Kabul after serving with the British Army in Afghanistan in the mid-2000s, with the organisation rescuing dogs, cats and donkeys.

Since the collapse of the Afghan government, he has campaigned to have his staff and their families as well as 140 dogs and 60 cats evacuated from the country in a plan he has dubbed Operation Ark.

He crowdfunded a charter flight, but has been - thus far - unable to reach the plane. 

Campaigners are trying to lobby the government to get the pets on the plane. Critics have said the priority should be people not pets.

The Telegraph is running a poll on the issue and more than 1,000 people have already voted.

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary has hit back at the continued criticism by friends of Pen Farthing over the pets trying to get back the UK.

He goes on to say: "3. The issue, as those desperate people waiting outside the gates know too well, has always been getting processed through the entrances. It can take over 24hrs. There is no point turning up with a plane until the passengers / pets are airside. 

"4. As people were processed ARAP, LOTR etc they were called forward. Once processed and on the airfield they are marshalled on to a plane. As I have said we will facilitate at all stages but the priority will be people not pets.

"5.There has been no “u turn”. You can’t unblock something that was never blocked.

"6. The bullying, falsehoods and threatening behaviour by some towards our MOD personnel and advisors is unacceptable and a shameful way to treat people trying to help the evacuation. They do their cause no good.

"7. So can people now please let my civil servants and military get on with dealing with one of the most dangerous and challenging evacuations for a generation. As professionals they will do their best for all those eligible and with my full support."

Russia evacuated around 360 of its citizens from Afghanistan on Wednesday, Interfax news agency cited the Russian ambassador to the country as saying.

Around 100 Russian citizens remain in Afghanistan and have chosen to stay there for now, said Tass, another news agency.

The White House has sent the latest figures from its airlift operation.

"From August 25 at 3:00 AM EDT to August 26 at 3:00 AM EDT, a total of approximately 13,400 people were evacuated from Afghanistan," it says.

"17 US military flights (14 C-17s and 3 C-130s) evacuated approximately 5,100 people from Kabul. In addition, 74 coalition aircraft evacuated approximately 8,300 people.

"Since August 14, the U.S. has evacuated and facilitated the evacuation of approximately 95,700 people. Since the end of July, we have re-located approximately 101,300 people."

This is a drop from Tuesday, when 21,600 people were taken out of the country. It is further evidence that the operation is winding down.

Boris Johnson has denied suggestions he personally intervened to help former marine Pen Farthing, who is seeking to get his rescue animals  out of Afghanistan. 

The Prime Minister told broadcasters he had "absolutely no influence in any particular case", and that the operation was being carried out "impartially". 

He added: "So far we have helped the overwhelming number of people in both [British national and Arpa] categories and will use the remaining time to do the best that we can."

Boris Johnson has said the next challenge would be to help Afghan refugees "integrate into our society".

Speaking to broadcasters, the Prime Minister said: "The real job now is to make sure they have the housing, they have the skills, they have the opportunities to integrate into our society.

"As you know, our labour market... it currently offers many opportunities, but we must make sure that they're ready, and that's another whole job."

He added: "We are coming towards the end of this phase in any event... everybody involved - the UK military, everybody at the airport - should be incredibly proud of what they have achieved."

The number of people relocating equated to a "sizeable town", he added. 

August 31 will not be the end of the UK's commitment to helping those who wish to flee Afghanistan, Boris Johnson has said.

The Prime Minister told broadcasters that although the "lion's share" of eligible people had now been removed from the country, he recognised "there will be people who still need help".

Asked whether this would be challenging amid reports of the Taliban blocking the roads, Mr Johnson said: "What we're hoping, and this is the key point that the G7 agreed, is that the Taliban understand that if they want to engage with development aid, they want to unlock those billions of funds, they want to have a diplomatic, political relationship with the outside world, then the safe passage for those who want to come out is the key precondition."

Boris Johnson has said the Government is trying to be "transparent" and "realistic" about the intelligence it has received pointing to a credible - and imminent - terror threat in Kabul. 

