The security situation around Kabul airport is worsening a few days before the presumed end of the militarily secured evacuations. The German embassy in Afghanistan and other agencies warn of the risk of terrorism around the airport in the Afghan capital. "Due to the security threats at the gates of Kabul airport, we advise US citizens not to travel to the airport at the moment and to avoid the airport gates," said the US embassy on Thursday night - without specifying the threat situation. At the same time, the time for evacuations is dwindling.

US citizens who are currently at Abbey Gate, East Gate or North Gate should leave the area "immediately," warned the US mission in Kabul.

The UK government has urged citizens near the airport to go to a safe place and await further instructions.

In her travel advice on Wednesday, she spoke of a "continued high threat from terrorist attacks".

Australia had also called on people to avoid the area around the airport because of the risk of terrorist attacks.

The German embassy warned German citizens of shootings and terrorist attacks in a letter.

Potential suicide bombers in Kabul

The Bundeswehr had already reported on Tuesday that there were an increasing number of potential suicide bombers from the terrorist organization Islamic State in Kabul.

US President Joe Biden had made a similar statement.

A local branch of IS tries to attack the airport practically every day, he said.

The terrorist militia is also a "declared enemy" of the militant Islamist Taliban.

Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer pointed out the increasing time pressure.

The time window for evacuations - which she did not define in more detail - is also becoming smaller, "because the threat situation is growing in a very specific way with a view to terrorist attacks on those who are to be evacuated, but also on the soldiers," said the CDU -Politician on Wednesday evening in the ZDF journal today.

The US, meanwhile, is holding on to its troop withdrawal until August 31.

That means an end to the evacuation flights of the Bundeswehr in the coming days.

Turkey has also started to withdraw its soldiers from Afghanistan.

This should also mean that the option, which was discussed at times, that Turkish troops should secure the international airport in Kabul beyond the end of the NATO mission.

It is unclear whether people will be able to leave the airport via the airport after August 31.

The Taliban also ensure that they will leave the country at a later date

The US government stressed that there was no “deadline” for its efforts to help US Americans or Afghans wishing to leave the country. Foreign Minister Antony Blinken said the Taliban had undertaken to ensure that people were safely escorted beyond August 31. "And we certainly have incentives and leverage over a future Afghan government to ensure that this happens," Blinken said without going into detail.

According to the German government, the Taliban have also promised that Afghans will be allowed to leave the country after August 31. This was announced by the German negotiator Markus Potzel after talks with Schir Mohammed Abbas Staneksai, the deputy head of the Taliban's political office in Qatar. The federal government wants to continue to bring German citizens and vulnerable Afghans out of the country by civil flights from Kabul. It's about several thousand people.

As of Wednesday afternoon, the USA assumed that a maximum of 1,500 Americans were still in Afghanistan. Of these, 500 have already been provided with specific instructions for their early evacuation, said the Foreign Ministry. Government officials continued to try hard to contact the remaining 1,000 or so people. The ministry stressed that this number could also be significantly lower. Biden had promised all Americans in Afghanistan who were willing to leave the country and promised to "bring them home"

The US government had recently repeatedly stressed that it could complete its mission by August 31. "We are on the right track," said White House spokeswoman Jen Psaki again on Wednesday. The president had been informed about emergency plans in case one had to stay longer. Biden had directed the Department of State and Defense to work out these alternative plans.