The Air Force plane with 74 people on board from Kabul landed in Fiumicino at 14.28. The Kc767 brought back to Italy the 74 people who left the country after the advance of the Taliban: they are embassy staff, compatriots who were in Afghanistan and about twenty former Afghan collaborators at risk of retaliation if they remained in their homeland. . It is the first flight of the airlift developed by the Defense to evacuate compatriots from Afghanistan.
The escape from Kabul, who made it: 'My heart is broken'
It left Kabul yesterday evening: this is the first evacuation flight as part of the airlift developed by the Defense after the rapid advance of the Taliban in Afghanistan. On board diplomatic personnel and about twenty former Afghan collaborators of the Italian contingent, as announced by Minister Guerini. In the next few days, other flights will bring back the compatriots who remained in the country and the other Afghans to be welcomed back to Italy. At the Kabul airport, a defense team is handling boarding.
"The Prime Minister, Mario Draghi, thanks the armed forces for the operations that are allowing our fellow citizens based in Afghanistan to be brought back to Italy - reads a note from Palazzo Chigi -. Italy's commitment is to protect the Afghan citizens who have collaborated with our mission. The president is in constant contact with the Minister of Defense, Lorenzo Guerini and the Minister for Foreign Affairs, Luigi Di Maio. Italy is working with European partners for a solution to the crisis, that protects human rights and in particular those of women ".
At least 10 people were killed in the chaos at Kabul airport after a crowd of thousands poured into the area hoping to leave the country. This was reported by the Afghan channel Tolo News on its website. Shots were fired in the airport under attack and a stampede ensued, causing casualties. The Pentagon reported that US forces killed two gunmen. Two more people died after falling from an American military plane they clung to after take off. Some eyewitnesses said 10 people were injured.
In another video of a few seconds broadcast by some media, including the Afghan agency Pajhwok, dozens of people are seen running around an American military cargo plane that is preparing to begin taxiing for take-off from Kabul airport, some cling to the trolleys and the cockpit, to any grip. Some media reports that some did not let go and fell to the ground before the US Air Force C-17 took off.
And the Taliban have launched a new video in which the deputy chief promises "serenity" to the nation and to take care of the needs of the people.
"This is the hour of trial. We will provide services to our nation, give peace to the whole nation and do our best to improve people's lives," said Mullah Baradar Akhund seated in the building in the video, quoted by the BBC. president surrounded by armed militiamen.
"The way we arrived was unexpected and we reached this position that we didn't expect," Akhund says.
The Taliban affirm that the situation in Kabul, after their seizure of power, is "peaceful" and there is no news of clashes ", according to a personality of the jihadists, quoted by the BBC, who does not provide the name.
The militiamen then affirm that the last resistance of the Afghan armed forces at the airport of Kandahar, the second Afghan city in the south, has ceased and that the special forces - writes the BBC on its live blog -, surrounded and after three days of fighting, they gave up.
Emergency doctors in Kabul, between wounded and waiting for contact with the Taliban