Updated Aug 23, 2021 - World

German military: Firefight involving U.S. forces at Kabul airport

Rebecca Falconer

British and Canadian soldiers stand guard near a canal as Afghans wait outside the foreign military-controlled part of the airport in Kabul — British and Canadian soldiers stand guard near a canal as Afghans wait outside the foreign military-controlled part of Kabul's airport late Sunday. Photo: Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty Images

An Afghan guard was killed and three others wounded in a "firefight" with "unknown attackers" at Kabul's airport — which also involved German and U.S. security forces, Germany's military said Monday.

The latest: Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby said later Monday that the U.S. could not yet determine which group was responsible for the attack.

Of note: The incident happened as thousands of Afghans and foreigners seeking to leave Afghanistan were at the airport's north gate, per Reuters.

The U.S. Embassy in Afghanistan issued an alert Saturday, warning Americans against going to Kabul's airport "because of potential security threats."

The big picture: There have been chaotic scenes at the airport since the Taliban took control of Kabul on Aug. 15, with several people losing their lives as they tried to flee Afghanistan. Taliban fighters "beat back crowds" at the airport Sunday, Reuters noted.

President Biden has sought to step up evacuation efforts and said Sunday that this could be extended beyond the Aug. 31 U.S. troop withdrawal deadline.

What they're saying: Vice President Kamala Harris told reporters in Singapore on Monday that getting American citizens and Afghan allies safely out of Afghanistan was the Biden administration's "singular focus at this time."

The U.S. is using commercial airlines to help bring evacuees to the U.S. from "staging locations," such as Qatar and Germany, or a third country, Biden said. The airlines won't fly into Kabul's airport, he added.

What to watch: Biden was due to attend a virtual G7 leaders' meeting Tuesday to discuss Afghanistan.

The Biden administration did not immediately respond to Axios' request for comment.

Editor's note: This article has been updated with new details throughout.

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German military: Firefight involving U.S. forces at Kabul airport

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