PESHAWAR: The United States and Britain have urged their citizens in Afghanistan to avoid entering Kabul airport because of the “high security threat”.
Military commanders at the airport have warned of suicide or mortar attacks on people gathered at the Hamid Karzai International Airport gates in Kabul. Earlier, US President Joe Biden also warned of the danger posed by ISIS to Kabul airport. US and UK have asked their citizens – who are still waiting outside Kabul airport – to leave the area immediately.
On the other hand, the US officials informed that the Taliban have closed all the roads leading to the airport to “stop skilled Afghan” from leaving Afghanistan. The US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the Taliban had promised to allow Afghans and foreigners who wanted to leave the country till August 31.
Officials from the United States and its allies have told the US media that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the military have carried out covert operations to evacuate civilians through helicopters. The US media added that these “dangerous operations” have been carried out in Kabul and other parts of Afghanistan. The Pentagon has said 10,000 people are still waiting to be evacuated out of Kabul airport through US planes.
Mr Blinken said Washington and its allies have a “responsibility to ensure that the Taliban fulfill all the commitments.” He said that so for more than 19,000 people have been evacuated from the country in the preceding 24 hours. The United Kingdom and other countries, such as the United States, are rushing to repatriate their citizens and Afghans with visas before August 31 after President Biden refused to extend the date.
But there are also fears that the thousands of Afghans who want to leave their country will not be able to get to the airport. Media has reported that hundreds of people with travel documents waiting for evacuation but the Taliban have prevented them from entering the airport. But President Biden wrote on Twitter that he would “do everything possible” for the “safe evacuation” of these people.