The UK and US have updated their advice to those who have not yet secured clearance to fly from Kabul airport that they should leave the area and find a safe place. 

The Prime Minister told broadcasters: "I think we have to be transparent about the risks, that we have to be realistic about what's going on, and you'll appreciate that there are Islamic State Khorasan province (Isis-K) terrorists out there.

"I can't go into the details, clearly. But we have to be mindful of the security of our personnel, but also of the Afghan people who are trying to get out."

The Taliban will ban music in public their spokesman has said, because the movement considers it un-Islamic.

The stricture would be a return to one of the strict rules of the Taliban's 1990s emirate, when most forms of music were banned, apart from religious chants.

The chief spokesman for the movement announced the new ban in an interview where he tried to stress that the movement had changed since its first government.

“Music is forbidden in Islam,” Zabiullah Mujahid told the New York Times, “but we’re hoping that we can persuade people not to do such things, instead of pressuring them.”

Read more on that here.

The "overwhelming majority" of eligible people have now been evacuated from Afghanistan, the Prime Minister has said.

Speaking to broadcasters on a visit to the Permanent Joint Headquarters in north London, where he met military personnel co-ordinating the evacuation effort, Boris Johnson said around 15,000 people had already been evacuated by British troops.

"In the time we have left, which may be - as I'm sure everybody can appreciate - quite short, we'll do everything we can to get everybody else," he said.

The chaos in Kabul risks plunging British veterans into mental health crises, ministers have warned as they joined forces with military charities to boost trauma support.

Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, Sajid Javid, the Health Secretary, and Leo Docherty, the veterans minister, hosted a meeting on Wednesday with mental health experts and third sector leaders.

They acknowledged the potential for the crisis to harm the mental health of former British personnel who served in Afghanistan during the UK’s 20-year operations.

Read this article to find out what is being put in place to grapple with the situation.

The United Arab Emirates has helped evacuate 28,000 people from Afghanistan since the Taliban takeover of Kabul, a senior Emirati official said Thursday.

The UAE and Qatar have been instrumental staging posts for evacuation flights for Western countries' citizens as well as Afghan interpreters, journalists and others.

Of the headline 28,000 to have passed through the Emirates, some 12,000 were evacuated by Britain, and 9,000 by the US.

Speaking to journalists in Abu Dhabi, the official - who declined to be named - said his country is currently hosting 8,500 evacuees on a temporary basis with most expected to head to the United States in the coming days. Others had been hospitalised and were receiving medical care.

Abu Dhabi is not coordinating any evacuations with the Taliban, the official said, but convoys to the airport were guaranteed through the US - although security conditions on the ground were a concern.

Russia has yet to determine its position towards the Taliban, and will see how they act toward the Afghan population and Russian diplomats, President Vladimir Putin's spokesperson has said.

The Kremlin has not yet recognised the Taliban as legitimate, and will "carefully study" the group's next steps, Dmitry Peskov told a briefing. 

Moscow's priority was "peace and stability in Afghanistan", and will likely continue contacts with Washington on issues arising there, he added.

The Taliban has mocked the US by recreating the famous picture of American soldiers raising the Stars and Stripes after invading the Japanese island of Iwo Jima in 1945 during the Second World War.

The Taliban figures in uniforms are seen raising their black-and-white flag. 

The Islamist group has been showing off its own "special forces" on social media, soldiers in new uniforms equipped with looted American equipment who contrast sharply with the image of the usual Afghan insurgent.

The soldiers are shown in uniforms, boots, balaclavas and body armour similar to those worn by special forces around the world - and unlike the salwar kameez, turban and sandals of the traditional Taliban fighter.

Poland has completed its Afghanistan evacuation mission after transporting more than 1,300 people from Kabul, officials said on Thursday.

The evacuees were mainly Afghan staff of the Polish military contingent, but also included employees of the European Union and International Monetary Fund.

"More than 1,300 people have been transported to Poland," Deputy Foreign Minister Marcin Przydacz told reporters in Warsaw, adding that evacuations were being stopped "for security reasons".

Mr Przydacz said Taliban authorities were only allowing foreign citizens to depart as of Wednesday. 

