As Taliban tighten their grip, Kabul airport only way out

By TAMEEM AKHGAR and JON GAMBRELL
Associated Press

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — A Taliban offensive is encircling the Afghan capital and there’s increasingly only one way out for those fleeing the war, and only one way in for U.S. troops sent to protect American diplomats still on the ground: Kabul’s international airport. Some of the 3,000 American Marine and Army troops have arrived for their mission to evacuate some staff from the U.S. Embassy in Kabul. The Biden administration has not ruled out a full embassy evacuation. As of Thursday, there were roughly 4,200 staffers at the embassy, but most of those are Afghan nationals. But as the Taliban draw closer, the fear and panic only grow.