Heartbreaking images from Kabul Airport as desperate residents try to escape Taliban rule in Afghanistan

Thousands of people packed into the Afghan capital's airport on Monday, rushing the tarmac and pushing onto planes in desperate attempts to flee the country after the Taliban overthrew the Western-backed government. US troops fired warning shots at the Kabul airport as they struggled to manage the chaotic evacuation. The Taliban swept into Kabul on Sunday after President Ashraf Ghani fled the country, bringing a stunning end to a two-decade campaign in which the US and its allies had tried to transform Afghanistan. Have a look at some of the most heart-wrenching visuals from the day: