After two decades of war, Monday was one of the last days for US military forces to leave Afghanistan before President Joe Biden's deadline to withdraw on Aug. 31. It came after a week of panicked flights out of Kabul, a suicide bombing at the airport, and a US airstrike. Scenes on the ground over the past 48 hours show members of the Taliban guarding the airport, people mourning, a resistance militia preparing for what's ahead, US troops departing, displaced Afghans setting up camps in Kabul, and some still looking to flee over the border to Pakistan. These photos capture life as the country closes one chapter and braces itself for the unknown future.


























