The US Embassy on Thursday urged Americans to leave Afghanistan immediately as the security situation continues to detoriates, due the Taliban making their advances across the country with the seizure of a strategic city near the capital of Kabul.
The embassy in Kabul said that U.S. citizens should “leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options.” The embassy has even offered loans to help citizens who are unable to leave immediately for financial or other reasons.
Due to the security conditions and reduced staffing, its ability to assist Americans in the country is “extremely limited” even within Kabul, it said.
The notice comes days after the US embassy has issued a similar security alert on Saturday, urging it’s citizens to leave the country immediately.
Meanwhile, the United States on Thursday said it was sending an additional 3000 troops to Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul to pull out US embassy staff as the Taliban makes rapid gains.
State Department spokesperson Ned Price said the embassy will however remain open despite the planned evacuations.
“We are further reducing our civilian footprints in Kabul in light of the evolving security situation,” Price told reporters.
Later, Pentagon spokesperson John Kirby confirmed that the US will send additional forces to assist to evacuate the embassy personnel, including the Afghan US special immigrant visa (SIV) applicants. He stressed that the forces will not be staying in the country for a long time.
The additional troops will provide ground and air support for the processing and security of Americans being sent to the international airport in kabul, one official was quoted saying as by Al Jazeera.
In the recent days, the Taliban have captured several key provinces in Afghanistan. The insurgent forces captured the key city of Ghazni on Thursday, which is about 150 kilometers southwest of Kabul. It’s their latest seizure since the U.S. began withdrawing forces from the country in May. The U.S. troops are expected to pull out by the end of August 31.
However, the pullout is leaving the Afghanistan’s government to fight the Taliban without the support of their troops.
Noting an escalation of violence in Kabul, on April 27, the U.S. had ordered American government employees to work outside the embassy if possible.
