US tells citizens to leave Kabul airport gates 'immediately'

The United States urged its citizens Friday to "immediately" leave the gates around Kabul's airport, where a suicide bomber this week targeted crowds trying to flee Taliban rule.

Earlier Friday, the Pentagon said that the high-risk Kabul airlift operation to evacuate Americans and Afghan allies still faced "specific, credible threats".

"US citizens who are at the Abbey gate, East gate, North gate or the New Ministry of Interior gate now should leave immediately," the US Embassy in Kabul said in a security alert.