Afghanistan - 30th August 2021

Summary for Monday, 30th August

• The US military says it carried out a drone strike to stop a suicide bomber targeting Kabul airport on Sunday
  
• 10 Afghan civilians were killed in the strike, including six children, their relatives say
  
• US Central Command say they are investigating reports of the incident
  
• Several rockets have been fired at Kabul airport on Monday, but were stopped before reaching their target
  
• Islamic State says it was behind the rocket attack
  
• The evacuation from Kabul airport has entered its final stage, ahead of the deadline on Tuesday 31 August
  

We're resuming our live coverage

Welcome to our continuing live coverage of the situation in Afghanistan. Here is the latest:

• The US says its anti-missile system in Kabul has intercepted up to five rockets, which were fired towards the capital’s airport - it is not clear who launched the missiles
  

• The US has carried out two separate drone strikes on Islamic State targets since Thursday, when as many as 170 people died in a suicide attack outside the airport - including 13 American troops
  

• Washington says it has facilitated the evacuation of more than 110,000 people from the airport since 14 August - a day before the Taliban took control of the city
  

• America is sticking to the 31 August evacuation deadline agreed with the militant group
  

• All other nations have already concluded their airlift operations
  

• The final flights returning British troops arrived in the UK on Sunday
  

• The BBC's Lyse Doucet in Kabul says she and her colleagues are still receiving urgent SOS messages from Afghans who feel threatened by the Taliban. They include musicians, university students and female politicians
  

Stay with us, as we’ll be bringing you all the latest developments, eyewitness accounts, pictures and videos, as well as our correspondents’ analysis, throughout the day.

Afghanistan: 'Thousands more left behind...and feel terrified'

As evacuations from Kabul draw to a close, the BBC's Lyse Doucet - who is in the city - says many people are still desperately trying to leave.
The final UK troops, diplomats and officials have now arrived home.
The US will complete its withdrawal on 31 August - the deadline agreed with the Taliban.

8:11

UK government 'sceptical' of Taliban promises

The UK government has said it is sceptical of the Taliban's promise to allow eligible Afghans to leave the country, but is "willing to engage" with the militants.
"If they aspire to be treated like a government, we will consider how we engage with them based on their actions," Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told the BBC.
He added that the government was committed to helping those who were unable to leave on UK flights from Kabul, despite the end of evacuations from the airport.
On the number of people left behind, Cleverly said it "impossible" to give a precise figure, after the UK opposition said it could be as high as 5,000.

US investigates reports of civilian deaths in air strike

The US has said it is investigating reports that civilians were killed in a drone strike in Kabul on Sunday.
US officials say the strike targeted a vehicle carrying at least one person associated with an Afghan branch of the Islamic State (IS) group and had prevented another deadly suicide attack at the airport.

• Rockets fired at Kabul airport
  

But social media users suggested that a number of civilians, including children, had been killed.
"We are aware of reports of civilian casualties following our strike on a vehicle in Kabul today," US Central Command spokesman Capt Bill Urban said.
"We know that there were substantial and powerful subsequent explosions resulting from the destruction of the vehicle, indicating a large amount of explosive material inside that may have caused additional casualties.
"It is unclear what may have happened, and we are investigating further. We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life."
US President Joe Biden previously warned that further attacks on Kabul airport were likely, after a suicide bombing on Thursday killed around 170 people.

Bodies of US troops killed in Kabul returned to America

A "dignified transfer" ceremony has taken place at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware, as the 13 US soldiers killed in the Kabul airport attack were returned in flag-draped coffins.
President Joe Biden attended as the fourth commander-in-chief to witness the military ritual, designated for those killed in foreign combat.

9:07

Kabul rocket fire: What we know

The rocket attack was launched from the back of a vehicle, Afghan media are reporting

The US says its anti-missile system in Kabul has intercepted rockets fired towards the airport - a day before the US plans to complete its evacuation operation.
More details have now emerged about Monday's incident - here's what we know so far:

• The US says it intercepted as many as five rockets fired early in the morning
  
• Initial reports did not indicate any US casualties, a US official told Reuters news agency
  
• Some local residents say shrapnel fell on their homes
  
• The rocket attack was mounted from the back of a vehicle, according to reports in Afghan media
  
• No group has so far claimed responsibility for the attack
  
• President Joe Biden has been briefed, a White House statement says, adding that American operations at Kabul airport are continuing "uninterrupted"
  

Black Hawks and Humvees - Taliban's military gains

A video recently posted on social media showed Taliban fighters looking on as an iconic piece of US materiel (military hardware)- a Black Hawk helicopter - was piloted across Kandahar airport.
The four-blade multi-purpose aircraft was just taxiing on the tarmac, but the exercise sent a message to the world: the Taliban were no longer a group of ragtag soldiers wielding Kalashnikov assault rifles on battered pickup trucks.
Elsewhere, since the fall of Kabul on 15 August to the hardline Islamist group, the Taliban's fighters have been pictured showing off a host of US-made weaponry and vehicles.

• How do the Taliban make money?
  

