The US has 8 more days to get thousands of people out of Afghanistan before the Taliban says it will face ‘consequences’

• With the August 31 deadline looming, the US has eight more days to evacuate people from Afghanistan.
• If US troops don't pull out by then, a Taliban spokesman warned there would be "consequences."
• ISIS has also been making threats, and the US warned people not to come to the airport without instructions.
• See more stories on Insider's business page.

The situation in Afghanistan is growing more precarious by the day, and both the Taliban and ISIS are making threats.

The US has just eight more days to evacuate thousands out of Kabul, or face "consequences," a Taliban spokesperson threatened on Sunday.

"It's a red line. President Biden announced that on 31 August they would withdraw all their military forces. So if they extend it that means they are extending occupation while there is no need for that," Suhail Shaheen said in an interview with Sky News.

"If the US or UK were to seek additional time to continue evacuations – the answer is no. Or there would be consequences," he added.

And evacuation hasn't been easy. "Large crowds of people, including many who are not eligible for relocation have made access to the airport extremely difficult," the US Embassy in Kabul tweeted on Monday.

Thousands have continued to gather, desperate to get out, despite warnings and threats against doing so, and violence outside the airport.

An Afghan guard was killed and three others were injured in a gunfight outside of the Kabul airport on Monday. The fight, between western soldiers, Afghan guards, and other unidentified gunmen, also involved US and German forces.

ISIS threats are complicating the evacuation

Over the weekend, US officials warned Americans in Kabul to stay away from the airport because of "potential security threats outside the gates."

Thousands of jailed members of ISIS and al Qaeda were released from prison as the Taliban took hold of the capital city. While this was likely unplanned, unrest in the country allowed for all prisoners to be freed, including those who are enemies of the Taliban.

"ISIS-K has been waiting for an opportunity like this, where its fighters can exploit the chaos of the situation on the ground for a chance to kill American soldiers," Colin Clarke, a counterterrorism analyst at the Soufan Group, told The New York Times, referring to the Islamic State's Khorasan affiliate in Afghanistan.

"We are advising US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid airport gates at this time unless you receive individual instructions from a US government representative to do so," the US Embassy alert said.

Getting people out of Kabul is just one large step in the complex evacuation process. First, the US military and allies fly people to bases in Qatar, the UAE, Kuwait, Bahrain, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

Then, the US has enlisted commercial airlines to help run flights out of overcrowded regions that are currently packed with evacuees, the Wall Street Journal first reported. On Sunday, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin ordered six American airlines to help transport evacuees on 18 planes, activating a little-known program called the Civil Reserve Air Fleet.

The US has evacuated at least 37,000 people from Afghanistan since August 14.

A precarious situation

Violence throughout the country also worsened this weekend. Resistance groups are on the rise in Northern Afghanistan - the only province not currently under Taliban rule.

Anti-Taliban forces in Baghlan attacked, resulting in a deadly battle, the Wall Street Journal reported. These groups don't have an interest in a civil war, though. They're looking for a share of the new Afghan government.

The groups are pledging to continue their fight even as much of Afghanistan's army and security forces have folded under Taliban rule. The country will likely grow even more chaotic when US forces leave.