What Kabul Looks Like 2 Days After The Taliban Took Control

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Taliban fighters on a pickup truck move around a market area Tuesday in Kabul, Afghanistan’s capital.

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Hoshang Hashimi/AFP via Getty Images

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Referencing the international airport in Kabul, where masses of people thronged departing airplanes on Monday in a desperate bid to get out of the country, the journalist said, «Still there was a bit of rush of people.»

The person said there were shots fired, too — into the air. «I think it was just giving a message to the Afghans to go back home.»

Pentagon officials said Tuesday that the airport is secure and that the pace of evacuations is expected to increase. Some 700 passengers were evacuated overnight, and officials have a goal of evacuating up to 9,000 per day.

Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said that U.S. military commanders at the Kabul airport are also in communication with Taliban leaders who control the perimeter of the airport.

Throngs gather outside the international airport in Kabul on Tuesday.

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AP

This piece first appeared on the Morning Edition live blog.