Some of them were seen in complete combat gear in social media posts and couldn't be distinguished from other special forces from across the world. There was no characteristic long beard, or traditional salwar kameez outfit, and certainly no rusted weapons. They looked the part.
They seized these weapons after troops from the Afghan National Defence and Security Forces (Ands) surrendered one city after the other.
Read more here.

Last UK troops arrive home from Afghanistan on Sunday

The final flights bringing British troops home from Afghanistan have arrived - ending the UK's 20-year military engagement in the now Taliban-controlled country.
The last British flight left the capital Kabul on Saturday, and the ambassador to Afghanistan, Sir Laurie Bristow, arrived at RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on Sunday morning.
He has been praised for staying behind to help personally process visas at the airport.
More than 1,000 British troops were in the capital at the height of the evacuation operation that saw more than 15,000 people airlifted by the UK since 14 August.
One Afghan refugee, Soman Noori, 26, gave birth to a baby girl at 30,000 feet while on an evacuation flight destined for Birmingham.
With no doctor on board, the cabin crew safely delivered the baby girl, named Havva, or Eve in English.
It is feared that about 800 to 1,100 eligible Afghans, including those who worked for the UK government, and 100 to 150 British nationals have been unable to make evacuation flights, Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said on Friday.
However this morning Foreign Office minister James Cleverly told the BBC it is "impossible" to know the precise figure.

What support is available for Afghan refugees in the UK?

We've seen many pictures in recent days of refugees arriving in the UK on evacuation flights from Afghanistan.
Arrivals on official flights enter a 10-day Covid quarantine in a hotel as government officials and local councils try to find them permanent homes.
But what support is available for refugees once they're here?
The Afghanistan and Central Asian Association in Feltham, in west London, is a couple of miles away from Heathrow airport where more than 1,000 Afghan refugees have been staying in hotels.
The organisation appealed for donations to help these families and has been inundated with items like toiletries, books, stationery, toys, clothes and food, in just a few days, its founder, Nooralhaq Hasimi, tells the BBC.
One volunteer, Tana, adds that while refugees have their "basic needs" looked after at the hotel, they are worried about what happens when they leave.
"They have no idea where they're going, which area, who they are going to meet."

Ex-Army major, Alice Bromage, who served two tours of Afghanistan and has been co-ordinating assistance for people there, says she initially received appeals from those she worked with, but has since had "desperate" messages from all over the world as people ask for help for their friends and family in Afghanistan.
"I feel incredibly privileged that someone trusts me enough to be able to say 'I've got the Taliban coming to my house, please can you help'.
"They are putting themselves at risk by contacting us, so the least I can do is do what I can at this end.
"Is it ideal? No of course it's not, but it's the realities of warfare, that people get lost in a melee of large organisations and the government is doing everything that it can, but that personal touch is someone reaching out to someone that they trust or they know and so I'm just glad they have."
You can read more about what Alice and her fellow veterans have been doing to help, here.

How media is changing under the Taliban

After taking control of Afghanistan two weeks ago, the Taliban pledged that there would be no threats against journalists.
In some media outlets, women have continued reporting from the capital Kabul.
But many observers remain sceptical of the Taliban's reassurances - and the changes for some broadcasters have been stark.
One TV host welcomed viewers and addressed the fall of the former Afghan President Ashraf Ghani - all under the watchful gaze of armed Taliban members standing behind him.

Elsewhere in the country, Afghanistan's Pajhwok news agency reported that the Taliban have banned women's voices and music from being broadcast on television or radio.
According to Reporters Without Borders, around 100 media outlets have stopped operating since the beginning of the Taliban advance.

Taliban leader in Kandahar and may appear in public soon

The Taliban's supreme commander Hibatullah Akhundzada is in the Afghan province of Kandahar.
The group's spokesman, Zabihullah Mujahid, was quoted by various outlets as saying that Akhundzada would make a public appearance soon.
Akhundzada, who is believed to be in his 60s, has led the Taliban since May 2016 and is in charge of political, military and religious affairs. There have been various reports in the past that he was dead.
In the 1980s, he participated in the Islamist resistance against the Soviet military campaign in Afghanistan, but his reputation is more that of a religious leader than a military commander.
Akhundzada worked as head of the Sharia Courts during the group's rule of the 1990s and has lived most of his life in Afghanistan.
However, according to experts, he maintains close ties with the so-called "Quetta Shura" - the Afghan Taliban leaders said to be based in the Pakistani city of Quetta.
Read more about the Taliban's leadership here.

Germany works to help thousands of Afghans leave

Germany is working to get thousands of civilians – mainly Afghans – out of the country, Germany’s foreign minister says.
Heiko Maas is on a visit to neighbouring countries, including Uzbekistan on Sunday, to ease their passage to Germany if they can get over the Afghanistan border.
In comments in Uzbekistan, he described it as a very difficult task which would involve guarantees from the Taliban.
After the Kabul bomb attack last week, Maas also voiced the need to avoid people gathering in numbers in Kabul. But he said only those with permission to come to Germany would be helped.
Some 10,000 people are on the list of those Germany is hoping to receive, ARD TV reports.
These include locals who were employed by the German military or government, but also especially vulnerable civilians such as rights activists. It’s estimated, that with family members, the true number involved could be 40,000.
Germany’s evacuation flights from Kabul ended on Thursday. It brought out more than 5,300 people, most of them Afghans.

