Joe Biden claims evacuation operation at Kabul airport has accelerated

Families evacuated from Kabul, Afghanistan, walk through the terminal before boarding a bus after they arrived at Washington Dulles International Airport, in Chantilly, Virginia (Jose Luis Magana/AP)

President Joe Biden said the US-led evacuation of Americans, at-risk Afghans and others from the Kabul airport accelerated this weekend, although it remains vulnerable to threats posed by the so-called Islamic State extremist group.

One week after the Taliban completed its takeover of Afghanistan by capturing Kabul, Mr Biden said discussions are under way among military officials about potentially extending the airlift beyond Mr Biden’s August 31 deadline.