Afghan woman gives birth aboard US evacuation flight

An Afghan woman has given birth on board a US Air Force C-17 plane flying from the Middle East to Ramstein Air Base in Germany, the US military said.

The base is being used as a transit post for people being evacuated from Afghanistan.

The mother began experiencing complications during the flight on Saturday, the US military's Air Mobility Command tweeted.

"The aircraft commander decided to descend in altitude to increase air pressure in the aircraft, which helped stabilise and save the mother's life," it said.

On arrival at Ramstein, US medical personnel boarded the plane and delivered the baby in the aircraft's cargo bay.

"The baby girl and mother were transported to a nearby medical facility and are in good condition," the military said.

The news marks a rare hopeful moment emerging from what has become an increasingly desperate and deadly situation.

Tens of thousands of people fleeing the Taliban are trying to get to the gates of the airport, the last functioning route out of the country, resulting in horrific crushes.

On Saturday, the US embassy told its citizens to stay away from the airport unless instructed to travel amid reports security forces are increasingly concerned about the threat from Islamic State [IS] militants.

While there haven’t been any confirmed attacks yet, an anonymous US official told the Associated Press news agency they are concerned the airport could become a target.