The threat of a terrorist attack on Kabul airport while troops continue their evacuation mission is now said to be ‘very high’.
Last night, US president Joe Biden raised the prospect of an attack by Isis affiliate group Isis-Khorasan (Isis-K), which is based in Afghanistan.
He said that every day foreign forces remained in the country the risk grew, defending his decision to withdraw as soon as possible, and not extend the deadline of August 31 agreed with the Taliban.
Now, the head of Nato Jens Stoltenberg has also said the terror threat at the airport was not ‘theoretical’ but ‘a real danger’.
He told the FT: ‘On the one hand we would like to have as much time as possible to get as many people out as possible.
‘At the same time … if we stay beyond [August 31], especially if we don’t have at least a kind of tacit consent of the Taliban, the danger increases’.
A UK military source told the paper that the risk of an attack by Isis-K remained ‘very high’.
They said the group typically used suicide bombers, vehicle bombs and gunfire.
The Taliban, who took control of Afghanistan last week after a quick advance, have said they will not tolerate terror groups operating in the country.
They are opposed to Isis, and have battled them in recent years.
However, the terror group is thought to have received a boost after thousands of prisoners were released from jails during the Taliban advance, including jihadi fighters.
Ajmal Sohail, a former secular Afghan politician, said they are believed to include notorious figures such as Aslam Farooqi, an Isis-K ‘mastermind’ who headed the group in the country.
Last night, Joe Biden told reporters: ‘Every day we are on the ground is another day we know that Isis-K is seeking to target the airport and attack both US and allied forces and innocent civilians.
‘Additionally, thus far, the Taliban have been taking steps to work with us so we can get our people out, but as a tenuous situation – we have already had some gunfighting break out – we run a serious risk of it breaking down as time goes on.’
Poland said today it has halted its airlift evacuations from the airport over safety concerns.
Deputy foreign minister Marcin Przydacz said: ‘After a long analysis of reports on the security situation, we cannot risk the lives of our diplomats and of our soldiers any longer.’
He said that a number of troops will remain briefly to carry out some procedures that include closing the base, he said.
Poland has used more than a dozen planes to bring hundreds of evacuees to Warsaw.
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