Baby hoisted over wall at Kabul airport by US Marine

Footage of a toddler being hoisted over a wall near the Kabul airport circulated on Twitter this week as thousands crowded at the capital eager to escape the country after the Taliban takeover.

In the video posted Thursday, a man is seen handing a toddler to Marines, who moved the child to safety.

The chaos & fear of people is a testament to the international community’s role in AFG’s downfall & their subsequent abandonment of Afghan people. The future for AFG has bn decided for its people without its people’s vote & now they live at the mercy of a terrorist group. #Kabul pic.twitter.com/k4bevc2eHE

— Omar Haidari (@OmarHaidari1) August 19, 2021

Marine Corps spokesperson Maj. Jim Stenger told The Hill in a statement Friday, “I can confirm the uniformed service member depicted in the video is a Marine with the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit. The baby seen in the video was taken to a medical treatment facility on site and cared for by medical professionals.”

“I can confirm the baby was reunited with their father and is safe at the airport. This is a true example of the professionalism of the Marines on site, who are making quick decisions in a dynamic situation in support of evacuation operations,” Stenger added in an updated statement.

On Friday, CNN posted a video appearing to show a man handing a child to a U.S. service member. It was also unclear if that child was being evacuated.

The footage underscores the chaotic scene at the capital as people try to protect relatives and children amid the chaotic U.S. exit.

In the past week, the Taliban has taken Kabul after gaining control of three next largest cities and a sizable number of provinces, seizing territory at a pace that caught U.S. officials off guard.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani also fled the country on Sunday, saying he wanted to prevent further bloodshed.

President Biden promised on Wednesday that U.S. troops would stay in Afghanistan until all Americans have been evacuated, even if that means staying past a self-imposed Aug. 31 deadline. He said the U.S. would do “everything in our power to get all Americans out and our allies out.”

An estimated 10,000 Americans remain in the country. Biden said there are between 50,000 and 65,000 Afghan allies, including their relatives, who are waiting to be evacuated.

Updated: 1:27 p.m.