Taliban urged to allow fleeing Afghans safe passage, as evacuation efforts continue

Taliban fighters manned checkpoints around Kabul's airport on Thursday as concerns built they were blocking Afghans from reaching evacuation flights, with the United States demanding safe passage. While military evacuations out of Afghanistan have stepped up four days after Kabul fell to Taliban control, the access to the Hamid Karzai International Airport has turned into a majority security challenge for Afghans trying to flee. At least 12 people have been killed in and around the airport since Sunday, according to Taliban and NATO officials.