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16th Aug 2021

‘They’re coming to kill us’ – Afghan filmmaker’s video pleas as Taliban moves in

Charlie Herbert

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The Taliban has taken full control of Kabul, with thousands fleeing for their safety.

A prominent Afghan filmmaker has recorded her dramatic escape from the Afghan capital of Kabul, begging for help and saying that the militant group were “coming to kill us.”

In an Instagram post on Sunday, Sahraa Karimi asked people to “pray for us.”

In the video, she can be seen running through the streets of Kabul, and says: “The Taliban entered Kabul, unfortunately, and we were detained. Pray for us.”

You can watch the full nine-minute video below.

Karimi, who is the director general of the state-run Afghan Film, has also taken to Twitter to reach out for help.

In one tweet, she wrote: “Taliban surrounded Kabul, I went to the bank to get some money, they closed and evacuated. I still cannot believe this happened.

“Please pray for us, I am calling again: Hey ppl of the this big world, please do not be silent , they are coming to kill us.”

The Taliban has swept through Afghanistan since the final American troops withdrew from the country in July, ending a two-decade-long US presence in the country.

The US embassy has been evacuated, with American citizens still in Afghanistan being advised to “shelter in place.”

As thousands tried to flee Kabul, there were chaotic scenes at the city’s airport, with reports of some deaths.

In another tweet, Kamiri said that the city’s skies were now “full of the sound of helicopters and warplanes.”

“The sky of Kabul, which was silent in the evenings at night,” Kamiri tweeted, “and the summer evening breeze forced you to open the window and leave your face in the cool breeze of living at home, is now full of the sound of helicopters, warplanes.

“This is the side of the shootings that breaks people’s hearts,” she added.

“We are sold.”

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