Photos show devastation at US drone strike site

As we reported earlier, the US military is investigating after at least nine Afghan civilians were reportedly killed in Sunday's US drone strike which aimed to prevent an attack on Kabul airport.
The military says the strike targeted a vehicle carrying at least one person associated with the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group.
BBC's Secunder Kermani, who is at the site in Kabul, says family members told him that 10 of their relatives were killed, including six children, when a missile struck a car that was being parked at the family home.
"They say they have no connection to IS, and the intelligence was wrong.
"In fact they say, a number of those killed had previously worked with international forces and companies," Kermani says.


Pictures taken by the BBC's Malik Mudassir show the scale of devastation where the drone struck.
Our correspondent says some of those killed were on their way to the airport and had their visas and documents with them.

The scene at Kabul airport

Smoke has been seen rising from Kabul airport as the US evacuations from Afghanistan enter their final stage.
The source of the smoke is unknown, Reuters news agency is reporting, but earlier on Monday the US said it had intercepted five rockets that had been launched towards the airport.
More than 100,000 foreign nationals and Afghans have left via the airport since evacuation efforts began on 14 August - a day before the capital was taken over by Taliban forces.
However, flights have slowed following a deadly attack at the airport last week, and a number of countries - including the UK - have already withdrawn from the airport.
The US is set to leave by Tuesday, under a deadline agreed with Taliban forces.

12:09

If you're just joining us...

It's been a busy few hours of updates as US evacuation efforts at Kabul airport wind down ahead of the troops' withdrawal on Tuesday.
Here's a roundup of the key headlines:

• The US says its anti-missile system has intercepted up to five rockets which were fired towards Kabul airport on Monday. The White House has stressed the attack would not interrupt the evacuation operation
  
• The US military is investigating after at least nine Afghan civilians were reportedly killed in a US drone strike on Sunday which aimed to prevent an attack on the airport
  
• The military said the strike targeted a vehicle carrying at least one person associated with the Afghan branch of the Islamic State group
  
• But family at the scene have told the BBC that 10 of their relatives, including six children were killed
  
• Smoke has been seen rising from Kabul airport, but the source is unknown, according to the Reuters news agency
  
• The UN's High Commissioner for Refugees has said the ending of evacuations marks the beginning of a much larger migration crisis
  
• The UK government has said it is sceptical of the Taliban's promise to allow eligible Afghans to leave the country, but is "willing to engage" with the militants
  

US drone strike was illegal - Taliban

The Taliban have accused the US forces in Kabul of acting illegally on foreign soil after they carried out a drone strike on Sunday, to prevent further attacks on the airport.
In an interview with Chinese television, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said the US should have reported any threat to the group instead.
The victims' relatives have told the BBC that 10 civilians were killed, including six children.
The US military is currently investigating the drone hit.

UN warns of even bigger humanitarian crisis

More than half a million Afghans have left their homes so far this year

The UN has warned that "a far greater humanitarian crisis is just beginning" as international airlifts out of Kabul come to an end.
"The scenes at Kabul airport these past few days have sparked an outpouring of compassion around the world at the fear and desperation of thousands of Afghans," said the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Filippo Grandi.
"But when these images have faded from our screens, there will still be millions who need the international community to act."
Around 3.5 million of the estimated 39 million people living in Afghanistan have been displaced - more than half a million of them in 2021 alone - Grandi said, urging the global community to continue to support humanitarian programmes.
He called on neighbouring countries to keep their borders open to those fleeing the violence, but added that other countries "must share this humanitarian responsibility" - especially given the large numbers already hosted in Iran and Pakistan.

Taliban arrest top Afghan cleric

The Taliban have arrested an influential Afghan cleric who acted an advisor to the ousted president, Ashraf Ghani.
Maulvi Mohammad Sardar Zadran was the former head of Afghanistan's national council of religious scholars, the country's largest religious organisation. His son said he'd been seized by the Taliban in Khost province. A photo has been released appearing to show Mr Sardar Zadran blindfolded and seated.
The cleric has a large following and is reported to have called for a revolt against the Taliban.

1,200 people evacuated on Sunday - White House

The US flew a further 1,200 people out of Kabul airport on Sunday, the White House announced on Monday, as the evacuation operation enters its final day.
That is less than half the number of people evacuated during the previous 24 hours and shows the slow-down in flights as the US prepares for its final withdrawal from Afghanistan on Tuesday.
So far, nearly 120,000 people have been evacuated from Afghanistan since 14 August, the day before the Taliban seized the capital Kabul.
Most other countries, including the UK, have already withdrawn all their troops and halted evacuations from the airport.

