Kabul: US troops arrive for safe evacuation of diplomatic staff
The first battalion of the US Marine Corps arrived in Kabul on Friday to evacuate some US diplomats and thousands of Afghans from Afghanistan.
The move comes in the wake of the Taliban's rapid operations and occupation of provincial capitals in Afghanistan and the growing threat to Kabul. Pentagon spokesman John Kirby said members of the battalion were now in Kabul.
He said the United States was sending more troops to Kabul over the weekend to help evacuate more Americans and their Afghan allies as soon as possible.
The United States is completing its military mission in Afghanistan by the end of this month, while the Taliban are increasingly occupying the provinces.
"Their actions show that they are trying to isolate Kabul," Pentagon spokesman John Kirby told a briefing.
The Pentagon is sending 4,500 to 5,000 troops to bases in the Gulf states of Qatar and Kuwait, of which 1,000 will be sent to Qatar to repatriate US interpreters and their families to Afghan translators and other fields. To expedite the processing of visas for those who are at risk from the Taliban for supporting US forces.
In addition, between 3,000 and 4,000 combat troops are being sent to Kuwait, a US spokesman said. He said they would remain there as a reserve force, so that if more than 3,000 US troops needed to be sent to Kabul, they would be sent there.
The State Department initially said its embassy in Kabul would continue to operate with a small staff. According to an Associated Press report, the ability of the Kabul government to repatriate most members of the US embassy in Kabul and deploy thousands of additional US troops on Thursday has shaken the Kabul government's ability to counter Taliban attacks. Demonstrates confidence while being.
Britain has also announced it will send 600 troops to evacuate its citizens from Afghanistan, while Canada has said it is sending special forces to evacuate its staff from Kabul.