Afghans crowd airport as Taliban patrols streets

Thousands of people massed outside the gates of Kabul airport, desperate to flee Taliban rule. The Taliban demanded to see documents before allowing people to approach the airport where British soldiers were deployed.

Kabul (Afghanistan):Thousands of people massed outside the gates of Kabul airport on Wednesday, desperate to flee Taliban rule. The Taliban demanded to see documents before allowing people to approach the airport where British soldiers were deployed.

Many of the people outside the airport did not appear to have passports and each time the gate opened even an inch, dozens tried to push through. The Taliban fired occasional warning shots to disperse the crowds.

A woman, who gave the name Fatima, spoke to British broadcaster Sky News outside the airport. She explained that her husband joined the Taliban and beat her. The only documentation she had for her and her children was a UN letter identifying them as victims.

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A journalist approached a British soldier and explained Fatima's situation. Although most people without sufficient documentation were turned away, the soldier ushered Fatima and her daughter to a queue of people to be let inside.

The Taliban have sought to portray themselves as more moderate than when they imposed a strict form of Islamic rule in the late 1990s. But many Afghans remain skeptical. Older generations remember the Taliban's previous rule, when they largely confined women to their homes, banned television and music, and held public executions.

Read: Taliban urges undocumented people to leave Kabul airport

AP