Islamic State says it fired rockets at Kabul airport

The Afghan branch of Islamic State (IS) says it was behind an attempted rocket attack on Kabul’s airport on Monday.
The Islamic State Khorasan Province – known as IS-K – said on its social media channels that the attack was “successful”, but officials said the five rockets were intercepted.
The US had previously warned IS-K could attempt rocket attacks on the airport ahead of a planned withdrawal on 31 August.
IS-K also claimed responsibility for a Thursday suicide bombing at the airport which killed more than 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the US military.

EU needs rapid-reaction force, top diplomat says

The fraught situation in Afghanistan has underlined the need for a European rapid-reaction force to “act quickly in an emergency”, the EU’s top diplomat has said.
Unlike the US, the EU was not able to send soldiers to secure Kabul airport at short notice, Josep Borrell said.
He said EU governments should “draw lessons from this experience” to ensure they are collectively better prepared for crises in the future.
“The EU must be able to intervene to protect our interests when the Americans don’t want to be involved,” he told Italian newspaper Corriere della Sera.

Why US withdrawal makes allies nervous

John Simpson - World Affairs Editor

A Taliban Fateh fighter - a "special forces" unit - stands guard in Kabul on Sunday

Across the globe, countries which have traditionally relied on American backing are suddenly starting to wonder if they should get themselves some re-insurance.
Taiwan, which is almost daily subject to threats of invasion from China, is particularly worried.
South Korea, Japan, Western Europe, and Britain are all wondering if the American commitment to them could evaporate as fast as the commitment to Afghanistan has.
Only four months ago, President Joe Biden sounded confident and reassuring: "We will not conduct a hasty rush to the exit. We'll do it responsibly, deliberately and safely. And we will do it in full co-ordination with our allies and partners."
That isn't what happened. And a country which depended on American and Western support for an entire generation has suddenly found itself abandoned.
You can read John's full analysis here.

Afghan journalists call for protection

Journalists in Afghanistan have called for international protection under Taliban rule.
In an open letter quoted by Afghanistan's Tolo News, journalists and photographers said their lives were in serious danger.
"Given the current problems and the growing threat to the lives, property and families of media workers, we call on the United Nations and supporting countries to work together to save our lives and the lives of our families," the statement said.
One journalist tweeted a photo of an Afghan news anchor working under the watch of a group of armed Taliban fighters, with the caption: "Do you think that in such circumstances it is possible to continue working as a journalist? This situation is not acceptable."

'A deal for surrender won't happen', says former Afghan PM

Afghanistan's former prime minister Amrullah Saleh has written to German newspaper Der Spiegel, saying he does not recognise Taliban rule and has no plans to surrender.
Mr Saleh fled Kabul this month and is helping to lead anti-Taliban resistance in Afghanistan's Panjshir Valley. After President Ashraf Ghani fled to the UAE earlier this month, Mr Saleh declared himself the country's new leader.
"Geographically we are isolated, but politically and morally Afghanistan is with us," he wrote.
The Taliban, he said, "never believed in political settlement."
"They exploited the naïveté, fatigue and short-sightedness of the White House, both under Trump and Biden."
He suggested that there is still a solution to the Taliban takeover: "Threaten Pakistan with specific sanctions, demand political settlement and gave recognition and political support to the National Resistance in the Panjshir."

'They are so burned out we cannot identify their bodies'

The BBC has learned that a US drone strike yesterday in Kabul, targeting an alleged suicide bomber, killed 10 members of one family, including six children.
Ramin Yousufi, a relative of the victims, told the BBC that the children who were killed were between the ages of four and 12.
He said the family was known for their charitable work for the last two decades, and that they weren't associated with Islamic State.
"It's wrong, it is a brutal attack... and it's happened on wrong information," said Mr Yousufi.
"Why have they killed our family? Our children? They are so burned out we cannot identify their bodies, their faces," he added, tearfully.

World Health Organization plane lands in Kabul

A plane carrying medicines and other supplies from the World Health Organization has landed in Kabul for the first time since the city fell to the Taliban.
Ahmed Al Mandhari, WHO regional director for the Mediterranean, said that the organization has “been able to partially replenish stocks” at Afghan health facilities and ensure that WHO-supported health services can continue.
The WHO said that the 12.5 tonnes of supplies that arrived on Monday can cover the basic health needs of over 200,000 people, as well as 3,500 surgical procedures and 6,500 trauma patients.
On Friday, the WHO said that medical supplies were likely to run out in days. It hopes to establish an air bridge to northern Afghanistan with the help of Pakistan’s government.
The United Nations has warned of a looming “humanitarian catastrophe” in Afghanistan, with about one-third of Afghanistan’s population already at risk of severe or acute hunger.

About 122,000 people evacuated so far - Pentagon

Around 122,000 people have been evacuated since flights out of Afghanistan began on 14 August, Major General William D Taylor said.
Twenty-six military aircraft and two civilian flights departed on Sunday, he said, carrying around 1,200 people - including remaining coalition staff.