More than 1,000 evacuees are currently in Poland and under quarantine.

The baby girl who was born on a US flight out of Qatar has been named Reach, in honour of the aircraft's call sign, a military commander has revealed. 

Gen. Tod D. Wolters, commander of the US European Command and NATO's Supreme Allied Commander Europe, said it was his "dream to watch that young child called Reach grow up and be a US citizen and fly United States air force fighters in our air force". 

The threat of an imminent terrorist attack has put the "evacuation on hold", but is likely to restart, a former UN assistant secretary general has said. 

Toby Lanzer told Sky News "one has to heed intelligence" when it credibly suggests that such an attack could be made. 

"That puts the evacuation on hold - let's hope it's only on hold," he added. "I could not envisage a scenario where the US or UK abandon own citizens if there are Americans or Brits left."

Mr Lanzer added: "One shouldn't be surprised - the threat of Isis in Afghanistan has been a persistent issue for the last four or five years... it is a harbinger of what we might be seeing in the weeks to come - a slow, steady re-engagement by the West with Taliban to ensure any terrorist threats in Afghanistan stays there."

He added that the Taliban's 'red line' of Aug 31 could "slip" if needed. 

While thousands of people seek safe passage out of Afghanistan, the story of one marine and his rescue animals has struck a chord with many here in the UK. 

Pen Farthing has refused to leave Kabul without his staff and the animals they care for joining him. As a result, he crowdfunded a charter flight, but has been - thus far - unable to reach the plane. 

Ministers have insisted they will not "put pets before people", with Ben Wallace even complaining that much-needed resources had been "diverted" to help Mr Farthing. But Boris Johnson is said to have intervened to ensure the former marine - and his animals - make it out safely. 

Is it right that they are prioritised, or has it put other people in greater risk of not being evacuated before the deadline? Have your say in the poll below.

Knee-deep in an open sewage drain outside Kabul airport, the former British Army interpreter’s hopes of rescue were quickly vanishing.

Like hundreds of would-be refugees he, his wife and six children, were stuck queuing in a putrid ditch some 500 metres away from an airport entrance.

Having worked with the British in Helmand in 2006 and 2007, the man never imagined he would be treated this way – left, literally in the gutter, to face the retribution of the Taliban.

“I love the UK, I love the UK people,” he told The Telegraph in despair. “If they hear my sound, please take me, please evacuate me. I was your interpreter, I helped you, I served for you, but you don’t care for me.

“I have just one message, please evacuate me, please take me, please pick me up from this place.”

Read more from our team on the ground in Kabul here.

A British Army surgeon has described the moment he cared for children separated from their parents, including the young baby filmed being passed over barbed wire fence to soldiers at Kabul airport.

Lieutenant Colonel Benjamin Caesar, a Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgeon from 16 Medical Regiment, Royal Army Medical Corps who is working in the Role 2 hospital, said he used new parenting skills to comfort baby.

The baby was reunited with its mother before being evacuated out of Afghanistan.

With so many thousands still desperately hoping to leave Kabul, sometimes the personal stories can get lost. 

My colleague Eleanor Steafel has been speaking to some of those who have been doing all they can to get loved ones and others out. 

People like Hamid Ullah Narooz, who is increasingly desperate:

For days now, he hasn’t slept; he can’t stop thinking about his brother-in-law, Basir, who is trapped in Kabul. A social activist who has worked with the British mission in Afghanistan and spoken out against the Taliban, Basir now has a price on his head.

“The Taliban already came to the house. They want to make sure if the person they are looking for is at home,” says Narooz.

Read more here.

With French and Dutch allies confirming the deadline of their evacuation operations, and the UK expected to bring theirs to an end within the next day or so, the situation on the ground in Afghanistan is getting ever more desperate. 

The final stages of the evacuation effort in Afghanistan are under further strain after a warning that a "highly lethal" terror attack could be launched within hours.

With the main route to flee under threat, Ben Wallace, the Defence Secretary, has reportedly told MPs that crossing the Afghanistan land border would be a "better option" than using Kabul airport.

