The White House on Monday confirmed there had been a rocket attack directed at the airport, but said airlift operations there were “uninterrupted”.

The return of the hardline Islamist Taliban movement, which was toppled in 2001 but took back power a fortnight ago, triggered an exodus of terrified people aboard US-led evacuation flights.

Those flights, which have taken more than 122,000 people out of Kabul airport, will officially end on Tuesday when the last of the thousands of American troops pull out.

US forces are now focused chiefly on flying themselves and American diplomats out safely, although Kirby on Monday said “there is still time” for remaining Americans to get out.

He would not be more specific about the state of the evacuation. He said a total of 5,400 Americans had been airlifted thus far.

Then on Monday, they claimed to have fired six rockets at the airport. A Taliban official said the attack was intercepted by the airport’s missile defence systems.

The US said it had carried out an air strike on Sunday night in Kabul on an Isis-prepared car bomb. It said the air strike had eliminated another threat, but may have also have killed civilians.

“We are aware of reports of civilian casualties following our strike on a vehicle in Kabul today,” Captain Bill Urban, a US Central Command spokesman, said in a statement. “We would be deeply saddened by any potential loss of innocent life.”

04:02

UK, France, Germany and most other European allies end Afghanistan evacuation

UK, France, Germany and most other European allies end Afghanistan evacuation

There has been concern that millions may seek refuge in neighbouring countries and Europe.

The European Union’s foreign policy chief said in an interview published on Monday that the bloc should provide financial support to countries neighbouring Afghanistan to help them manage refugees fleeing the Taliban.

“We will have to increase cooperation with the neighbouring countries to resolve issues related to Afghanistan. We must help them with the first refugee wave,” Josep Borrell told Italy’s Corriere aella Sera newspaper.

“Afghans fleeing the country are not going to reach Rome in the first place, but maybe Tashkent [in Uzbekistan]. We need to help those countries that will be on the front line,” he added.

Asked if they would receive European financial support to host refugees, he said: “The absorption capacity of Europe has its limits and nothing can be done without strong cooperation.

“Neighbouring countries will be affected more and earlier than Europe. So, yes: that also means giving those countries financial support as we have done with Turkey.”

02:10

China pledges support for Taliban, speaks out against G7 threat to sanction hardline group

China pledges support for Taliban, speaks out against G7 threat to sanction hardline group

Meanwhile, the Taliban has said it would crack down on Isis attacks and expected them to end once foreign forces had left.

In recent years, Islamic State’s Afghanistan-Pakistan chapter has been responsible for some of the deadliest attacks in those countries. They have massacred civilians at mosques, public squares, schools, and even hospitals.

The Taliban has promised a softer brand of rule compared with their first stint in power, which the US military ended because the group gave sanctuary to al-Qaeda.

But many Afghans fear a repeat of the Taliban’s brutal interpretation of Islamic law, as well as violent retribution for working with foreign militaries, Western missions or the previous US-backed government.

Western allies have warned many thousands of at-risk Afghans have not been able to get on the evacuation flights.

On Sunday, the Taliban revealed their supreme leader Hibatullah Akhundzada was in southern Afghanistan and planning to make a public appearance.

“He is present in Kandahar,” said Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid, referring to the movement’s spiritual birthplace.

Reporting by AFP, Reuters, dpa