Australian and New Zealand forces have evacuated approximately 4,000 people from Kabul, including 1,200 flown out on Wednesday night. Among the evacuees, children have been seen enjoying games of cricket and football with Australian soldiers, offering a glimpse of normalcy amid the chaos.
Footage captured last weekend shows Afghan evacuees bowling to an Australian soldier during a cricket match, while other children test their rugby skills with Australian Defence Force personnel. One youngster is seen tossing a football with a soldier, and another plays a bean bag tossing game.
These scenes contrast sharply with the ongoing violence in Kabul, where the Taliban have regained control. Foreign Minister Marise Payne has urged Australians in Afghanistan not to travel to Kabul's international airport due to a high threat of terrorist attacks. She noted that some Afghan residents desperate to leave have been forced to turn back due to violence near the airport.
Australia has now received over 600 Afghan evacuees, who are quarantining in hotels across the country. Prime Minister Scott Morrison stated that the number evacuated is three times higher than expected. Evacuation operations are set to end by Tuesday, the US deadline for complete withdrawal from Afghanistan.
Payne emphasised the challenges of accessing the airport, citing Taliban restrictions on Afghan nationals' movement. The Taliban, an extremist Islamist group, first emerged in the 1990s and imposed a strict interpretation of Sharia law during their previous rule.
