US military unable to take civilians to Kabul airport – Defence Secretary

Secretary of Defence Lloyd Austin listens to a question during a media briefing at the Pentagon (Alex Brandon/AP)

The US military does not have the capacity to deploy forces beyond the perimeter of Kabul airport in order to evacuate more civilians from Afghanistan, Defence Secretary Lloyd Austin has said.

Afghans and aid organisations have said that citizens are having problems getting past the Taliban and into the airport in a mass exodus triggered by the insurgents’ rapid takeover of the country and its capital on Sunday.