Pentagon won't say when exactly US will withdraw

The Pentagon briefing has now finished. Spokesman John Kirby fielded several questions on the timings for ending evacuations, but often refused to comment.
He would not say when exactly on 31 August airlifts would end - or if the US would co-ordinate with Taliban about future drone strikes against Islamic State.
"The president has made it very clear that we will maintain robust over-the-horizon counter-terrorism capabilities - the kind of capabilities you have seen us use over the last 24, 36 hours," said Kirby.
"I don't think it's helpful for us to talk about what over-the-horizon counter-terrorism capabilities will look like going forward, and how we're going to execute it," he added.
Kirby said the US was speaking with Taliban leaders to "deconflict" and prevent misunderstandings during current operations.

Afghan left behind: The Taliban are trying to find me

Rajini Vaidyanathan - BBC South Asia correspondent
An Afghan who was unable to make his flight to the UK because of the crowds at Kabul airport has pleaded with the British government to help his and other families leave Afghanistan before it’s too late.
The UK ended evacuations at the weekend, but many who were eligible to leave have been left behind. The man, who was promised safe passage to the UK with his young family, shared his story:
I’m currently in hell right now. I’m moving from safe house to safe house with my family, the Taliban are trying to find me.
Nowadays when there’s a knock on the door, it’s the first thing that enters my mind.
My heart stops beating because I think: 'Is this the Taliban, have they found me and my family?'
It’s not just me, it’s hundreds of people who’ve worked for the government, the media, NGOs, human rights defenders - everyone is currently hiding in different places waiting to see when their turn will come.
The situation is really bad for us.
My message to the UK government is this: We are fighting to stay alive - it’s not a matter of hours, not a matter of days - it’s a matter of seconds. Please help us find a way out.

US forces warned of 'mass casualty' event ahead of suicide bombing

US forces were warned to prepare for an imminent “mass casualty event” less than 24 hours before last week’s deadly suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport, according to media reports.
Citing classified notes of a Pentagon meeting, Politico has reported that General Mark Milley, the chair of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told commanders that there was “significant” intelligence of an attack by IslamicState Khorasan Province, also known as IS-K.
The report added that US officials had been planning to close Abbey Gate, where the attack took place.
US forces kept the gate open longer than anticipated to allow the UK to safely evacuate personnel from the nearby Baron Hotel, Politico said.
More than 170 Afghan civilians and 13 members of the US military were killed in the attack.
To date, a total of 122,000 people have been evacuated from Kabul, including 5,400 US citizens.
At a Monday briefing, the Pentagon said that 17 flights are expected to bring 3,700 people - mostly Afghans - to Washington DC and Philadelphia.
The Pentagon added that it remains confident that the withdrawal will be completed by the 31 August deadline.
Press secretary John Kirby added that the remaining hours of the evacuation are a "particularly dangerous time".

Pledge to defeat 'brutal' IS terrorist group - coalition

The Global Coalition of 83 countries dedicated to eliminating Islamic State have pledged to defeat the "brutal terrorist organization", including the Islamic State Khorasan (IS-K) affiliate that claimed responsibility for attacks at Afghanistan's Kabul airport.
In a statement released by the US State Department, the group said: "We will draw on all elements of national power — military, intelligence, diplomatic, economic, law enforcement — to ensure the defeat of this brutal terrorist organization", adding that it would also "identify and bring their members to justice".
IS-K said it was behind an attempted rocket attack on Kabul airport on Monday, which America's anti-missile system intercepted.
The US military has said it is investigating reports that its drone strike on Sunday - which it says targeted a vehicle carrying at least one person associated with IS-K - killed civilians.
The civilians who were killed were 10 members of one family including six children, surviving relatives have told the BBC.
IS-K also claimed responsibility after a suicide bomber killed more than 170 Afghan civilians and 13 US troops, outside the airport last Thursday.

UN committees urge Taliban to protect women and girls

A number of UN committees have called on the Taliban to protect the rights of Afghan women and girls.
The two bodies, which deal with the rights of women and children, said in a statement issued on Monday that they were "alarmed by the restrictive practices and ongoing reports of targeted attacks on women and girls including academics, health workers, human rights defenders, media workers, civil servants and many others".
Since taking power two weeks ago, the Taliban has pledged to form an inclusive government and respect women's rights to work and education.
The committees urged the group "to honour their own commitments and not to let history repeat itself", but voiced their concern at the Taliban's caveat that women's activity within society would have to adhere to its strict interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia.
During the Taliban's previous rule in the 1990s, girls were not allowed to go to school and women could only leave their homes if they wore the all-encompassing burka and were accompanied by a male chaperone.
Read more: Uncertain times ahead for Afghan women

Afghanistan's most uncertain chapter yet

Lyse Doucet - Chief International Correspondent
The last day of August will mark the end of what some describe as the end of US-led military engagement in Afghanistan, but the Taliban will proclaim it as the end of foreign occupation.
On 1 September, Afghans will wake up and wait to see what this new chapter brings.
With every chapter in this 40-year war, Afghans dared to hope that the next chapter would be better than the last. I can say that of all the chapters I've witnessed over the last three decades, this is the most uncertain chapter yet.
The Taliban are promising to rule for all Afghans. They're promising to give Afghans the best education system in the world, to meet all of their needs.
It's a huge challenge to move from an insurgency to governing again. The world will be watching - but watching most closely of all will be Afghans, wondering and hoping against hope that they will have a life they can call their own, in a country they still feel a sense of belonging to.
Afghans tend to say they hold on to hope because it's the last thing they lose.
For the thousands who left, some of the best and brightest of this generation, who were educated, trained and prepared during this window of space provided by 20 years of international engagement - they have now not just left their country, they have lost their country.
They have lost their dreams, their hopes, everything they built up in the past 20 years. And it will be so, so painful for such a long time to come.

