Bloodied and beaten by the Taliban – this was the fate of one man claiming to be an Australian citizen as he tried to reach Kabul airport today with just hours to go before mercy flights out of Afghanistan stop.

The man, whose identity is unknown, was attacked after the Taliban vowed to stop people reaching the airport in blatant defiance of Joe Biden’s demand that evacuation flights be allowed to continue unimpeded – with the American President unwilling or unable to do anything about it.

Video shows the man at what appears to be a Taliban checkpoint with blood running down his face and dripping on to his pink polo shirt, saying in accented English: ‘They hit me… I am an Australian citizen.’

He then talks about trying to reach the airport, though his words are partially obscured by the sound of Taliban guards cocking and firing an AK47 rifle over his head – before the footage cuts out.