Afghanistan: German shot on the way to the airport

A German civilian was shot in Kabul. According to the federal government, he was not seriously injured and will soon be flown out. The Bundeswehr also wants to use helicopters in the Afghan capital.

In the tense situation in the Afghan capital Kabul, a German was shot injured on the way to the airport. It is a civilian, said Vice Government Spokeswoman Ulrike Demmer. The man’s life is not in danger. He should be flown from Kabul soon.

The situation around the airport has been chaotic since the militant Islamist Taliban came to power. The situation is extremely dangerous. The desperation of the people who want to get on evacuation flights is growing by the hour. An eyewitness reported to the dpa news agency on Friday.

Another flight landed in Hanover

Meanwhile, an air force evacuation flight with rescued people from Afghanistan has landed in Hanover. According to the Lower Saxony Ministry of the Interior, 158 local Afghan workers and family members were on board. Among the rescued are around 30 to 40 children and young people, 20 of whom are unaccompanied. The unaccompanied children and young people should be looked after by the state youth welfare office.

The remaining people from Afghanistan would be taken to the Friedland transit camp. In addition, 32 EU citizens arrived in Hanover with the Airbus A310-MRTT military aircraft. Another plane with up to 250 people is expected in Hanover on Friday evening, said a ministry spokeswoman.

Helicopters are to be used

According to Demmer, more than 1,600 people have so far been brought to safety by the Bundeswehr from the Afghan capital. Two helicopters will soon support the evacuation operation. As a spokesman for the Federal Ministry of Defense said, the helicopters have already been loaded for transport to Afghanistan. They should be used there as soon as possible.

Among other things, the rescue of individual people from “dangerous situations” or their pick-up from remote locations is conceivable, said the spokesman. Overall, the helicopters were supposed to ensure that the Bundeswehr received an “expanded spectrum of action” on site.