Afghanistan: US under pressure over evacuation deadline
The US is being pressed by allies to delay its withdrawal from Afghanistan to allow more time for evacuating those who want to flee the country, now that it is run by Taliban militants.
US troops controlling Kabul airport – the only one in the country functioning – are scheduled to leave by 31 August.
A G-7 summit hosted by the UK on Tuesday is due to discuss the issue.
The Taliban have warned of consequences if foreign forces remain after the deadline agreed with the US.
Currently 5,800 US troops are on the ground. President Joe Biden is set to decide within the next 24 hours whether to extend their stay, an official told Reuters news agency.
The US has evacuated, and facilitated the evacuation of, approximately 48,000 people since an intense airlift started on 14 August, the White House said.
Others seeking to flee remain crammed in or near the international airport in the capital, Kabul.
Many of the people fleeing, particularly those who worked with foreign forces, live in fear of reprisals from a group that imposed a harsh version of Islamic law when in power from 1996 to 2001.