The Dutch government has said it will stop evacuation flights from Kabul on Thursday after being told by US forces to leave the Afghan capital's airport ahead of the withdrawal of American troops.

"The Netherlands has been informed today by the United States that it has to leave and will in all probability run the last flights later today," Foreign Minister Sigrid Kaag and Defence Minister Ank Bijleveld said in a letter. 

"This is a painful moment because it means that despite all the great efforts of the recent period, people who are eligible for evacuation to the Netherlands will be left behind.

"Everything possible is being done to help the several hundred people who are now within the gates of the airport take the flights that are scheduled today."

France's government has confirmed that its operation will end from Friday evening (see 8:43am). 

Speculation is growing that the UK's operation could end within the next 24-36 hours, but James Heappey, the armed forces minister, repeatedly refused to put a timeframe on it. 

See 8:49 for more.

A former head of British forces in Afghanistan, said the threat of a terrorist attack at Kabul airport "has existed right the way from when this evacuation began".

"That threat of terrorist attack, whether it's from Taliban, the Islamic State, or al Qaida, it could equally be all three of those groups," Colonel Richard Kemp told BBC Breakfast.

"The fact that people are talking about Islamic State doesn't make that the most likely threat.

"I think that threat has existed right the way from when this evacuation began, and I have no doubt that our forces are fully aware of the threat and already, for days now, have been taking measures to try and mitigate it, to prevent something like that happening.

"But, clearly, there could be a terrorist attack of some sort against the forces in the airport, maybe forces outside the airport, and of course the people trying to get in."

A Labour MP has attacked the Government for failing to plan an organised withdrawal, while praising the work of soldiers and diplomats on the ground.

"It is utterly heartbreaking, and although those brave diplomats and civil servants and soldiers are doing so much, they have been badly let down by their political masters," Stephen Kinnock told Sky News.

"We pay them a debt of thanks," he added. 

But the British government "had 18 months to plan for this and have completely failed to make the necessary preparations to have an orderly withdrawal". As a result "up to 2,000 interpreters and others who helped our armed forces could be left behind". 

That figure has been challenged by a minister - see 8:20am for more.

Labour has come out in support of the Government over the row surrounding former marine Pen Farthing, who has been seeking support for he, his staff and rescue pets to access a charter flight out of Kabul. 

Stephen Kinnock, the shadow defence minister, told Sky: "MPs had a call with the Defence Secretary [Ben Wallace] yesterday and he said we should not be putting pets before people and I agree with every word of that statement.

"Mr Farthing had the opportunity to leave last week. This convoy with pets and dogs and whatever - if it is blocking the runway in a way that is not allowing human beings to  escape, that is problematic."

He added: "Mr Farthing is doing what he is doing because he feels passionately about it, I understand that, but I cannot be in a situation where we are putting pets before people."

The Government is "not being overly cautious" about the prospects of a terrorist attack on Kabul airport, a minister has said. 

"The threat, while I can't give you the details, is very credible, very imminent, very lethal," James Heappey told Sky News. 

The armed forces minister added: "Islamic State is acutely aware that there is a closing window for people to leave, that is concentrating people towards the airport and that is giving them an opportunity to do something that would regard as spectacular.

"We would regard this as absolutely abhorrent."

British military efforts to evacuate people from Afghanistan have been “diverted” because of the attempts to rescue animals being cared for by a former Royal Marine, the Defence Secretary has claimed.

Ben Wallace is said to have made his frustrations clear during a call with MPs on Wednesday afternoon, during which he claimed the controversy had led to soldiers in Kabul being diverted to dealing with the charity.

Pen Farthing has most recently tweeted Taliban spokesman  Suhail Shaheen asking for safe passage saying he has been stuck in the airport circle for 10 hours and "truly would like to go home now".

Read more about the row here.

While France has put a deadline on their evacuation operation, the UK Government has consistently refused to do so. 

James Heappey, the armed forces minister, was asked repeatedly during his media round this morning for a sense of the timeline but refused on every occasion. 

He told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that  1,988 people had left Kabul over eight RAF flights in the past 24 hours, taking the total to 12,279. A further 11 flights are planned for today. 

