KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — The Taliban are sealing off Kabul’s airport to most would-be evacuees to prevent large crowds from gathering after this week’s deadly suicide attack. The massive U.S.-led airlift was winding down Saturday ahead of a U.S. deadline to withdraw from Afghanistan by Tuesday. Most allies have completed their own airlifts and flown out after 20 years of deployment in the country. The Taliban on Saturday set up new layers of checkpoints on roads leading to the airport. Areas where large crowds had massed for the past two weeks were largely empty. The U.S. military says a drone strike killed two “high-provile” Islamic State group militants believed to have been involved in planning and facilitating attacks.
Taliban largely seal off Kabul airport as airlift winds down
