Enlarge image
Rapid evacuation: helicopter over the US embassy in Kabul
Photo: Rahmat Gul / AP
The US has begun evacuating its embassy in the Afghan capital, Kabul, reports Reuters and AP, citing military officials. US President Biden announced that instead of the initially planned 3,000, around 5,000 US soldiers would be deployed to secure the departure of the embassy staff and local civilian personnel. He warned the Taliban not to obstruct the mission. Attacks on US interests would be answered swiftly and forcefully.
The announced evacuation had become necessary as the Taliban are getting closer and closer to the capital.
Taliban fighters recently conquered Jalalabad, the penultimate city in the country.
According to a representative of the authorities, the extremists moved into the capital of Nangarhar province in the east of the country without a fight.
The day before they had taken Mazar-i-Sharif in the north, where the Bundeswehr had its headquarters in the country until they withdrew in June.
Smoke on the roof of the embassy
The United States began taking people to safety by helicopter just hours after the fall of Jalalabad.
Diplomats' armored SUVs have also been seen leaving the embassy area.
The US government initially did not officially confirm the measures.
Clouds of smoke rising from the embassy roof can apparently be traced back to diplomats who destroyed sensitive documents so that they do not fall into the hands of the Taliban.
Two US military personnel confirmed this to the AP news agency.
Germany is also planning an evacuation
Germany also wants employees of the diplomatic mission and German aid organizations as well as local helpers to fly out as quickly as possible.
The Bundeswehr is preparing an evacuation mission for this purpose.
Defense minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer announced that emergency services were ready and would be set on the march as soon as possible.
According to SPIEGEL information, the planes are to fly from Kabul to Uzbekistan, from where civil planes are to be used for connecting flights.
First of all, the roughly 20 employees of the German embassy in Kabul are to be flown out, as well as the federal police officers who were deployed to secure the embassy.
rai / dpa / Reuters