'Kabul airport under fire' - US embassy

There are reports of gunfire at Kabul's airport, according to a security alert just issued by the US Embassy.

People have been seen running to planes on the tarmac, BBC reported quoting eyewitnesses. There are very few people are left to staff the airline and immigration desks, they say.

Nato Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg has also said the alliance was helping to keep the airport open to facilitate the evacuations there.

Officials have instructed US citizens in the area to take shelter, as "the security situation in Kabul is changing quickly".

Any Americans who still require assistance to leave Kabul have been told to register online, after operations at the embassy concluded.

Besides, an NGO which runs a hospital in Kabul claims more than 40 people have arrived at their hospital - most coming from the Qarabagh area, where there has been fighting.

The US Embassy in Kabul – which is now operating out of the Kabul airport – instructed US citizens in the capital to shelter in place Sunday.

"The security situation in Kabul is changing quickly including at the airport. There are reports of the airport taking fire; therefore we are instructing US citizens to shelter in place," the security alert issued Sunday said.

The embassy said that Americans "wanting assistance in departing the country should register for any option that might be identified to return to the United States," and must complete an online form for each person.

"Spouses and minor children of US citizens in Afghanistan who are awaiting immigrant visas should also complete this form if they wish to depart," the embassy said.

"Please do so as soon as possible. You must complete this form even if you've previously submitted your information to the U.S. Embassy in Kabul," it said.

"Do not call the US Embassy in Kabul for details or updates about the flight. This form is the only way to communicate interest in flight options," the security alert emphasised.