Washington: United States on Saturday urges its citizens in Afghanistan to avoid traveling to Kabul airport, citing “potential security threats” near the gate.
Hamid Karzai International Airport has seen a crush on people who hope to escape the Taliban takeover in this country a week ago.
When thousands of Americans and Afghans waited at the airport for flights or gathered nervously outside the gate, there were “sporadic” reports, confirmed by the Pentagon, Taliban fighters or other militants who beat and harassed people who tried to escape.
“We advised US citizens to avoid traveling to the airport and to avoid the current airport gate unless you receive individual instructions from US government representatives,” said the commemoration of the US Embassy in Kabul.
Warning does not provide details about the danger but a White House official then said the maid had given a briefing to President Joe Biden in the local “counterterrorism”, including against the Islamic group.
“This morning, the President met with his national security team …
they discussed the security situation in Afghan and counter-terrorism operations, including Isis-K,” the official said.
Known as an Islamic state in Khorasan (IS-K or ISIS-K), the Afghanistan branch has been in the back leg since suffering severe losses in 2019, but still has the ability to carry out attacks in urban areas.
Up to 15,000 Americans need to be evacuated from Afghanistan, according to Biden, who said the government wants to get at least 50,000 Afghan allies and their family members abroad.
Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said the military immediately tried to resolve the Kabul evacuation at the end of August.
“We are very honest about the fact that we know that we are fighting against both time and space,” he said, added, “it’s our race now.” US Main General Hank Taylor said 17,000 people so far taken out since the operation began on August 14, with many flying first to Qatar or Kuwait.
The total includes 2,500 Americans.
He added that six military aircraft C-17 and 32 charter flights had left Kabul airport in the last 24 hours with 3,800 people on board – a sharp decline from the previous day.
On Friday, the US military sent a helicopter to save more than 150 Americans who could reach the airport gate, an official said.
Biden has promised to help Americans in Afghanistan try to evacuate, saying: “There are Americans who want to go home, we will take you home.” But he also acknowledged that the presence of thousands of US troops at the airport did not guarantee the safe part through Kabul.
In the telephone briefing on Sunday, senior government officials from Canada described the conditions around the airport as “tenuous, chaotic and desperate.” They said Canadian troops have evacuated nearly 1,000 Afghans from the country, added: “This is a dangerous mission.” Former President Donald Trump, who was not turned off by Biden in the 2020 election, carried his successor to “failed a failure” from American forces from Afghanistan.
He also praised the Taliban as “big negotiators, tough fighters” during a general meeting in Alabama.
Trump signed an agreement with the Taliban which depends on the condition, will result in a full withdrawal of US forces in May.
He also got a release from Pakistani prison from the founder of Taliban Abdul Ghani Baradar, the highest profile leader of the movement seen in public since the fall of Afghanistan.