As the Taliban continues to make fast inroads in Afghanistan, the US ordered its nationals to leave the war-torn country immediately on Saturday. The US embassy in Kabul stated in a statement that given the security situation and decreased staffing in the aftermath of increased violence and threat concerns, its capacity to help Americans in Afghanistan is severely constrained.
The Islamist fundamentalist group’s fighters have encircled numerous Afghan cities and taken control of the province capital. The Taliban killed the chief of the Afghan government’s media information centre outside a mosque in Kabul on Friday.
“The US Embassy urges US citizens to leave Afghanistan immediately using available commercial flight options,” the embassy said amid the worsening situation.
The US Embassy further stated that it can provide a repatriation loan to its nationals who cannot afford to purchase a ticket for a commercial flight to the United States. The US state department has maintained the travel advisory for Afghanistan at Level 4, the highest of all, owing to crime, terrorism, civil unrest, kidnapping, armed conflict, and coronavirus disease (Covid-19) pandemic.
“Domestic flights and ground transportation routes outside of Kabul are severely limited and subject to cancellation or closure,” the US embassy added.
White House spokesperson Jen Psaki told a media briefing Friday that the Biden administration is “closely tracking” and is “concerned about” the reports of atrocities and retaliatory killings of civilians in Taliban-controlled areas. Psaki, however, stressed that the US will complete its troops’ withdrawal.
“The President made clear: After 20 years at war, it’s time for American troops to come home. And as he said at the time, the status quo was not an option. The Taliban was prepared to attack US and Nato troops after May 1st, which was the deadline for our departure,” she added.