'I've never seen Afghans so alone'

BBC Woman's Hour
The BBC's Sana Safi, who was born and raised in Afghanistan, describes what she's been hearing from contacts in the country:
It's true that the Taliban have been going door-to-door asking for people who worked with the previous regime, asking for individuals who are vocal against the Taliban or their attacks.
But it's also true that they've announced a general amnesty, and what seems to be happening on the ground is that there's a disconnect between what the leadership is saying and what fighters in different communities are deciding.
What I'm hearing from Kabul is that life is still very uncertain. It's desperate - people don't know what to do, so they're still staying at home.
Banks are still shut, the bazaars are still shut and there is no government - and I think most people are waiting for that.
So life is still very up in the air, and there is a sense of utter helplessness.
I've never seen Afghans so alone, so beaten in some ways, so helpless.
I was born in Kabul, then I was raised in Kandahar and Helmand. I was seven years old when the Taliban took over the first time - and despite everything, I've never felt that Afghans could be in such a situation.
You can listen to the whole interview on Woman's Hour here.

If you're just joining us, here is a roundup of some of the main stories out of Afghanistan:

• A US drone strike near Kabul airport ended up killing 10 members of one family, including six children, surviving relatives have told the BBC
  
• The Afghan branch of Islamic State says it was behind an attempted rocket attack on Kabul airport. The Islamic State Khorasan Province – known as IS-K – claimed on its social media channels that the attack was “successful”, but officials said no damage was done
  
• As the US evacuation effort enters its final day, the Pentagon press secretary John Kirby, has warned that US forces are at a “particularly dangerous” stage in their withdrawal
  
• The White House announced that the US flew another 1,200 people out of the country. Over 120,000 people have now been evacuated by coalition forces
  
• Amrullah Saleh, the self-proclaimed acting President of Afghanistan, has written to German newspaper Der Spiegel, saying he does not recognise Taliban rule and has no plans to surrender. Saleh is currently leading resistance forces in the Panjshir Valley in the north of the country
  
• The Taliban have arrested an influential Afghan cleric who acted an advisor to the ousted president, Ashraf Ghani. Maulvi Mohammad Sardar Zadran was the former head of Afghanistan's largest religious organisation and had reportedly called for a revolt against the Taliban.
  

White House believes 'small' number of US citizens still waiting for evacuation

The US government believes that only a “small” number of Americans who wish to leave Afghanistan remain in the country, according to the White House.
Press secretary Jen Psaki said that US officials are still working to determine the exact number.
She added that authorities are still calling and texting US citizens in Afghanistan to determine whether they wish to leave.
Earlier, National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan put the figure at “roughly” 300 US citizens waiting to leave.
Psaki added that some of the Americans who remain in Afghanistan are US-Afghan dual nationals, some of whom have yet to decide whether they want to leave.
Approximately 6,000 Americans have been evacuated from Afghanistan since 14 August.

Female journalist who interviewed Taliban flees Afghanistan

The female news anchor who made history earlier this month by interviewing a Taliban spokesperson on Afghan television has fled the country.
Beheshta Arghand's interview with a senior Taliban official was the first time a member of the group had been interviewed by a woman on national television.
Arghand told CNN, "I left the country because, like millions of people, I fear the Taliban".
Reflecting on the interview, Arghand said it was difficult but that she "did it for Afghan women".
"I told myself, 'One of us must start' ... If we stay in our houses or don't go to our offices, they will say the ladies don't want to work,' but I said to myself, 'Start working'. And I said to the Taliban member, 'We want our rights. We want to work. We want — we must —be in society. This is our right."

The group behind Kabul airport rocket attacks

A local branch of the Islamic State group has claimed responsibility for an attempted rocket attack on Kabul airport this morning.
IS-K - Islamic State Khorasan Province - is the regional affiliate of the Islamic State group, and was also behind last week's deadly bombing that killed around 170 people outside the airport.
It is the most extreme and violent of all the jihadist militant groups in Afghanistan.
IS-K was set up in January 2015 at the height of IS's power in Iraq and Syria, before its self-declared caliphate was defeated and dismantled by a US-led coalition.
It recruits both Afghan and Pakistani jihadists, especially defecting members of the Afghan Taliban who don't see their own organisation as extreme enough.
"Khorasan" refers to a historical region covering parts of modern-day Afghanistan and Pakistan. The group initially included Pakistan until a separate Pakistan section was declared in May 2019.
Read more about the group here.

