Satellite Images Capture Afghan Civilians Flocking to Kabul’s International Airport

Thousands of Afghan civilians have flocked to Kabul's international airport as the Taliban strengthen their grip on the nation’s capital. Commercial satellite imagery captured earlier today by Maxar Technologies shows panicked crowds near the airport’s entrance, on the tarmac, and along the runway. Civilian flights out of the airport have been canceled, and U.S. forces are on hand to expedite the evacuation of diplomats, U.S. citizens, and other key personnel. The deteriorating security situation in Kabul and across the country comes as the Taliban overran the capital and installed a new government following the withdrawal of most U.S. troops.

Seth G. Jones is senior vice president, Harold Brown Chair, director of the International Security Program, and director of the Transnational Threats Project at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C. Matthew P. Funaiole is a senior fellow for data analysis with the iDeas Lab and senior fellow with the China Power Project at CSIS. Joseph S. Bermudez Jr. is a senior fellow for imagery analysis (non-resident) with the CSIS iDeas Lab and Korea Chair.

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