US flies more evacuees out as withdrawal deadline nears

By LOLITA C. BALDOR and ROBERT BURNS
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) — The U.S. war in Afghanistan is in its final hours as the military flew more desperate evacuees out of the Afghan capital. The Islamic State group’s Afghanistan affiliate is claiming responsibility for targeting the Kabul airport with rockets, but the U.S. military reports no American casualties. Biden administration officials say the U.S. has the capacity to evacuate the approximately 300 U.S. citizens remaining in Afghanistan who want to leave before President Joe Biden’s Tuesday deadline. The steady stream of U.S. military jets taking off and landing at Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul continued Monday even after rocket fire apparently targeted the airport but hit a nearby neighborhood.