Evacuations in Kabul Enter Last Stage
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The pace of evacuations from Afghanistan was slowing down during the past few days; however, it picked up following Biden's warning of an attack on the Kabul airport.
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US Marines control access to Kabul airport on Friday, August 20, 2021 (AFP)
On Sunday, the evacuations of foreigners and Afghans from the Kabul Airport entered their last stage, two days ahead of the expected complete US withdrawal from Afghanistan amidst fears of a new attack.
United States Secretary of State Antony Blinken told ABC that the US has about 300 American citizens who have indicated they want to leave. "We are very actively working to help them get to the airport, get on a plane and get out of Afghanistan," he said.
After the Kabul Airport suicide bombing on Thursday that left 13 American soldiers and about 100 Afghans dead - for which ISIS-K assumed responsibility - United States President Joe Biden warned of another 'highly likely' attack on the Kabul Airport.
Since the Taliban surprisingly returned to power in mid-August following the defeat of the US-backed Afghan army, in addition to the fall of Kabul, around 114,400 people have left the country aboard western aircraft as per the latest White House tally.
The pace of evacuations has been slowed in recent days, as several European countries, including the United Kingdom and France, announced the end of their evacuations. The US is expected to complete its withdrawal on August 31, 20 years after the start of its war against the Taliban.
This short time period raises many concerns among the ranks of Afghans who helped the United States and other foreign forces, for they say the Taliban poses a threat to them.