"If you are stood in the queue… none of that really sounds at all relevant, because all you know and care about is that your family are still waiting outside Kabul airport to be evacuated," he added. 

Asked for flights planned after today, he said: "What I am not able to do today or subsequent days is… to discuss in any detail the timeline before key events happen.

"Aug 31 has been well advertised, that is the time by which the US will be completely out. Given the role they are playing, they will be the last out. In all probability, the UK and other nations will need to be out ahead of US flights."

France's prime minister has put a deadline of Friday on its operation to airlift people from Kabul airport. 

Jean Casex  told French radio RTL "from tomorrow evening onwards, we are not able to evacuate people from the Kabul airport" due to the Aug 31 American withdrawal.

More than 2,000 Afghans and a hundred French people have been evacuated by France since the beginning of the operation last week.

The withdrawal from Afghanistan is "clearly a defeat" and "damaging" for the US and allied countries in the West, a former national security adviser has said. 

Sir Mark Lyall-Grant told LBC: "It's clearly a defeat, yes. We haven't left as we would have liked to have done. We are in the hands of the Americans, they have taken the decisions.

"The British Government would have been prepared to stay in Afghanistan longer, with the sort of limited commitment that we had made over the last three or four years.

"But once the Americans decided that they were going to leave, then obviously all the other Nato forces had to leave.

"And I think the manner in which we have left has been damaging for the United States, and damaging for the western countries more generally."

If Isis-K is a new name to you, our Middle East correspondent James Rothwell has covered all the bases in this article. 

He looks at how Isis-K came to exist, why it poses such a threat to US forces in Afghanistan - and why the insurgents are no friends of the Taliban. 

It's well worth a read.

The possible terror attack in Kabul could happen as early as this morning, the armed forces minister has said. 

James Heappey told LBC: "I was given lines today for what might happen if the attack happened while I was doing this media round."

He added: "I don't think everybody should be surprised by this, Daesh, or Islamic State, are guilty of all sorts of evil.

"But the opportunism of wanting to target a major international humanitarian mission is just utterly deplorable but sadly true to form for an organisation as barbarous as Daesh."

James Heappey, the armed forces minister, told the BBC it was hard to put a precise figure on the number of British nationals who remain in Afghanistan.

He said: “It is very hard to nail down - there have been colleagues in the Foreign Office who have been trying to get hold of people for weeks and then turns out they are in Dubai.”

But the best estimate was that there were “around 400” British nationals remaining in the country. 

On top of that, the number under the Afghan relocation and assistance policy (Arap) scheme outstanding is now "potentially half" the reported estimate of nearly 2,000.

The threat posed to those queuing outside Kabul by Isis-K is “lethal”, the armed forces minister has said. 

James Heappey told BBC Breakfast: "I can't stress the desperation of the situation enough, the threat is credible, it is imminent, it is lethal.

"And we wouldn't be saying this if we weren't genuinely concerned about offering Islamic State a target."

He refused to say what the advice has been to those who remain, beyond telling them to find a safe place. 

“Clearly we are working hard to find routes to safety for [British nationals], and for those who remain under the Arap scheme.. But given the threat, the last thing we would do is advertise what advice we have given to those who have been told to go to a place of safety.”

James Heappey, the armed forces minister, has given a sobering assessment of the situation that British forces are now in. 

He told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: "We are doing our best to provide security to those in the queue, but our mission by definition has no depth to it, holding very defined pieces of ground in the airport and hotel, and relying on the Taliban for all of the security beyond."

While he was confident those engaged in the airlift operation would remain safe, the same could not be said for those queueing to enter the airport. 

“Clearly we have a responsibility to those in the queue outside, that is why the advice has changed,” he added. 

The airlift out of Kabul appears to be reaching its end stages, with reports suggesting the evacuation of civilians could end as early as today. 

That is increasing the desperation of the thousands of people who remain crowded around Kabul airport in defiance of official advice, telling them to move to a safe place because of a "credible" threat of a terrorist attack.

Here is today's front page.