While the U.S. ambassador and diplomats have reportedly reached the Kabul airport, thousands of Americans could still be stranded in Afghanistan.
With Afghan capital under Taliban’s control and the airport under fire, the Embassy is advising U.S nationals to seek “shelter in place.”
“The security situation in Kabul is changing quickly including at the airport. There are reports of the airport taking fire; therefore we are instructing U.S. citizens to shelter in place,” the embassy website said on Sunday.
The U.S. and allied troops were trying to secure the airport. “NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance was working to keep Kabul airport running as the Taliban closed in on power,” German public broadcaster Deutsche Welle confirmed.
President Joe Biden’s administration, which pleaded the Taliban to “spare” the U.S. embassy ahead of their onslaught on the Afghan capital, is now threatening them with a “response” if they targeted the stranded Americans. The Biden White House “warned Taliban officials directly that the U.S. would respond if the Taliban attacked Americans during the temporary U.S. military deployments,” the Associated Press reported on Friday.
The rapid collapse of Afghan government forces in face of Taliban offensive appears to have come as a surprise to President Biden and his team. On Saturday, the Biden White House presented a last-minute scramble to evacuate U.S. diplomats and service personnel.
Until recently, the Biden administrations had been denying the need for a full-scale evacuation. “This is not abandonment. This is not an evacuation. This is not a wholesale withdrawal,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said on Friday. “What this is is a reduction in the size of our civilian footprint.”
Britain and Germany, major contributors to the U.S.-led military mission in Afghanistan, were also undertaking similar rescue missions.
“The UK said about 600 troops would be deployed on a short-term basis to support British nationals leaving,” British newspaper The Guardian reported on Thursday. A British SAS team has been send to rescue the ambassador and diplomatic staff stationed in Kabul, UK newspapers confirmed.
“The German military will start with the evacuation of German citizens and afghan local staff on Monday. According to media reports, several A400M transport aircrafts will be on their way to the Afghan capital and bring the people to safety,” the German public broadcaster ARD reported on Sunday.
Kabul airport is now closed to commercial flights as evacuation are underway.
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