UN Security Council adopts resolution on free travel

The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution calling on the Taliban to ensure safe passage for people trying to leave Afghanistan.
The resolution from Britain and France calls for the creation of a safe zone to allow some Afghans to get to Kabul’s airport following the planned 31 August departure of US troops.
It passed 13-2 in favour, with China and Russia abstaining,
Ahead of the meeting, French President Emmanuel Macron said that talks were being held with the Taliban regarding further evacuations.
The council’s resolution also demands that Afghan territory not be used to threaten any other country or harbour terrorist groups.

What awaits Afghan refugees arriving in the US?

Sam Farzaneh, Angélica Casas & Indrani Basu - BBC News
Tens of thousands of people have been airlifted from Afghanistan since evacuations began. Those who escaped before the US troops' 31 August withdrawal deadline are looking ahead to a new life in the US or one of two dozen countries that have opened their doors to Afghan refugees.
For refugees arriving at Dulles airport, just outside Washington DC, a fleet of buses waited to take them to the centre that would give them temporary shelter.
A translator volunteering at the centre described seeing among the arrivals a young girl who had come with only a sister and cousins, but no parents.
"Her mother had to choose between sending her daughter alone or keeping her in Afghanistan," BBC Persian was told.
Another woman had just given birth five days earlier, but had kept quiet about her condition, bearing the pain all the way from Kabul to Virginia.
You can read more here.

Taliban willing to accept asylum seekers rejected from Europe

The Taliban has said that it would accept any Afghan migrants rejected for asylum in Europe, and would try them in court on their return.
In an interview with Austrian newspaper Kronen Zeitung, a Taliban spokesperson did not elaborate on why the refugees would be taken to court, or what judgement they might face.
He also repeated the group's pledge to respect the rights of women within the framework of Sharia law.
"We will grant women Islamic rights, enable education and create conditions for work. We are in the process of putting that in place," they added.
Austria's government has taken a tougher stance than many other European countries on Afghan asylum seekers.
Interior Minister Karl Nehammer had initially said Austria should deport rejected asylum seekers for as long as possible. He has since conceded that this isn't possible, but said that neighbouring countries should set up "deportation centres" to take them in.

21:35

US troops leave Afghanistan

The Pentagon confirms that US forces have now all left Afghanistan.

Gunfire heard in Kabul

Gunfire has been heard ringing out across the Afghan capital, Kabul, apparently celebrating the end of the US military involvement in the country.

Almost 80,000 civilians evacuated

Gen Frank McKenzie says the US evacuated almost 80,000 civilians from Kabul in the past few weeks. This includes almost 6,000 US civilians.

No US citizens on final flights

There were no American citizens on those last five jets to leave Kabul, McKenzie says.
The last Americans that they evacuated were flown out about 12 hours earlier.

Taliban: 'We have made history'

"We have made history," a senior Taliban official has said in response to the final US troops leaving Afghanistan after a 20-year campaign.

'A monumental' accomplishment

This has been "the largest non-combatant evacuation mission in the US military's history", Gen McKenzie says.
US forces have evacuated more than 7,500 civilians a day, he adds - a number that does not include the roughly 5,000 service members and their equipment that were sent to Afghanistan for this mission.
It was a "monumental accomplishment", he says.

There are no evacuees left at the airport

Gen McKenzie confirms that "there were no evacuees left when the last US flight left".
He then adds that "every single US service member is now out of Afghanistan".

2,000 ISIS fighters in Afghanistan

Gen McKenzie says there are around 2,000 hard core ISIS fighters in Afghanistan.

Taliban 'will have their hands full'

Gen McKenzie says that he believes the Taliban will "reap what it has sowed" because it released ISIS fighters from prison.
"The Taliban will have their hands full with ISIS-K," he says.

The Afghan conflict - what happened when?

With the last US flight leaving Afghanistan, America's longest war has come to an end.
Here's a timeline of some of the biggest developments during the 20-year conflict.

• 7 October 2001: A US-led coalition bombs Taliban and al-Qaeda facilities in Afghanistan. Targets include Kabul, Kandahar and Jalalabad. The Taliban, who took power after a decade-long Soviet occupation was followed by civil war, refuse to hand over al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden
  
• 13 November 2001: The Northern Alliance, a group of anti-Taliban rebels backed by coalition forces, capture Kabul
  
• 7 February 2009: US President Barack Obama approves a major increase in the number of troops sent to Afghanistan. At their peak, they number about 140,000
  
• 28 December 2014: Nato ends its combat operations in Afghanistan. With the surge now over, the US withdraws thousands of troops. Most of those who remain focus on training and supporting the Afghan security forces
  
• 29 February 2020: The US and the Taliban sign an “agreement for bringing peace” to Afghanistan, in Doha, Qatar. The US and Nato allies agree to withdraw all troops within 14 months if the militants uphold the deal
  
• 13 April 2021: US president Joe Biden announces that all US troops will leave Afghanistan by 11 September that year
  
• 16 August 2021: In just over a month, the Taliban sweep across Afghanistan, taking control of towns and cities all over the country, including Kabul. Afghan security forces collapse in the face of the Taliban advance
  
• 31 August 2021: The US completes its withdrawal from Afghanistan
  

A summary of the Pentagon briefing: 'The end of a 20-year mission'

The Pentagon briefing is now over. Here's what we learned.

