Afghans flee Taliban fighters at Kabul Airport, Afghanistan, Tuesday Aug. 17, 2021 Marcus Yam/Los Angeles Times/Getty Images
The US advised Afghans to avoid Kabul's airport.
According to officials, the Islamic State group may launch an attack.
Security alert notified of potential security threats at Kabul's airport gates.
Multiple media outlets reported that US officials warned Afghan citizens to avoid Kabul's airport because of Islamic State threats.
Security alert issued by the US Embassy in Afghanistan indicating "potential security threats beyond the Kabul airport gates."
The alert stated that US citizens should avoid flying to the airport or avoid the airport gates during this time, unless they are given specific instructions by a US government representative.
According to media outlets, unnamed US officials reported that ISIS's Afghanistan branch was the biggest threat.
According to The New York Times, US officials believe that ISIS could launch a simultaneous attack that would both harm Americans and weaken the Taliban's senses of control. The Times reported that ISIS is not capable of such an attack.
These warnings are coming just one day after President Joe Biden said that "any American who wishes to return home, we will get him home." More than 18,000 people were evacuated in the past month, he stated.
American efforts to evacuate evacuees have been thwarted by these new threats.
According to an official with the Associated Press, small groups of Americans will be given instructions on how to evacuate. This includes how to get to transit points so that the military can meet them.
According to the Associated Press, the details of the ISIS threat are not known but officials describe the threat as serious.
Saturday morning's scene at the airport was chaotic and desperate. The scene around the airport was chaotic and desperate.
According to the Associated Press, evacuations were continuing on Saturday but chaos caused flights to have to leave before they could be filled.
Insider has the original article.