• Gen Kenneth McKenzie, Commander of US Central Command, confirmed that the US had completed its withdrawal from Afghanistan
  
• The last US flights left Hamid Karzai International Airport at 15:29 EDT - midnight, 31 August, in Kabul - the deadline agreed with the Taliban for the withdrawal
  
• The Pentagon is to release a photo of the last C-17 leaving Kabul, with Major Gen Chris Donahue and US Ambassador to Afghanistan, Ross Wilson, on board
  
• "Tonight's withdrawal signifies both the end of the military component of the evacuation, but also the end of the nearly 20-year mission that began in Afghanistan shortly after 11 September 2001," Gen McKenzie said
  
• A total of 2,461 US service members and civilians were killed in Afghanistan, and more than 20,000 injured, in the last two decades - including 13 US service members who were killed last week in the IS-K attack on Kabul airport
  
• Since 14 August, the day before the Taliban seized Kabul, the US has evacuated more than 79,000 civilians from the airport, including 6,000 Americans, and more than 73,503 third-country nationals and Afghan civilians. Afghans who worked with US forces and are eligible for Special Immigrant Visas are included in that number
  
• In total, US and coalition aircraft evacuated more than 123,000 civilians - an average of more than 7,500 civilians per day
  
• The evacuation mission was 18 days, including 16 full days of evacuations, and more than 19,000 evacuations on one single day
  

• When the mission began, Gen McKenzie said, they were working on the "assumption that the Afghan security forces would be a willing and able security partner in Kabul, defending the capital for a matter of weeks" - this, however, didn't happen as the Taliban took control of the city the following day
  
• In the 20 years of US presence in Afghanistan, more than 800,000 US service members and 25,000 civilians have served in the country
  

A new era begins for Afghanistan

Barbara Plett Usher - BBC News, Wilmington
After 20 years the war in Afghanistan is over.
America’s top military commander in the region, Gen Kenneth McKenzie, said the last C17 aircraft had left Kabul with the US ambassador on board.
So ended a massive operation to evacuate more than 120,000 people in just over two weeks: Americans, other foreigners, and many Afghans.
But it left in its wake the kind of tragedy that scarred the country throughout the war.
The Pentagon said it was investigating reports that a drone strike targeting a potential suicide bomber in the final hours of the operation had killed up to 10 civilians.
Gen McKenzie said even though the military mission was over, the diplomatic mission to assist those who weren’t able to leave before the deadline would continue
The UN Security Council has passed a resolution emphasising that it expects the Taliban to keep its promises to let people leave, including Afghans who supported the war effort.
It also laid out in broad terms expectations on counter-terrorism, human rights and humanitarian access, uniting on a set of ground rules for engaging with this new phase in Afghanistan.

Pakistan: Allegations of our link with Taliban 'audacious and unfounded'

Asad Majeed Khan, Pakistan's ambassador to the US, has been speaking with BBC News.
He's said his country will continue working to ensure "all parties" in Afghanistan "come to a common understanding" and form an "inclusive government".
Asked whether Pakistan would hold the Taliban accountable for any human rights abuses, Mr Khan said his country was "monitoring developments" and that "international media has a very important role to play in terms of... [separating] facts from fiction."
"There is a lot coming out that may not be true," he added. "We are hearing that the situation, if not entirely normal, is close to normal in all the major cities of Afghanistan."
Mr Khan said that claims of Pakistan's links to the Taliban were "completely audacious and unfounded"
"We will suffer if this conflict continues where things are more complicated today than they were before."

Long night of celebration for Taliban fighters

Lyse Doucet - Chief International Correspondent
As the final US plane departed and America's longest war finally came to an end after 20 long years, the Kabul night sky was light up by red tracer fire and machine gun bullets, as Taliban fighters celebrated their victory.
In what must have been an incredibly difficult moment, the departing US troops came face to face with the Taliban's elite guard, who were preparing to take control of airport, firmly marking the end of what once seemed like an endless war.
It will be a long night of celebration for those Taliban forces, who see the departure of US troops as the end of a hated occupation by a foreign power and the defeat of the mighty American empire.
President Joe Biden has kept his word to withdraw from Afghanistan by the 31 August. But it will have been at quite the cost.

US chief negotiator: 'We wish a prosperous future for Afghans'

Zalmay Khalilzad was Washington's point man in negotiations with the Taliban.
As the state department's special envoy to Afghanistan, he led talks under President Donald Trump and was retained by his successor President Joe Biden.
The 70-year-old also previously served as ambassador to Afghanistan under President George W Bush.
"This long war has shaped Americans & Afghans in many ways good & bad," he wrote on Twitter, shortly after the announcement of the US withdrawal from the country.
He said that Afghans now hold their own futures in their hands alone, which he called "a moment of decision and opportunity", while the Taliban faces its own test of how it will run the country.